tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90124352778223146952024-03-14T02:44:33.284-07:00DGC's Hawaii Hiking TalesDavid G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-19577351586494418802018-02-02T00:35:00.000-08:002018-02-02T07:19:53.337-08:001-15-2018: Kaua'i - Wailua Headwaters "Blue Hole" & "Weeping Wall"<div style="text-align: center;">
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Wow! What happened to 2017? My last entry was on Feb of 2016 and promised that I would post somewhat regularly in here. Turns out, I'm living life. But you may ask, haven't you been doing that since the inception of this blog? Nah, I'm talking about real life: with responsibilities. Travel was the main highlight of 2017 with me taking every opportunity during the days I wasn't at work to explore new places in the world. On one side of the globe, I went to Paris and on the other, to New Zealand, with numerous other places in between. Life was good. But, it was about to get better, in a sort of different way. On September 6th of 2017, my other half and I closed out on a $350,000 two bedroom, 1 and a half bath, 800sqft. of our own personal space, where we can do whatever the hell we want. For once in my life, I have a sanctuary where I can just push the rest of the world away should things turn south on me. This is my first post in this blog since living in our new hale and I couldn't feel any better.</div>
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The New Year has come and gone. BOOM! BOOM! BANG! BANG! Drinks to be had, yes, the alcoholic ones. ;) I wanted to start this year off with a good start. Actually, long before the New Year, I'd say around in November or December, I was invited to an opportunity of epic proportions. One that I had read about for years, but never had the resources to gather to actually pull this off. I was invited by a good hiking comrade of mine to take a Journey to the Center of Kaua'i, a place that few has gone due to the difficulty in navigating this hike. I recently watched a 2008 film called, "The Journey to the Center of the Earth". If there was one adventure that resembled that, this would be it.<br />
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Called the "Blue Hole", otherwise known as the Wailua Headwaters, this deep gorge cuts through the ancient shield volcano of Wai'ale'ale, millions of years in the making. Nestled right at the base of Mt. Wai'ale'ale, this place has been dubbed the "wettest spot on Earth". Or more accurately, one of the wettest spots on Earth as it trades this title with a few other places elsewhere in the world. It is said that this area receives on average of 400 inches of rain a year. But according to Wikipedia, the record is 683 inches of rain in 1982. There are numerous rainfall statistic sites that have a number of days that it rains on average. Doing a round up of all these numbers, it averages out to be around 340 days a year that it rains at this place. That's 340 days out of 365 days a year! All the water from it's plateau shaped mountain top, standing at 5,148ft above sea level, drain from the Alaka'i Swamp down thousands of feet of cliffs down into a depression that resembles a crater. Most people mistake this area as the Wai'ale'ale Crater, but it isn't a crater at all. It's part of the headwaters that form the start of the gorge that is carved by the Wailua River and flows downriver towards the Pacific Ocean. The majority of Kaua'i's freshwater are probably sourced from this location.<br />
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After weeks of planning and researching, I was getting a bit nervous about this trek. The general emphasis was that a large network of hunting trails exists all around this area from the trail head all the way near the back of the gorge. Getting lost here spells disaster. Also given that it is one of the wettest spots on Earth, it was safe to assume that the river flash floods quite often. There have been documented cases where heavy rain was falling anywhere around Mt. Wai'ale'ale, ankle high water would flash flood into chest or higher levels, turning the river into a raging torrent of water. Get caught here and you are in serious trouble. If one is to hike safely here, weather calls the day.<br />
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On the day before I would fly out to Kaua'i, I had everything ready to go. Then........<br />
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This was no joke. Or at least that was what my phone was flashing before my eyes. "Let me hike Blue Hole first before I die!" ran across my mind. Without getting into much detail, someone at the Hawai'i Civil Defense messed up. Messed up HARD. Needless to say, no missile was upon us to shower us with nuclear death. But this serves as a wake up call in the current events that are unfolding.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Wai'anae Mountain Range on O'ahu as we took off, bound for Kaua'i</span></div>
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On Sunday, we were off. I say we, because Jerry decided to accompany me and be my "mobile base camp". After touching down at Līhuʻe (Lihue) Airport, we met with my hiking companion, Vladimir, and decided to check out a little side hike in Koke'e. I happened to bring my drone and with the winds at light and variable, this would be my first time to cut my drone loose and fly free around me, somewhere other than O'ahu. As you'll see in the video, the views were just fantastic! This little hike was just the prelude to the main event: The Blue Hole!<br />
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On the next day, we met with our guide, Andrew, who would lead the hike. Also accompanying us was Miles, another visitor from the continental U.S. to bring our hiking party to a final count of 4. But, before I continue further with this blog entry, I am going to keep the directions somewhat vague out of respect of keeping this place a pristine location for future generations to come. We started our long drive mauka. Eventually, we drove off the paved road and into a long and BUMPY 4x4 road which I would learn that it was the very same road they used in the first Jurassic Park movie where the two tour cars went through the "Jurassic Park Gate".<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This photo was taken after we finished the hike, hence the abundance of clouds.</span></div>
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Finally, we got to the trail head and we left the safety of our vehicle, ready to tackle the unknown, well for us anyway. Andrew has done this numerous times and he was to be our human way finder for the day. The weather couldn't have been better. If weather was a casino, then we won the jackpot of the day! By those weather statistics, we had a 0.068 percent of scoring a dry weather pattern for the region. And we got those odds in our favor on this day! It was clear blue skies over the entire summit of Wai'ale'ale and Kawaikini with not a single cloud in the sky. We slipped on our trustworthy tabis, a definite must for this hike, and we set off.<br />
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I can basically sum this hike up with a percentage ratio. It was 90% rock hopping upstream on a stream bed or flowing river. The other 10% was a mud sloth up and down some ridge spurs with the aid of some old ropes, contouring a couple of rather sketchy ledges.<br />
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The first half of the hike is 99% rock hopping and 1% mud sloth through some obscure trails. Yes, I said trails as all of these trails snake out in every direction. But the general rule is to keep going up the river bed.<br />
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Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to realize that this entire gorge is inundated with tour helicopters flying in and out through the gorge to reach the head waters. The sounds of the helicopters flying over us is nonstop. I mean nonstop from around 8am to around 5pm. This unfortunate helicopter train as I would call it destroys the otherwise tranquil feeling of being alone in the heart of Kaua'i. However, later in the day, we would discover that at around 11am to around 1pm, there is a lapse in helicopter flights as it is the pilots' lunch time!<br />
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At some point, you'll reach a prominent waterfall that is known as the "Guardian Falls". I also heard people call it the "convergence" falls as three different streams converge together at this falls and becomes one river downstream torwards makai. Most people who hike up this river turn around at this point. But if you want to reach the Wailua Headwaters, continuing upstream past this falls is a must. But this part can be confusing as you literally have three choices of streams you can take to follow upstream. Andrew easily guided us to the correct one and we were on our way.<br />
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Beyond the Guardian Falls, the view of the right side of the gorge comes into view. I began to think about the numerous rock hazards that I've experienced at the Kaluanui Gulch enroute to Kaliuwa'a Falls back on my home island of O'ahu. With the Wailua Gorge so sacred here on Kaua'i as we are essentially heading to the center of the island, showing our greatest respect and dignity to this place is of utmost important. This entire gorge is millions of years old and when one walks through here, you are essentially walking back in time to ancient Hawai'i. The mana is powerful and we all felt it's presence, channeling through our spirits as it did through our Hawaiian ancestors when they walked this very route. I had nothing but positive energy flowing throughout my body. It was a calling to be in this very special place.<br />
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At around the halfway point of this second part of the hike, we had to start navigating some rope sections and ledges that required careful foot placement. It was said that a child slipped here while en-route to the Blue Hole and survived, but injured badly. It is probably about a good 30 to 50ft straight down into the shallow stream. Grabbing hold of vegetation on the walls proved futile. This reminds me of the section that we had to contour on the Kalihi Saddle from Lanihuli down towards the powerlines. It's sort of like that.<br />
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Beyond these ledges is a mud slog through some minor ups and downs on the valley ridge spurs. More rope is present. We made sure to test all the ropes. There is a clearing as the gorge finishes it's left hand turn to line us up to the head waters. To the right, a 300ft waterfall rages down a vertical lush green cliff. To the left and now ahead of us, was a dark region of mammoth towering walls that comprise the famous Blue Hole "crater" of Mt. Wai'ale'ale. We could see the train of helicopters continuing to fly over head and straight into that dark void as if it swallowed those tiny flying specks and the tourists along with it! Nonetheless, we had to take a nice break here and take in these majestic views.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvnHaLrPBcaU2QnmeMe0U47d1Drbe38DOniRrLOiDNJ7H_6t5k3PMqNNthMshToLT6-ykcEnySagFZlOq94O76EfG-D4zx2FmyIGGHVjr-kJIjj7KvAz36NuHJD2HWLkhnPWiWoo_/s1600/DW0A0276_77_78_79_80_81_82_tonemapped+Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="1600" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvnHaLrPBcaU2QnmeMe0U47d1Drbe38DOniRrLOiDNJ7H_6t5k3PMqNNthMshToLT6-ykcEnySagFZlOq94O76EfG-D4zx2FmyIGGHVjr-kJIjj7KvAz36NuHJD2HWLkhnPWiWoo_/s640/DW0A0276_77_78_79_80_81_82_tonemapped+Panorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Continuing on, we dipped down into small gulley and hiked up to a metal fence line that I am all too familiar with on O'ahu. It appears that this was the official boundary of the headwaters and the rest of the gorge heading downstream. There was a gate that we opened to go through the fence to finally reach the headwaters themselves.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpR_TLiSFAfEX9vEGZdI2N9PRI33JFUaNr8RtMcEGXmnW5bY8MmM6qZOFlp1MfUrDnmLdjUvkirVdmDXPQ6etb8g7cm8Rhi3tc4uEVuyY0GPpgR9UGnTKRMOJAg348Y7s0n2aEhkR/s1600/IMG_9052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpR_TLiSFAfEX9vEGZdI2N9PRI33JFUaNr8RtMcEGXmnW5bY8MmM6qZOFlp1MfUrDnmLdjUvkirVdmDXPQ6etb8g7cm8Rhi3tc4uEVuyY0GPpgR9UGnTKRMOJAg348Y7s0n2aEhkR/s640/IMG_9052.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And there it was, all in her full glory on this beautiful partly cloudy sky as the sun beamed down overhead! The green dark walls were huge! They were at least 3,000ft tall on all three sides of the headwaters! I have never seen anything like this anywhere in the world. I was in shock. I was in awe. All I could do was just stand there and look at this place from 360 degrees around. For years I have always imagined this place. On this day, I was truly here.<br />
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It didn't take long for me to spot the famous "Weeping Wall" at the far end of the headwaters. It was around past 12pm when we sat down to have lunch while admiring the towering walls high above us. I noticed many long streaks of dark rock that lacked any green vegetation. I recalled photos and videos from helicopters of endless streaks of gushing white waterfalls dropping down the entire face of the walls all around this area during a huge rain event. I can only imagine looking straight up at each of these thousands of foot waterfalls pouring down the edge of the surrounding Mt. Wai'ale'ale on all three sides! I probably need to come back here during an event where it just stops raining hard by the time we reach the headwaters. A risk worth taking? Probably. Or probably not! At around 12:30pm, we were at the many small cascading waterfalls that make up the entire Weeping Wall. Even when it has been dry for the past 2 weeks, this waterfall always flows as it comes straight out of the ancient rock. I couldn't help but walk up to the waterfall, reach my hand forward through the flowing ice cold water, and touch one of the oldest rocks on the Hawaiian Islands. My spiritual energy was overwhelming at this point that I almost created my own weeping wall from my eyes. From the entire time we arrived at the waterfall, the helicopters were completely absent as we timed our arrival with their lunch break. All on cue. Under a blue sky. At the Blue Hole in complete silence with nothing but the sound of the water weeping out from the sacred rock. It all aligned. It was meant to happen. I felt it. I would find inner peace for the next half hour. We've reached the center of the island. It was an island, within an island.<br />
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We probably spent about a good 45 minutes to almost an hour here before we had to reluctantly had to start thinking about heading back home. At around this time, the sounds of the helicopters returned with a vengeance and like an eclipse, totality was lost and the alignment was all but gone. This place was telling us to go back and we wasted no time as we had a long journey back to the safety of the truck.<br />
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Every rock we hopped on, we had to do downstream. It was a painful struggle as these tabis are not exactly the most comfortable piece of footwear I've ever worn. My left heel started to hurt and my toes were bruised from the relentless hopping. But it was another 3 to 4 hours to get out safely. At a pool about 30 minutes above the Guardian Falls, Andrew recommended we all dip into the cold icy pool to freshen up for the final half of the hike. It was a welcoming break we all needed. At last I could put my sore feet into the water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZWV_yTffhMqcb2FwBOCjO741ehha9jOowqff3GcVTG0_GprCw68MjroikS_uFhyphenhyphenaS6twIsoh8RhDauBxKmoYUMkAd7GE2t-_e9kaM4Lwsw3tgkWVDXqesSApYybuvgXK8PFrh6Q7/s1600/IMG_9092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZWV_yTffhMqcb2FwBOCjO741ehha9jOowqff3GcVTG0_GprCw68MjroikS_uFhyphenhyphenaS6twIsoh8RhDauBxKmoYUMkAd7GE2t-_e9kaM4Lwsw3tgkWVDXqesSApYybuvgXK8PFrh6Q7/s320/IMG_9092.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpdeILwo8BolczNm3t2gXDVetFEPiYb0gh68e2lFRys1DIow2HYRClPgLmHhsBtnFt4lqW16JWjIBFOm1pwEWobcuhMmhL0IcGMrdjjS0W1H5wU18i2HII1B0hcBU43HsH5TTiu09/s1600/IMG_9098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpdeILwo8BolczNm3t2gXDVetFEPiYb0gh68e2lFRys1DIow2HYRClPgLmHhsBtnFt4lqW16JWjIBFOm1pwEWobcuhMmhL0IcGMrdjjS0W1H5wU18i2HII1B0hcBU43HsH5TTiu09/s320/IMG_9098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once we got down to the Guardian Falls, it was just simply putting one foot over the other, or in this case, hopping on one rock to the next until we reached the truck. Looking back, we could see the cloud cover already shrouding the mystical mountain of Wai'ale'ale, as if performing it's curtain call to us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizswwxd8vQG2RBs4b5p91cqaSQDXoH7YYm7f55MKFMpND_GH6nEl8qvm0DaIRl_64Dpj5k8iXWn4chQCp6Fx9Ir54ZHyHIHRHWayX6X_eGnfqhooBKMDYGAt26jYzLOVWCe9sVRKD/s1600/IMG_9111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizswwxd8vQG2RBs4b5p91cqaSQDXoH7YYm7f55MKFMpND_GH6nEl8qvm0DaIRl_64Dpj5k8iXWn4chQCp6Fx9Ir54ZHyHIHRHWayX6X_eGnfqhooBKMDYGAt26jYzLOVWCe9sVRKD/s320/IMG_9111.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bKeNFQeEwlJ-S3lKL86c0T0IDf2HoOS4mUHOvA0zGnlYelw50LXjYptWbhFJa70bnwRA9ITreXbm019CYkTH7hrshEC4rODvOiCHgN4vX5nMDv8-hZdHsmNtPk_TuzBijKhILIve/s1600/IMG_9114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bKeNFQeEwlJ-S3lKL86c0T0IDf2HoOS4mUHOvA0zGnlYelw50LXjYptWbhFJa70bnwRA9ITreXbm019CYkTH7hrshEC4rODvOiCHgN4vX5nMDv8-hZdHsmNtPk_TuzBijKhILIve/s320/IMG_9114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jerry picked me up at our rendezvous spot and treated me to a dinner at "Chicken-in-a-Barrel" and wolfed down my entire chicken breast and the carbs that was served along with it. The time was about 7pm when I ate my last piece. We drove back to our motel, cleaned up, and slept like a baby. Checking out the next morning and returning our rental car was a breeze and we were on our way back to reality that is O'ahu.<br />
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I want to thank Vladimir Constantine for inviting me to this hike and to Andrew Hewitt of Kaua'i Hiking Adventures to leading us safely to the headwaters and back. And of course, I can't forget Jerry Mendiola for playing mobile base camp for us!<br />
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This will be a hike to remember for quite some time. It ties my #1 hike of all time with my hike out to the <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/01/1-456-2013-kalapana-lava-sunrise.html" target="_blank">Kalapana Lava Flows back in 2013</a>. Both of these hikes will forever be special to me and I will never forget those moments.<br />
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A hui hou. (until we meet again)<br />
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Video:</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6M20T4XgNo" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6M20T4XgNo</a></div>
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Remind me to come back to the Blue Hole if a nuclear ballistic missile is actually headed this way. ;)</div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-53668313458945972952016-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:002016-04-09T11:30:37.904-07:002-6/7-2016: ʻŌpaeʻula (Opaeula Cabin)::sound of winds howling about::<br />
::sounds of crickets chirping::<br />
<br />
..<br />
..<br />
..<br />
<br />
::a sound of rattling metal jostling about::<br />
::a faint humming sound struggling to come to life::<br />
<br />
::lights flicker on and off and then come on to a steady glow::<br />
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This is DGC's Hawai'i Hiking Tales. A hiking blog about tales of the vast unknown. The blog is now 6 years old and has reached over 100,000 visits. Mahalo nui for continuing to visit this blog. To commemorate, I will be posting a new entry into the archives, a first since the Kalahaku Teeth in 2014. I have gone almost a year and a half without posting, but now that will come to an end. I even have contemplated of restarting my YouTube channel.<br />
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The year is 2016 and O'ahu hiking has came a super long way. Both good and bad have came out of this. But the fact is, more and more people want to get away from the cities and explore the Hawaiian mountains. I've personally had stepped back from the hiking scene after an unfortunate event took place during the spring of 2015, which would change me forever. But ever since then, I've slowly made my way back into the mountains, a place I will always call home no matter what.<br />
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I want to thank Wayde Fishman of Wayde's World Hawai'i for giving me the incentive to restart this blog and eventually my YouTube Channel. I'd like to consider this a restructuring plan for DGC's Hawaii Hiking Tales after a very long absence. He wanted to get back into filming and wanted a good hike for that. He acquired the permits from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to hike the Poamoho Trail and the plan was to overnight at the Poamoho Cabin. The Poamoho Trail itself is a gem of a hike that only takes 3 miles to hike to the summit of the Ko'olau crest and the junction of the Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST). However, 4x4 vehicle and an access by permit is required to drive down it's 6 mile dirt road to reach the Poamoho trail head. Two of our friends were visiting from California. John and Karly Nunes would join us for this excursion. As the days grew closer, I suggested to Wayde about a change in our itinerary. Instead of camping out at the Poamoho Cabin, I proposed something even better. My proposal: a 3 mile jaunt on the rugged Ko'olau Summit Trail to a more remote and rather unknown cabin located in the middle of what I would begin to term "The Sea of Green", a reference from the Beatle's "Yellow Submarine". After showing my GPS tracks to Wayde, John, and Karly, they all agreed to the change in our itinerary!<br />
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On the eve of setting out, I dusted off my trusty Terra Pack 65. The last time this pack saw action was on the Kalahaku Teeth about a year and a half ago! It was my Achilles Heel on that windward climb and it hasn't seen any daylight ever since, until now. My sleeping bag was still packed inside, never unpacked since using that to sleep on the 6th or 7th tooth of the Kalahaku Teeth! I wanted something hot to eat for dinner so I packed a Coleman Propane Tank and single burner and a small tea kettle for boiling hot water. Dinner was 2 "Souper" sized beef and chicken ramen noodles straight from Japan and 2 Instant Ramen Noodle cups. The rest of my provisions would be some Sweet and Salty Granola Bars, about 4.5 liters of water, a rain coat, an extra pair of board shorts and a tank top for sleeping, a 100ft webbing that has seen much action during the Search for Moke, and a 50ft rope that I retrieved from the Kaua side of Pohakea Pass during my Wai'anae Summit Trail section hike.<br />
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On the morning of Feb. 6th, 2016, Wayde came down to Ewa Beach to pick me up and we motored our way to the main gate of Poamoho. The clouds were socking in the Ko'olaus a little bit, but we could see some of the summit crest. Most of the clouds remained high but overcast. The weather forecast showed a strong winter cold front sweeping over the Hawaiian islands from the northwest towards the southeast. It predicted scattered showers proceeding the front with the main unsettled weather coming over O'ahu during the evening hours. Winds were to remain light and variable ahead of the front and then shift to very strong and gusty north winds behind it. We were hoping to be at the ʻŌpaeʻula Cabin before sundown and before the storm came. While driving past the Dole Plantation, a spectacular rainbow appeared in front of Ka'ala and the Wai'anae Mountain Range to our west.<br />
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We were at the gate at around 9am. Unfortunately, we would run into our first road block of the trip, literally. The permits that DLNR issued us came with codes for 2 gates, one for the first gate, and one for the 3rd gate. The second gate does not have a lock. When we input the code to the 1st gate, the lock did not budge. Now, it was said that the lock can be stubborn at times and one has to push up and then down to unlock. We tried the code over and over but the lock did not budge. Maybe about 15 minutes later, 2 guys and a wahine show up in a rental Jeep. We compared our permits and both displayed the same codes. They tried their luck and the lock still wouldn't budge. We tried calling the DLNR office, only to discover they are closed on weekends (noticing a trend here?). We were about to give up when 2 hunters in a truck arrived behind the two Jeeps. We informed them that our codes were not working and one of the hunters walked over to the gate to try his luck. It wouldn't budge for him either. But he had one trick up his sleeve as he apparently hunts in this area frequently. He recalled the code from last week and input it into the stubborn lock. "CLICK." He then swung the gate open. So, DLNR didn't update the locks with the new codes (They change the codes weekly, or rather they should). We decided to let the hunters proceed first, followed by the group with the rental Jeep. Since we were filming, we opted to go last.<br />
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So with the problem resolved and after filming our intro, we signed in the check in sheet and began our 6 mile drive up the 4x4 road to reach the trail head of Poamoho Trail. After about 45 minutes of motoring, we parked off to the side at a wide clearing that functions as the parking lot. The trail head sign for Poamoho was about 20ft away. We did some more filming and took in the view of the Ko'olaus from a lookout adjacent to where we parked. The clouds remained high and overcast but the crest of the Ko'olaus remained free of clouds.<br />
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It wasn't until 10:30am that we began our actual hike up the 3 mile trail. The trail was said to be cleared up until the end of maintained trail sign, about 2 miles in. The last mile would be on a footpath only wide for one person. But the entire trail would be graded, meaning it would keep it's elevation change gradual as it winds in and out of every gully and spur ridge. But because we were filming the hike, along with shooting photographs, we didn't get to the terminus until around 2pm. We spent probably another hour shooting and having our lunch before realizing that the day was fast seeping away towards the night time hours. We still had a long way to go.<br />
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Enter the Ko'olau Summit Trail..... and all of it's mud holes! It's time for MUD!<br />
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Once all packed and ready to go, we backtracked a bit from the summit view to the Clines Memorial and picked up the KST heading north. Since I've only done this segment heading south from <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/03/3-9-2013-koolau-summit-trail-castle-to.html" target="_blank">Castle to Pomaoho and then beyond to Pauao Ridge</a>, this would be a first for me to head north on the summit trail. Immediately, the trail became overgrown as it began it's leeward contour of the Ko'olau crest. After some 10 or 15 minutes, the trail opened up to a wide grassy area with a green plastic wall with electric wire running around it's entire perimeter. They were really protecting an area of native species of plants. The trail went briefly to the crest and that majestic view came back. At the crest, a fence line with a small backyard looking gate intersected the KST. One by one, we went through the gate, taking care to close the gate behind us. At this point, the summit trail began it's windward contour. We had to take extra caution during this stretch as water chutes are slowly beginning to erode the trail, creating some nasty "holes" where one can easily slide his or her foot into. But mind your step and the holes are not much of a deal. The trail continued on this windward contour for some time until it started heading away from the windward pali (cliff) the farther we headed north. Off in the distance, we could see that the storm was fast approaching as the rain bands began to shroud the entire southern Ko'olau Range and was making a bee line for us to the north.<br />
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The topography began to take a more broad and flatter profile and we were now entering the "Sea of Green". The only point of reference along this landscape was the eye sore metal fence that follows the KST northward. This entire fence system was part of the <a href="http://www2.hawaii.edu/~turner/ohe/March00/3-8.html" target="_blank">ʻŌpaeʻula Watershed Project that was conceived in 2000</a> and constructed during the early part of that decade. It was around here where the first raindrops began to fall and the shroud completely overtook us, blocking out our views all around us. We continue following the KST and the fence line until we reached a huge grassy bowl. There was a sign that read "<---Ko'olau Summit Trail--->". Next to it was a black boot, placed upside down. It was still the same boot that I came across back in early 2013! The fence continued leeward, along with a trail. According to that old OHE March 8, 2000 write up regarding the watershed project, this was the Pe'ahinai'a "beckoning to the fish" Trail. Whether if the trail continues all the way down leeward remains unknown.<br />
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We hopped the fence line and walked down in the middle of the grassy bowl, spotting some large black mats or plastic things that resembled a mat next to the grassy trail. The trail then reached the other side of the bowl and we had to hop the fence line again to remain on it's windward side. We saw the crest again, but the views were completely socked in by the clouds now. We hiked along the crest again, with a pretty good sized drop down into the shrouded abyss below. We kept a good grip on the fence, but this area sees a lot of wind and rain. The fence was rusted and we had to take care not to cut our hands on the sharp rusty edges.<br />
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The fence made a sharp right and dipped down into a small ravine with a stream bed. The shroud began to take on an eerie orange color and this was the sign that the sun was setting. We probably still had a mile or two to go before reaching the cabin. Another setback struck, this time my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 went missing and noticed it as I began the descent into the ravine. I searched around for about 5 minutes but with no success and was forced to abandon it as light was quickly running out.<br />
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About 30 minutes later, darkness enveloped the misty landscape and we were now hiking with our head lamps on. The scattered showers began to pick up in intensity and the winds were howling from the northwest. That cold front was already making it's pass over the island. Frustration began to settle over the crew. We had to get to the cabin before the worst of the storm hit us. The time was nearing 7pm. Since this was my first time actually visiting this cabin, I actually didn't really know where the trail heading to it branched off the KST. I navigated us in the dark using my phone GPS and could see the white speck on the satellite image of the green expanse. We were getting close! The mud holes were so deep that we stopped avoiding them and just plowed right through. It was around 8pm when Wayde was up at point and noticed through the black misty night, a dark silhouette in a shape of a small house up about 40ft ahead of us! We have arrived at ʻŌpaeʻula Cabin! Upon reaching it's front door, I reached out and grabbed the door knob, fearing it would be locked. I twisted it and the door swung inward. Salvation was upon us!<br />
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After firing up the propane burner and lighting Wayde's scented candle for lighting, we all took off our wet clothes and changed into our dry clothes. I began boiling a liter of bottled water for all four Ramen cups, one for each of us. Outside, the winds roared from the north and at times probably reached 30 to 40mph. Rain was pouring so we stuck one of the buckets that was inside the cabin outside for water catchment. The interior of the cabin soon warmed up to more or less cozy temperatures. After dinner, talking stories amongst us was little as we were all tired from the long day's worth of hiking. We made our beds and one by one, we drifted off to sleep as the winds and rain continued to batter against the walls, but the cabin took on that long cold, windy, and wet night without even a single creak or leak in the structure. For a cabin being built in the middle of no where, it was a champ that continues to stand tall and proud, no matter what weather comes it's way.<br />
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At around 5:30am, I woke up, and went outside for a bathroom outing and saw the entire central area of O'ahu from Pearl Harbor to Hale'iwa ablazed with city lights. To the north, I could see the HECO wind farm with it's blinking red lights, pulsating like a "red alert" mode on most Federation starships of Star Trek. I was in awe at the fact that the the entire island was clear, lest a few low hanging clouds to windward of the Ko'olaus and the rain was completely absent. The winds were still blowing but were of a gentle 5mph type. I sensed that this morning's sunrise would more than make up for the misery that was last night.<br />
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And the moment that we had all waited for, imagined, and anticipated for the highlight of this trip. The sun began to poke it's rays over the KST to the east and the Wai'anae Mountain Range, end to end, reflected a pink tone along with the high clouds. We had found paradise within paradise and this is a moment that will stay with me for a very, very long time. Words cannot describe this moment so I will just let the photos do the narrating for now.<br />
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After having our breakfast, I boiled the rain water we had collected in the bucket. Apparently, 7 inches fell over the Ko'olaus that night and we had fresh rain water that yielded us an additional 3 liters of fresh Ko'olau rainwater. We packed up, dried as much gear as we could, cleaned up the cabin and made it better looking than when we arrived, and were hiking off at 9am. Everything we did yesterday, we had to do in reverse. I thought about the idea of continuing on to Castle and then dropping back down to Hau'ula via another ridge that roller coasters it's way down windward. But my KST duties were rusty and didn't want to risk getting us lost somewhere deep in the northern Ko'olaus. So back the way we came from it was.<br />
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It was an awesome day for summit hiking with blue skies and partly cloudy conditions with a cool brisk north wind. But the temperatures were COLD. I mean COLD! It was so cold that we dressed up like we were about to embark on an adventure through the Rocky Mountains during the winter! But the mud was way worse today than it was yesterday. New mud holes were present when there weren't any last night and the existing mud holes were 3 times as muddy! Some of them went up to knee deep on this day. A group hiked through this same stretch of KST about a few months prior to this trek and had encountered mud holes that were waist deep!<br />
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About 10 minutes after departing the cabin, we spotted another old "Ko'olau Summit Trail" wooden sign that we didn't see last night. I knew right away that this was the junction to the KST with it continuing north towards Castle. We slowly made our way back southward towards the terminus of Poamoho, some 3 miles away.<br />
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We got back to the dip with the stream bed and told everyone to keep an eye out for my missing Galaxy Note 4, but it was no where to be found. It was at the top of this dip where the fence/KST turned back to the left and popped us back to the crest of the Ko'olaus and we couldn't have asked for any better weather with the views to the south all the way to Makapu'u.<br />
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We followed the fence to the large grassy bowl. Fatigue began to settle in and we sat on the black mats which heated our okoles nicely because of the sunlight the black material had absorbed over the course of the day. Then we jumped the fence with the boot and sign and hung left to stay on the KST as turning right heads down the Pe'ahinai'a Trail. It was here when I looked back and saw ʻŌpaeʻula cabin, oh so close, but yet so far away. <br />
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The fence gradually left the KST for the final time and the trail began it's windward contour before topping out at Poamoho. Through the two backyard gates, the green wall with electric wiring, and we popped out next to the Clines Memorial.<br />
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We took the view from Poamoho a final time, the sunlight highlighting the details of the vast undeveloped valleys surrounding Ohulehule and the ridge line of Kanehoalani towering over the Kualoa Ranch property. Not wanting to waste daylight to make our grand exit from the Ko'olau Mountain Range, we left the Clines Memorial at around 3pm and hiked down the final 3 miles back to the "Black Beast". My old hiking shoes were so busted up (same shoes that hiked the entire Wai'anae Mountain Range), that it began causing discomfort in my right pinky toe that slowed my hiking pace to a snail crawl. It was so bad that I actually thought I broken it. But it was fine the next couple of days. But these Merrells are long pau.<br />
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Once at the Jeep, we drove down, talk stories and inputted last week's codes to both gates to conclude an epic weekend in the Ko'olaus.<br />
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Until we meet again.<br />
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Check out the footage below, courtesy of <a href="http://www.poormansguidetohawaii.com/" target="_blank">Wayde's World Hawaii</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2iX3m_KceE" target="_blank">The Price For Paradise EPISODE I "Wayde's World Hawaii"</a></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/o2iX3m_KceE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="532" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o2iX3m_KceE?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-79386902057084284202014-08-22T15:28:00.001-07:002015-08-04T13:06:30.490-07:008-16/17-2014: Kalahaku Teeth / Waimalu Windward<i><u style="font-weight: bold;">WARNING: </u>The events that are documented on this post are for informational purposes only and should be treated at such. The conditions on this route contain hazards that may cause serious injury and/or death. If you value your life, please do not attempt. If you do attempt, you do so at your own risk and accept all consequences of your actions.</i><br />
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It's been a while since I've done a hike of this nature in quite a long time. The year 2011 were the "good old days" of seeking out new routes and challenging myself to explore the unknown. Beyond the Waiʻanae mountains, I've been putting more effort into preservation of the islands through restoration projects, trail and beach clean ups, and the general education of maintaining and "being one with the ʻāina". I've slowly begun educating myself on the native species of flora and fauna and the identification and eradication of invasive species. I even got involved with some of the politics that greatly influence the hiking community. And I dislike politics!<br />
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With all of these things going on, there was one particular hike that has been under the radar for some time as well. Back in April, Kenji has been talking about scoping out and potentially planning a summit attempt of the Koʻolau mountains via the infamous Kalahaku Teeth. These teeth are part of the windward ridge that rises up from Kahaluʻu to intersect the Koʻolau summit at the famous Waimalu Meadow, an area that is the biggest area of grasslands on the entire mountain range and possibly the island of Oʻahu. It's definitely one of the most special places on the island and getting here involves quite a bit of distance on foot, regardless of direction of origin. But before we could even attempt, our work and personal life schedules needed to match. Nearly 5 months later, our schedules finally did.<br />
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Prior to this, there was only one documented account of a successful trek up this ridge. And the way it was described was that it was something that shouldn't even be attempted at all. I have a few friends who live down in Kahaluʻu who've always gaze up at this fearsome looking ridge line and said that it "looks nuts, doable, and exciting!" Based on the info, there are 7 tooth like formations on the ridge that need to be traversed in order to progress to the Koʻolau summit. Beyond the teeth was "the most insane overgrowth". Judging by all these conditions and the first group's time of 15 hours, we decided to make this a 2 day backpacking excursion. Now, I'm going to say this..... Absolutely DO NOT try this route with 30-40lb backpacks. Seriously. You will regret it and it could possibly put your life in danger. We would end up doing just that and we would hate our lives for the next 2 days.<br />
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Once we got all the cars staged, a friend of ours was so generous to drop us off at the starting point. It was about 8am that we would begin our trek. The crew today would be Kenji, Jose, Ryan, and Thessa.<br />
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After we went under a gate, we began hiking mauka on an overgrown jeep road. It wasn't even 15 minutes when we located an eroded embankment that mark the climb up to the finger ridge of Kalahaku Ridge. Immediately did we notice how very difficult it was to lug these heavy backpacks upward. My North Face Terra 65 multi-day pack contained my sleeping bag, a Eureka! single man tent, my Canon 5D MKIII and 16-35mm USM II L-Series lens, 2 MREs, a headlamp, my waterproof jacket, an extra pair of clothes for day 2, 2 cans of vienna sausage, 3 liters of water in two 1.5L bottles, and a liter of Powerade in 2 half liter bottles. One of us also had a rather new product that instantly converts untreated water into drinkable water, the Life Straw.<br />
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It was about 30 minutes when we topped off at the top of the ridge and we had our first visual of the Kalahaku Teeth further up. I was beginning to get a little nervous. My days of 2011 were long gone and the last time I did a climb this exposed and vertical was the Pohakea Pass on the Waiʻanae Mountains this past Spring.<br />
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We proceeded up ridge through a reasonably clear trail. It was very surprisingly clear. The ridge began a right turn directly for the teeth and the incline became more pronounced. It was around here where the trees started to become more dense and this would prove disastrous for our big packs. We literally had to contort our bodies to fit a square peg into a round hole. We topped out and noticed a ribbon. I wondered if this was Puʻu Kalahaku as described on the 1998 OHE article. <br />
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We never figured out where the 1st tooth was or if that trail tape behind us marked the 1st tooth. It wasn't particularly difficult at all, lest the overgrowth to our packs. The climb down the backside of the 2nd tooth was a little tricky but manageable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84n_jOvDG9uv0jPEbTNsC_d8EXcl7zraC43cWrNYPdAJAtMAYdCPSA-tTg5_RMIjxLU-dbLaAhjAbBAndSnHCyGGNEci0acoCm21B6iQqg8dbM3TcKVdWwiCt-GYUPtABHRk8HOJG/s1600/DW0A1072_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84n_jOvDG9uv0jPEbTNsC_d8EXcl7zraC43cWrNYPdAJAtMAYdCPSA-tTg5_RMIjxLU-dbLaAhjAbBAndSnHCyGGNEci0acoCm21B6iQqg8dbM3TcKVdWwiCt-GYUPtABHRk8HOJG/s1600/DW0A1072_3_4_5_6_7_8_tonemapped.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_e9Jq2k6ZUgmq1A2I8ayzzxJt_vP1rYhgv3Vpcjtf3qD08PR6PnZCtxys3dbdK-k__cTxMUoUFPqXvAezLHLjLAQKWhNajHwUPII81pwJG_2Pqea6r7STBzt9x83Kh95PIxnpKSy/s1600/DW0A1086_87_88_89_90_91_92_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_e9Jq2k6ZUgmq1A2I8ayzzxJt_vP1rYhgv3Vpcjtf3qD08PR6PnZCtxys3dbdK-k__cTxMUoUFPqXvAezLHLjLAQKWhNajHwUPII81pwJG_2Pqea6r7STBzt9x83Kh95PIxnpKSy/s1600/DW0A1086_87_88_89_90_91_92_tonemapped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It probably wasn't until around what could have been the 3rd tooth that we really ran into our first obstacle, a sheer climb over 5-7ft of eroded dirt with a 100ft precipice on our right. There wasn't much room either as we were perched to the side of the tooth, which could hold about 3 people uncomfortably with a high risk of a fall. Jose, who was leading us, decided to try a perilous contour over to the backside of the tooth and climb up it to secure webbing for the rest of us. It would seem like hours when he finally popped out at the top of the tooth. Kenji muttered that we were very ready to progress upward and out of this very uncomfortable position. After the webbing was secured, one by one did we head up. But before each of us actually went up, we tied our heavy packs to the end of the webbing and then made the climb. Finally, we would haul our pack up and throw the webbing back down to the next person. All in all, this probably took about an hour. In fact, we would realize that to get over each tooth would require an hour or maybe more. Time was ticking and the day was quickly heading to afternoon by the time we reached the 4th tooth. The climb up it wasn't perilous, but it was very steep and we had to make use of sturdy plants and trees for hand and foot holds.<br />
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At the top of the 4th tooth, there was a pretty cool vantage point of the 5th, 6th, and 7th tooth. The 5th tooth looked very similiar to Kalihi Saddle's "Pimple". It was crumbly thin and looked ready to collapse at any moment. We noticed a lot of trees to the left of this tooth and decided to contour it, bypassing it completely. There was just enough natural hand and foot holds to make this contour safely, although some of them require stretching our arms and legs out over a pretty good sized drop. I had a flashback of my 50ft fall while trying to contour the "Pimple" and "Doorstop" of Kalihi Saddle. We all made it safely and we were now looking up at the 6th tooth.<br />
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There was this pattern that was forming in our heads and it began to play mumbo jumbo with our minds. Each tooth demanded an incredible amount of energy. Our heavy packs became heavier over the course of the day and we were starting to feel the effects of fatigue. We were probably on the 1st tooth at around 10am and we would reach the 7th tooth by around 4pm. While climbing up the very steep and crumbly grade of the 6th tooth, I've noticed that one of my Powerades were missing from my side pockets of my pack. My other Powerade was nearly empty and the full, unused one had to be the the one to go missing. I looked down and it was about 4ft below me, but with our hands completely occupied, we were unable to retrieve it as we needed both hands for safety. Not wanting to jeopardize safety, we were forced to abandon the bottle. That was not what I needed to lose, unused vital resources. Going down the backside of the 6th tooth proved difficult but was only a prelude of what was to come on the 7th tooth. <br />
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The 7th tooth featured a crazy looking nub with clean surfaces with nothing to grab on to. On either sides of the nub were death drops to oblivion. Behind the nub was a 10ft wall that was the most exposed out of all the teeth, making for a harrowing climb. The climb up the wall didn't bother me too much. It was the nub that really started to mess with my head. Kenji was ahead of me and did this okole butt launch to the top of the nub. He landed on his butt and wobbled as he was off balance. I've got to witness all of that and began to cast doubt on my ability to get over this obstacle with such a heavy pack strapped to my back. These packs truly added an entirely new dimension to climbing and I was almost having to learn how to climb all over again. As the crew of Apollo 13 had to fly with a dead Command Module in front, they said it was like flying with a "dead elephant on their backs". I felt exactly like how they felt with this pack.<br />
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It was my turn to go on the nub and I shook my head and announced that I was going to bail down the side ridge on the 6th tooth. Ryan overheard me and almost excitedly said that he would join me. Apparently his stomach wasn't feeling well and he didn't seem too sure about going over this obstacle himself. Kenji tried to throw some words of encouragement into us, saying that we were almost pau with the teeth. I looked at the nub again. Jose looped a webbing around the nub for us to make use as a hold. I still said no. We're going to bail. I was about to turn around when Jose called out said "Wait. I'll get your pack." That guy was able to make the climb with his pack, put his pack down at the top, secured another webbing, and come BACK DOWN to the nub and offered to take my pack! I glanced back at Ryan and he motioned his head towards the bail out ridge behind us. "Don't be ashamed, David". I was stuck in the middle of whether to continue this trek or to call defeat and head back down. I couldn't make a decision. It was probably 2 or 3 minutes later when Jose called my name. I glanced ahead of me and there he was on top of the nub. He calmly said "Give me your pack." So I did. Then, he gave me another rope and told me to hold onto all three ends. I heaved with a loud grunt, shot myself upward, and landed on my butt on the top of the nub. <br />
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It took me a split second to realize that I was still on solid ground. He ducked down and told me to go forward over him and climb up to the top. The climb up to the top of the tooth was still difficult, even without a pack on. There was even an instance where I had to squeeze through two tightly placed trees with barely enough room for one to squeeze through. How everyone else did that with their packs on is beyond me. I continued my scurry upward towards the top and could hear Jose helping Ryan and Thessa over the nub. I plopped down next to Kenji in a safe flat section. He was on the phone with his place of employment regarding work schedule.<br />
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With everyone safely up, we all regrouped and rested for a while, thinking the worst was behind us. We prodded on and to our disbelief, there was yet another steep climb upwards. "Another tooth?!!!" we all exclaimed. The time was about 6pm and we were no where near the summit. We had to descend steeply into a notch, but the initial climb up to what we would call the 7th and a half tooth wasn't too steep. Jose, Ryan, and Kenji were already half way up the climb when I reached the notch. I waited for Thessa to come down and retrieved the webbing. By this point, we were getting exhausted. We made the climb up to the base of the steep climb and sat down on a relatively level stretch, but the ridge remained very narrow, about 3 feet. Thessa said that she couldn't go any more and that she lost her flashlight somewhere in the notch. We were both out of gas physically and mentally and the sun was setting fast. It was around 6:30pm when I called Ryan and said that we would have to wait until morning to finish the climb up to where they were at. They said they have to keep moving forward a bit because everything above the 7th and a half tooth was head high Uluhe ferns. Jose had to hack a new trail and a makeshift camp spot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-YtiuPEL33zzXSCZv3xUwEqdYkzazv6sJcCMzp2hqSqkOUG_SGQrsPHhC6WLo39XKTSwrO133XfNXPG8AD3Nrf-MivWNflDt5PPCD7tMtfSZWUrC1zsNcL_cjm9pLrhwSRNABF2k/s1600/GOPR9808_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-YtiuPEL33zzXSCZv3xUwEqdYkzazv6sJcCMzp2hqSqkOUG_SGQrsPHhC6WLo39XKTSwrO133XfNXPG8AD3Nrf-MivWNflDt5PPCD7tMtfSZWUrC1zsNcL_cjm9pLrhwSRNABF2k/s1600/GOPR9808_tonemapped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back down where Thessa and I were at, the day light was all but gone and we had no choice but to sleep about halfway up the 7th and a half tooth. The good news was that the ridge was relatively flat for us to lay down on. The bad news was that there were death drops on both sides. Where I was at, there were two solid trees strategically placed on the Kahuluʻu side of the ridge. Directly behind these trees was nothing but black space far below. On the Waiheʻe side, dense thickets of Uluhe provided a sense of security, but there was still easily a big drop below these ferns. I affixed webbing to one of the solid trees and jury rigged a harness out of it to secure myself while I was sleeping. Thessa would do the same. After securing my pack with webbing as well, I ate the two cans of vienna sausage for dinner and tucked myself into my sleeping bag with my coat on. I glanced over Kahaluʻu and her city lights. I phoned "base camp" and had him flicker his lights on and off. Sure enough, I was able to see them from my vantage point. We had a good laugh and told him I would check back with him in the morning. With my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out the still clear black summit spine of the Koʻolaus and saw the stars high above. I was starting to dose off when I heard a rat scurry to my head and bump it. I bolted up faster than a bolt of lightning and switched on the head lamp, pointing the beam towards the rat's direction. That really bothered me. We had plenty of rats during our trip to Kahoʻolawe, but now was not the time to have a rat scurrying around on a 3ft wide ridge. I knew we still had a very long day ahead tomorrow and we had to get some sleep. I placed my headlamp on a tree and pointed it to an area above my head. Hopefully the light would keep the rats away. After finally getting somewhat comfortable, I drifted off to sleep. The winds were not that bad and I was pretty warm for the night.<br />
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I woke up at around 5am the following morning and looked around. The clouds were still above the mountains and I could still see the city lights below. I glanced at the horizon and could make out a slight tint of daylight. The sun was to rise in about an hour. I had one of my MREs for breakfast, 'Beef Ravioli'. While the taste was less than satisfying, having hot edible food was amazing. After breakfast, I checked in with Kahaluʻu base camp and then waited for the sun to rise. I then heard Thessa and she had her breakfast. I got my Canon camera ready for the sunrise shoot and snapped away when the first rays of sun came upon us. It was one of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen from the windward side.<br />
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At around 7am, I received a text from Jose saying that we should meet them at the top of the hill. Thessa and I packed our things and tiredly made our way up. Again, the trees snagged our packs every 2 strides. There was one small eroded section of the climb that made it more harder. But there was barely enough holds to make our way up. The ridge began to level off slowly as we encountered huge thickets of Uluhe taller than our heads. But it seemed like one of the guys ahead blasted a trail through this thicket. Another 10 minutes or so and we met up with Jose, Ryan, and Kenji who had a nice wide open flat section to camp on. Lucky buggahs....<br />
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We all continued on, but the lack of any trail made progress painstakingly slow. The overgrowth was indeed insanely thick, probably the thickest I've ever seen on any trail since I've started hiking. It would make the KST on the northern Koʻolaus look like H-1. Jose and Ryan traded turns using the machete to hack away at the Uluhe. Some parts we had to crawl through tunnels of Uluhe. It didn't help when we got hit by a passing rain shower as the winds suddenly picked up and the rain started coming down hard. It seemed like an hour when we finally emerged into the open and saw our first glimpse of the rest of the ridge heading straight up to the Koʻolau summit. There it was, the Waimalu Meadow! But it was still far away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV429OGhQ3YYfhVWX3xrTTlCPffk_0ZlxBmTqA-J4wrbFkBPdxbVaI5X7imiHIIlB0Osk-SzjYv4AUhEZsuqNJ5EegTE6_EU1TffiFttndGolv_Yqu0yd1K4bSQyrZwM6Mt0Deg3cG/s1600/DW0A1228_29_30_31_32_33_34_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV429OGhQ3YYfhVWX3xrTTlCPffk_0ZlxBmTqA-J4wrbFkBPdxbVaI5X7imiHIIlB0Osk-SzjYv4AUhEZsuqNJ5EegTE6_EU1TffiFttndGolv_Yqu0yd1K4bSQyrZwM6Mt0Deg3cG/s1600/DW0A1228_29_30_31_32_33_34_tonemapped.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclV1p5U3PAYaH6I2C3cLpGc5sQ2BVzg7YRrWGQHRh4-R4_-b0dkBOQux8mgQhx_U73ie5ARw6ACm6bcJuELWewLTVsnQhUBj_jVvCMmx3TxbJI5018_5blQiI7L6DIA3cVqDaPVrk/s1600/DW0A1235_36_37_38_39_40_41_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclV1p5U3PAYaH6I2C3cLpGc5sQ2BVzg7YRrWGQHRh4-R4_-b0dkBOQux8mgQhx_U73ie5ARw6ACm6bcJuELWewLTVsnQhUBj_jVvCMmx3TxbJI5018_5blQiI7L6DIA3cVqDaPVrk/s1600/DW0A1235_36_37_38_39_40_41_tonemapped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The overgrowth became more windswept, the kind that we are all too familiar with on Koʻolau crossings and we were grateful. The terrain was much more manageable and we picked up our pace a bit. The summit got closer and bigger. One more steep climb and we were treading on the soft grassy meadow.<br />
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After around 14 hours of total time, eleven hours on day 1 and three hours this morning, we made it to Waimalu Meadow at last! The time was 10:30am. The clouds socked us in and the winds really began to pick up. The rain became steady and it was a typical windy and socked in day on the Koʻolau summit. Although the views were nonexistent on this day, I actually came to this meadow 2 weeks ago via the Waimalu Middle Ridge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN4oZiAyhG4rbI89O7vkMgLQaAvB2ssKP-wh1sqWA2gPfKKhurU1Epzy_btjLZzPtZQuTy7qKbEsjnCxNf4Pte_iSc07BlzhkM4TpG2Kde45G-zblYE6dzlDIds2FLMta1CqdeQh9/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN4oZiAyhG4rbI89O7vkMgLQaAvB2ssKP-wh1sqWA2gPfKKhurU1Epzy_btjLZzPtZQuTy7qKbEsjnCxNf4Pte_iSc07BlzhkM4TpG2Kde45G-zblYE6dzlDIds2FLMta1CqdeQh9/s1600/photo+4.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZtTie49o2DJNaroToCfIIbxU7pp7CE-2tfwfINp2LCjwztqEVMn03p0TEwoQbGXvc6qCW8o0bdjqKcYMwQjicdkdr1-_4elUi-8rRa_QSFgP_j4AvvoDLe-k4uW243HjJj6_-lwK/s1600/photo+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZtTie49o2DJNaroToCfIIbxU7pp7CE-2tfwfINp2LCjwztqEVMn03p0TEwoQbGXvc6qCW8o0bdjqKcYMwQjicdkdr1-_4elUi-8rRa_QSFgP_j4AvvoDLe-k4uW243HjJj6_-lwK/s1600/photo+7.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The two photos below were taken when we did Waimalu Middle Ridge on 8-3-2014</div>
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After lunch and testing the new Life Straw on some of the water streams on the meadow, we proceeded on the Koʻolau summit ridge trail northward towards Waimano. It was quite enjoyable to be back on the summit trail, knowing that we were clear of the curse that was the Kalahaku Teeth. It was just a short one hour jaunt on the summit trail and we would be standing next to the sign that marks the end of Waimano Ridge Trail. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhViB2RGuqAuga53ZjLvWxdmiK3UkucMStjnnjNflSesSlCFYMcijbvxH7OiRnkKROwKMoqNp9YMviSpokAlCLmUlHjgGIKT1Qfs1RItBSYJDeddwTLHCLuu8iBLOTMHm8QZ9PNgJk/s1600/IMG_8878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhViB2RGuqAuga53ZjLvWxdmiK3UkucMStjnnjNflSesSlCFYMcijbvxH7OiRnkKROwKMoqNp9YMviSpokAlCLmUlHjgGIKT1Qfs1RItBSYJDeddwTLHCLuu8iBLOTMHm8QZ9PNgJk/s1600/IMG_8878.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifW9P6BspESkIYhC0UugZE4ArRKDbaHaVNqhILsDGZ6CXzc3vaIb5x5NbyRYOzAlAGzV62wQ2fS-xvuB3oiceKFZE9hTXfaCgC_0bgEuvBLhKCNbctD1YLINtHPDx_dFRCDJe20DWV/s1600/IMG_8879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifW9P6BspESkIYhC0UugZE4ArRKDbaHaVNqhILsDGZ6CXzc3vaIb5x5NbyRYOzAlAGzV62wQ2fS-xvuB3oiceKFZE9hTXfaCgC_0bgEuvBLhKCNbctD1YLINtHPDx_dFRCDJe20DWV/s1600/IMG_8879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ryan immediately kissed the cold metal sign and we all laid down on the small grassy area. The winds were really howling though, as it was for the summit crossing. Just 7.2 miles to go and we were back at the car. This leg of the hike was just simply putting one foot in front of the other for the next 3 or so hours. We were mentally and physically dead and we wanted out. We wanted out now! It was exactly 5:42pm when we crossed the Waimano trail head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK-ijOW-a69y-kghl4d5_g5vxu8_NY7OIOvvHOzYH6xlXtR64rtGi0GxnqbclpdfL_HFUaDPaZQnjOlW981KuBJqd1aFlomrwonacChyphenhyphenxifOkAiwyiNiOCdsJidhD60l5cIVsdjvX/s1600/DW0A1372_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK-ijOW-a69y-kghl4d5_g5vxu8_NY7OIOvvHOzYH6xlXtR64rtGi0GxnqbclpdfL_HFUaDPaZQnjOlW981KuBJqd1aFlomrwonacChyphenhyphenxifOkAiwyiNiOCdsJidhD60l5cIVsdjvX/s1600/DW0A1372_tonemapped.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBrA6OUeM6Ig0MA5ZSjU0FfEmNOXsZJQe-NVNotoHtQjcu2OKR9Pd1Zl7QFOqfcefUqEH-Usb7w-QiYI_4IOIlZQmc2vnIkzUOtmKzmNmViEHjeARc2PdaL7RYV42me491sOLKyiN/s1600/IMG_8880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBrA6OUeM6Ig0MA5ZSjU0FfEmNOXsZJQe-NVNotoHtQjcu2OKR9Pd1Zl7QFOqfcefUqEH-Usb7w-QiYI_4IOIlZQmc2vnIkzUOtmKzmNmViEHjeARc2PdaL7RYV42me491sOLKyiN/s1600/IMG_8880.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fricken pau! No more! So over it!<br />
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When we totaled up the final times, we calculated that we were hiking for 24 active hours and spent about 12 hours in camp, making for a grand total of 36 hours spent in the Koʻolau mountains. This was definitely the hardest hike I've done to date.<br />
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All photos with the ©DGC are property of David G. Concepcion<br />
All other photos were taken by Kenji Saito, Ryan Meyer, and Thessa Bugay. Used with permission.<br />
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Video coming soon!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-69492291972006699912014-06-11T04:58:00.003-07:002017-06-03T14:43:05.326-07:00Waiʻanae Mountain Range Section Hike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51N9Z8mNWcbAUnI1Xqa1_01U_uQsICdG38Zd8WszQxlbCbEQ0iDxhleEapGBITMIxH17BYux0F4pCiUNznBIlWV55OtW5zfDZmMSuSz9Dh5ocmiQaTuZ85EtKF1GZFMBqJT2cSRzL/s1600/Waianae+Summit+Trail+Segment+Hike.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51N9Z8mNWcbAUnI1Xqa1_01U_uQsICdG38Zd8WszQxlbCbEQ0iDxhleEapGBITMIxH17BYux0F4pCiUNznBIlWV55OtW5zfDZmMSuSz9Dh5ocmiQaTuZ85EtKF1GZFMBqJT2cSRzL/s1600/Waianae+Summit+Trail+Segment+Hike.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well, I have to say that I am a little sad that this entry will be the last one in regards to documenting the Waianae Summit Trail. But as with everything in life, all good things must come to an end. I have many mahalos to all sorts of wonderful people whom I met over the years on hiking, from my very first hike up Diamond Head, to hiking and documenting the <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/06/completion-of-koolau-mountain-range.html" target="_blank">Koʻolau Mountain Range</a>, the Waiʻanae Mountain Range, and all the hikes in between. Some have moved on with their lives. Others I continue to hike with to this present day. And there are those who arrived late in my journey, but were with me down to the finish line, whether it be on the journey itself, or support from the sidelines. Regardless, I just want to say "Thanks for helping me along the way. Thanks for helping guide a Captain and his ship safely." This wouldn't be possible without my very diverse crew with many different and unique qualities, not just on the trails, but in life as well. In the end, we all have one thing in common...</div>
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Never stop exploring.</div>
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Finally, I want to thank all the people who made their journey across the mountain range prior to me, laying down the path for others to follow. Your many years of hard work and dedication to blazing new trails will forever be carried down generation after generation.</div>
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From day 1 that I've took my very first steps on a hiking trail to today, a unique experience allowed me to open up the spiritual side of myself, to reflect deep on my thoughts, to enter a higher dimensional like state to see the world very differently. My goal now is to take all of this and return it to the ʻāina (land) and to bring my principles with me wherever I go in this world (and one day beyond).</div>
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Wai<span style="text-align: start;">ʻ</span>anae Summit Trail Section Hike</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Kaʻena Point to Makakilo (sorted by date)</b></span></div>
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11-1-2013: Kaʻena Point to KPSTS (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/03/11-1-2013-waianae-summit-ridge-kaena-to.html" target="_blank">write up</a>) (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Tkm-UE1ag" target="_blank">video</a>)<br />
11-8-2013: Kealia to Mt. Kaʻala Rd. (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/03/11-8-2013-waianae-summit-ridge-kealia.html" target="_blank">write up</a>) (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tETaW6DX3JA" target="_blank">video</a>)<br />
11-12-2013: Kealia to KPSTS (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/04/11-12-2013-waianae-summit-ridge-kealia.html" target="_blank">write up</a>) (video)<br />
11-22/23-2013: Kaʻala to Three Corners (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/04/11-2223-2013-waianae-summit-ridge-kaala.html" target="_blank">write up</a>) (video)<br />
12-14-2013: Kaʻala-Kolekole Pass [Kalena] (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/04/12-14-2013-waianae-summit-ridge-kaala.html" target="_blank">write up</a>)(video)<br />
1-17-2014: Kaua - Pohakea Pass - Palehua (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/05/1-17-2014-waianae-summit-trail-kaua-to.html" target="_blank">write up</a>) (video)<br />
1-25-2014: Kaua - Kolekole Pass [Hapapa] (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/05/1-25-2014-waianae-summit-trail-kaua-to.html" target="_blank">write up</a>) (video)<br />
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Aloha Huakaʻi Pilialoha.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gJr1qxNlC0A/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gJr1qxNlC0A?feature=player_embedded" width="459"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">For those who can't view the embedded video above can access it by following the link below:</span> </div>
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Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJr1qxNlC0A" target="_blank">The Waiʻanaes (Section Hike Compilation)</a></div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-47257915896492787802014-05-26T22:16:00.001-07:002014-05-26T22:34:17.791-07:001-25-2014: Waiʻanae Summit Trail - Kaua to Kolekole Pass (Hapapa)<b><u>CAUTION</u></b>: The Waiʻanae Mountain Range is located on properties owned by the U.S. government, the U.S. military of all branches, the state of Hawaiʻi via departments, and private owners. The mountain ridges and valleys are also home to a delicate and vast array of native plants, animals, and insects. Please take care not to disturb them or their native habitats and always seek permission to access these lands. Always do your research prior to setting out. And finally, once you are out there, always minimize your impact to the environment and of course, be safe.<br />
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This is it, the last leg of the journey. I didn't think I would get to this point so quickly. But I still needed to complete this segment and anything that goes wrong on this hike could deny me the finish line. Zack was the guy to accompany me. As with all his hikes, he opted to hike in "slippahs", something I seriously recommend not doing unless you know absolutely what you are doing.<br />
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We pushed off on the same spot where we took to <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/05/1-17-2014-waianae-summit-trail-kaua-to.html" target="_blank">gain the WST a week ago when we headed to Makakilo</a>. This time around, we were to head in the opposite direction towards Kolekole Pass. We hiked in the blackness of night, right before dawn to avoid attracting attention to ourselves on the way up. About halfway up, we caught the sunrise over the Koʻolaus. We were on top of Puʻu Kaua by 8:45am. Unlike last week, we had a commanding view all the way around. The view from here is by far my favorite on the entire Waiʻanae Range. The winds today were howling, but not as tradewinds. They were howling from the southwest! A strong Kona wind pattern was with us on this day, making for a unique summit experience.<br />
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After enjoying the views for around 10 minutes, we headed north on the summit trail. The trail was relatively overgrown but a steel fence greets you upon leaving the summit of Kaua. The summit ridge began a steep descent towards a pair of crumbly pinnacles known as the Gorilla Heads or Kriangles. Almost immediately, one can get a view of the ridge line downward and the aforementioned pinnacles. But before getting to the actual Gorilla Heads, we had to climb down a couple of rock faces. One of the rock faces was a little tricky. It required us to either go on the leeward or windward side to drop down and contour. People have done the windward side but we opted for the lee side. At the base of the rock face, on the contour is a tiny portion of fence line that somehow was placed on this area.<br />
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Once past the rock faces, it was the Gorilla Heads themselves. Getting up to the top of the first pinnacle involved scrambling up loose rock, but it wasn't anything like the "Knucklehead Wall" on the Pohakea Pass. The only tricky part was a large boulder just before the apex, which involved bear hugging it and heaving yourself up. Going down on the other side of the first pinnacle was more crumbly than the other side. But with careful okole scooting, it didn't give us that much trouble. While heading down, we spotted a black goat just on the other side of the second pinnacle. Going over the second pinnacle proved easier as it was smaller than the first and we made it through the Gorilla Heads rather quickly. I looked at the remainder of the summit ridge to Kolekole Pass. Doesn't look bad at all. I would later regret saying that.<br />
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Past the Gorilla Heads, we hiked our way on a gentle roller coasting ridge. The fence was not present during this stretch. While I could say the ridge itself was gentle, the foliage growing on it was a complete different story. I've heard the section between Kaua and Kanehoa was completely overgrown. I was expecting to bushwhack through brushes, something that was pretty routine on the kinds of hikes I do. Nope, not this one. As I quote Ahnate, it was straight up "BS" for the next few hours. Instead of brushes and uluhe, we had to contort our bodies around thickets of tree branches that seem to poke you from every direction possible. The winds did not help one bit. The winds blew dust in our faces, making visual difficult. About halfway to Puʻu Kanehoa, we spotted what appeared to be a contour trail on the leeward side. Perhaps this was a trail that bypassed a large chunk of the woody thicket. Turns out it was a goat trail as the trail got extremely narrow with a massive drop to leeward. The trail eventually terminated and we noticed how far below the summit crest we were. I didn't like what I saw and turned around back to the junction. From there I simply blasted my way through the thick low lying trees to rendezvous with Zack, who climbed directly up from the goat trail to the summit crest. After passing a few small puʻu, we came across a larger puʻu. We don't recall spotting any trail tape to mark this spot but we assumed we were on Kanehoa, as I could see the remainder of the summit ridge to Puʻu Hapapa.<br />
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Past Kanehoa, trail conditions improved drastically. Gone were the thickets of tree branches and came the views. From Kanehoa to Hapapa, this was an enjoyable segment. We could easily make out the North Shore with Pūpūkea and the HECO wind farm. To the leeward was vast Lualualei Valley and the towering radio towers. Wheeler Airfield and Schofield was clearly visible. Directly ahead of us in the distance loomed Kaʻala, completely clear of clouds. <br />
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At some point about halfway between Kanehoa and Hapapa, the fence returned and it was smooth sailing from there. Before we knew it, we were standing on a dirt area held together by black plastic barriers. I couldn't help but busting out my iPhone and jamming it out to Europe's "Final Countdown". The journey was over, but we still had to get off the mountain.<br />
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Heading down the Hapapa Trail, we could easily make out the Kolekole Pass and the Kalena Trail on the other side. We opted not to go down the traditional trail and instead went down the notches that I referred to as the "Death Ridge" back in 2009. After descending from the notches via a ridge filled with roots, we rejoined the Hapapa Trail just prior to the large grassy meadow that shows a nice view of the notch ridge line heading up to Hapapa. The grass here was very thick and long. In 2009, this meadow was well manicured but since the closure of the Kolekole Pass to the public, this trail does not see much people at all. After passing the "sacrificial boulder", we made it back to Kolekole Road at around 3pm. The Waiʻanaes was finished at last and it was a victory walk down Kolekole Rd. to meet up with Carl who would shuttle us back to our starting point to retrieve our car.<br />
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Unfortunately, about a quarter mile out from our meeting location, we've encountered an MP and were detained. Our information was taken and were questioned why and how we got to Kolekole Pass. At first they were in a defensive posture but eventually warmed up to us. They were stoked after learning where we came from and talked stories as they escorted us out via the MP patrol car and dropped us off at the gate where we proceeded to wait for Carl to come get us. Mahalo nui, Carl and your friend for giving us a ride back to our car!<br />
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The journey is pau.<br />
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Finally....<br />
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Video coming soon!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-5094262902842867392014-05-21T03:11:00.001-07:002014-06-24T14:34:14.182-07:001-17-2014: Waiʻanae Summit Trail - Kaua to Pohakea Pass to Palehua<b><u>CAUTION</u></b>: The Waiʻanae Mountain Range is located on properties owned by the U.S. government, the U.S. military of all branches, the state of Hawaiʻi via departments, and private owners. The mountain ridges and valleys are also home to a delicate and vast array of native plants, animals, and insects. Please take care not to disturb them or their native habitats and always seek permission to access these lands. Always do your research prior to setting out. And finally, once you are out there, always minimize your impact to the environment and of course, be safe.<br />
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Every time I drove up and down Kunia Road that connects ʻEwa to Schofield Barracks, I always look up towards the west at the Waiʻanae Mountains. There was one geological formation that represented the mountain range's one out of two existing major "saddles". The Koʻolau Mountain Range has the Moanalua Saddle, Kalihi Saddle, and the Nuʻuanu Saddle. The Waiʻanaes has two, the Pohakea Pass and the Kolekole Pass. I honestly don't know why the ones on the Koʻolaus are referred to as "saddles" and the Waiʻanaes "passes". I know during training for my private pilot's license, pilots (at least my pilot) referred to all of them as "gaps" (ex. Kalihi Gap, Kolekole Gap).<br />
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The focus for today's section hike was the Pohakea Pass. Reading up on previous treks and gazing at photos, the Pohakea Pass featured a 50-70ft crumbly wall on the Palikea facing side of the pass. Not much was said about the Kaua facing side although I've read up on a blog that showed a photo of a rope wrapped around a large tree trunk and heading down a vertical rocky chute on that side.<br />
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Laredo "Muredo" a.k.a. Rainbow Man joined me on this excursion. He had done the Pohakea Pass before and didn't mind to do it again. We pushed off after 9am. I won't mention our start location since it involved us doing the "T thing". Getting past this first section would determine if the hike was even a go or not since the "trail head" was located further mauka. Fortunately, we made it to the trail without attracting any attention and the hike was a go.<br />
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The hike started off flat through the forest, but it gradually transitioned into an incline upward. About an hour or two in, we intersected what was probably the Honuliuli Contour Trail, a trail that supposedly contoured the windward side of the entire Waiʻanae Range from Makakilo to Kolekole Pass. I hope that one day that this trail will get restored and offer better access to the trails heading up to the Waiʻanae Summit. If there are any groups that are needing volunteers to restore this trail, sign me up! Beyond the contour trail, the trail continues it's climb up towards the summit. Some portions of it switchbacks but for the most part, it's a steep climb. The last remaining 1/4th of the trail is on a somewhat exposed ridge that beelines it all the way to the top. Here, one can easily see the not so far crest of the summit ridge. Look closer and a fence is visible, tracing the entire summit. Off to the right side, the "<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/05/1-25-2014-waianae-summit-trail-kaua-to.html" target="_blank">Gorilla Heads/Kriangles</a>" are clearly visible.<br />
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Another 30 minutes and we were standing on the broad summit of Puʻu Kaua. The views from this peak are probably hands down the best on the entire mountain range. To the north, flat topped Kaʻala stood tall and proud. To the west was expansive Lualualei Valley and the west shores of Oʻahu. To the east stood the Koʻolaus. And finally to the south was the remainder of our route to be completed on this day. I tried to describe the views from here but it's one of those views where you've just got to be there to know what I'm talking about. It's phenomenal. Seriously. This is my favorite spot to be on the entire Waiʻanae Mountain Range. <br />
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Unfortunately, what I've just mentioned on the last paragraph was what we should have seen. On this day, the clouds had us beat, partially. The views to the lee side of the summit ridge was completely shrouded. However, the windward side was clear and the views to the east were visible. We didn't stay long on the summit though as we knew we still had a long and dangerous day ahead of us.<br />
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Pushing through the tall grass, we made our way southward. For much of the way, this section is a nice stroll, albeit the sometimes annoying steel fence. We enjoyed it as much as we could, as we began to prepare mentally for the next obstacle, the Pohakea Pass.<br />
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As we got closer to the pass, we could make out the gnarly looking wall on the Palikea side. From a distance, everything looks full blown impossible and menacing. We had to find out it's true scary profile upon reaching it's base. We came across a series of rocky boulders that dotted the summit ridge, but most were easily doable. There was probably one boulder that gave us some trouble. This boulder required you to contour to the leeward or windward side of it. I scouted the leeward side and was almost to the other side but there was a gap in foot holds. Jumping from here to the other side could be done but I highly recommend against doing it. We then tried the windward side, which required us dropping down about 5 to 10 ft and then contouring very carefully to gain the other side. There is a very thin ledge that goes all the way but watch your step here.<br />
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Further down was an area where the summit ridge appeared to make a left and head downward. We started down it briefly but I sensed that the summit ridge wasn't this at all. We retraced our steps and looked southward, right into thick brushes. The summit trail appeared to disappear here, but it didn't take long for us to realize that the trail continued downward in the brushes. A blue and white rope, which was surprisingly brand new, confirmed the correct route.<br />
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We pushed downward through the thicket until we reached a somewhat clearing. Directly filling my field of vision was the entire profile of the Pohakea Pass. It turns out we were already descending the Kaua side of the pass, which began at the blue and white rope at the top of the brushes. The area where the steep climb was mentioned on the other blog was no where to be seen. The trail did become rather hidden but we kept to the crest of the ridge.<br />
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The ridge became forested with Iron Wood and a large steel object greeted us at the trough of the pass. Near it, we spotted what appeared to be an old jeep road that contoured the mountain side. Was this the old Pohakea Rd. that the military used to access the pass? It was said that a guard was stationed here back in the day.<br />
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On the other side of the trough, there it stood. We were looking head on at the crumbly wall that I've seen on photos. Someone who completed a thru-hike of the Waiʻanaes gave this wall a name, the "Knucklehead". We stood there for some time, figuring out how we were to attack this wall. Just getting up to it proved a daunting task. There was this huge rock formation that resembled a shape of a hand, a hand reaching out to you as it were inviting you to get close and personal with the wall. Oh did we...<br />
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Laredo was up first and I followed up next. Upon closer inspection about halfway up, a red rope was visible. Laredo tested it and found it to be stable enough to hold weight. Up he went and disappeared over the top. I started crawling my way towards the end of the red rope. The erosion here was bad. With each crawl, loose dirt and pebbles became dislodged. There was a relative "flat" section where I could rest easily and grab the end of the rope. Going up past this point was critical. Lose your footing here and you'll more than likely be plummeting down the side of the ridge. This moment would be the gnarliest on the entire mountain range. I called out to Laredo to see if he was still on the rope, but the only response I got was the eerie wind blowing through the pass. The rope remained motionless so I assumed he was off it. For that moment though, I was on my own. It was now or never. The hardest part was the first step off that relatively safe flat area. With the weight of my body about half on the rope and half on the footholds, I was now completely vertical. Nevertheless, I got to the top of the wall and Laredo greeted me, giving me a safety pull of my hand on my last stride back onto more sane ground. I looked back and saw that the Pohakea Pass was now in our rear view mirror. Safe!<br />
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After a much needed rest on the perch above the wall, we continued up the ridge in the direction of Puʻu Palikea. The fence came back and we were glad to see it. The views of Honolulu and the entire metro area were breathtaking but it also was a saddening view with all the development.<br />
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The fence disappeared into a sea of green Uluhe ferns and we were soon standing on the top of Palikea, marked by a bench mark. Success! The views were starting to get shrouded by the clouds but we knew we were safe. From here on out was done on territory I was familiar with when I reached this same area from Heleakala in Nanakuli a few years ago.<br />
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From Palikea, it was a nice walk through a well manicured trail that winds it's way to the radio towers. The hike down the paved road was long. Very very long. We passed by some houses marked by letters. Night came quickly and we noticed several cars driving up. One did stop to inform us that we were on private property but let us on our way when we told them that we were heading down. After an hour or so, we could make out the city lights of Honolulu and the rest of the metro area. More cars zoomed up past but didn't seem to notice us. A truck that was heading down the road saw us and offered a ride for the last quarter mile and dropped us off at Makakilo Drive, where Jerry was waiting for us to give us a ride back home.<br />
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And that wraps up yet another adventure on the Waiʻanaes. Just <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2014/05/1-25-2014-waianae-summit-trail-kaua-to.html" target="_blank">one more section</a> left to go and this mountain range is pau (finished).<br />
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Video coming soon!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-21726600759387692182014-04-30T16:34:00.000-07:002014-05-26T22:23:54.538-07:0012-14-2013: Waiʻanae Summit Trail - Kaʻala to Kolekole Pass (Kalena)<b><u>CAUTION</u></b>: The Waiʻanae Mountain Range is located on properties owned by the U.S. government, the U.S. military of all branches, the state of Hawaiʻi via departments, and private owners. The mountain ridges and valleys are also home to a delicate and vast array of native plants, animals, and insects. Please take care not to disturb them or their native habitats and always seek permission to access these lands. Always do your research prior to setting out. And finally, once you are out there, always minimize your impact to the environment and of course, be safe.<br />
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I've always had a fascination to see what was in between the two tallest mountain peaks on the island of Oʻahu. I remember doing the Kalena Trail back in 2009 and saw the summit ridge continuing on to the 4,025ft flat topped peak of Kaʻala. I also remember doing Kaʻala that same year and was curious how on Earth do you get to Kalena from here. That summit section seemed so mysterious at the time. When I've found out that Kaleo and his crew did some scouting of the area and then making the attempt, apparently there was a way.<br />
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Zack, Jon, Carl, and Rhonda joined me for the proposed route while Kalani and two of his friends joined us for the hike up to Kaʻala. From there, they would split and head to the cabin on ʻOhikilolo Ridge. The weather that day would virtually be a repeat from my last summit segment hike to ʻOhikilolo Ridge: clear morning skies with the afternoon clouds rushing in faster than you can say "thermal trades".<br />
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We pushed off at 8am, once again on that concrete Board of Water Supply road. Just with the weather, the hike up was a virtually deja vu from the last hike. As we neared the top of Kaʻala, the clouds began to thicken and hover themselves over the mountain bog. When we got to the paved road, we discovered that Kalani and his friends had already left the area. I got out my cell phone to call them, but already saw a text saying that they were heading towards ʻOhikilolo. They had a need for speed going up Kaʻala and haven't seen them since the trail head. With the group down to the five of us, we reached the benchmark just outside the perimeter fence of the Air Force station, the clouds beat us once again. But not for long. While we were eating our lunches, the clouds lifted and we were treated to a view of the North Shore and the Wahiawa plains!<br />
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The next task was going to be the tricky part, navigating through the mountain bog. I really didn't want to take the most direct route through the bog since this area was full of native flora and fauna. We scouted the area around the Air Force station to see if there was a way to circumnavigate the bog, but to no avail. Heading back on the boardwalk, I pulled out the GPS track that Francis sent to me and overlayed it on our current position. I want to give a BIG MAHALO to Francis for saving us the time of trying to find the route. We reached a spot on the boardwalk where we spotted a faint but distinct trail heading to the southeast. Navigating the trail was very difficult, especially for Zack! He is known to do EVERY single hike with me with only the use of slippers, or as we locals call um "slippahs". However, like a Ferrari Enzo trying to go off road on the Rubicon Trail, his slippers were completely and utterly useless on this mud soup of a marsh. He had to do it barefoot. To make things worse, thorns were present everywhere, to the sides, above, and below, hidden in the mud! Anyone who didn't have a long sleeved shirt were exposed to them. And there were choke brah! Seriously! "Zack, may God have mercy on your soul" was all I could think of during this portion of the hike. I tip my hat to you for enduring such unforgiving terrain with nothing but bare feet, board shorts, and a t-shirt! In this forest were a vast array of native plants as far as the eye could see. There was one that caught my eye, Kanawao (Broussaisia arguta). This one was of particular interest because of how deep the purple was.<br />
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The muddy slosh was painstakingly slow. If you want to experience first hand what is like to go through a native mountain forest, this was it (not recommended). We had to make sure we stuck close to one another as the trail was barely visible and it winded crazy through the forest. Get lost here and you're in serious trouble. At times, there were areas where the trail seemed to split, but keeping true to the GPS, we didn't get sidetracked that much, except for one spot where the trail seemed to disappear, but we had to pull a "Legend of Zelda" move and push through. The terrain transitioned from a flat mountain forest to more ridge like. I could see the leeward drop into Waiʻanae Valley far below. We were on track. When the ridge became more exposed, there was a cool cloud formation up ahead. The clouds shrouded the leeward side of the ridge while the windward side was completely exposed. Seems like the winds have shifted and they were now coming from the leeward side. The borderline between clear air and the clouds was very distinct, like a giant wall. The clouds blocked the view to Kalena but we could see the summit ridge leading to it. Looking back behind us, we easily saw the giant flat topped peak of Kaʻala, along with her white golf ball. Filled with excitement, we pressed onwards.<br />
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As we dropped in elevation, we came across a rocky descent with a rope. It wasn't too particularly difficult except having to trust the tree branch the rope was anchored to to lower yourself the first 5 feet or so. All of us made it without too much trouble. Immediately after that was another rocky area where one has to skirt across a gap.<br />
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Further up, we came across a large boulder. On the other side, a fence began. It was also here where the thorns came back with a vengeance.The ridge maintained a roller coaster profile, typical of Hawaiian ridges. At some point, we came across a small grassy area, heavily marked with pink trail tape. This must be the terminus of Hobb's Ridge, a steep leeward ridge coming up from Waiʻanae Valley. We were in autopilot mode as we kept following the metal fence line all the way to Kalena. We were now shrouded in clouds, reducing visibility.<br />
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A massive pu'u loomed in the distance, we were almost there! There was a small eroded notch that had to be traversed carefully. There was a rope on the other side for assistance. From there, we made the final push to the summit of Kalena. Along the way, we got sporadic views of Bolohead, Hobb's Ridge, and "Star Trek".<br />
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The trail opened up and there was a benchmark, marking the summit. Unfortunately, the clouds socked us in. We plopped down to rest and hydrate. We still had a long hike down the now little used Kalena Trail. Apparently, we left our guard down and proceeded downward in the wrong direction, thinking it was the summit trail. It took me a while to realize something was amiss, both from years of not doing this trail, and thinking that the trail got super overgrown over those years. I got the GPS out and confirmed my suspicion. We were heading down windward. With about 20 minutes wasted, we made the climb back to the summit and followed the fence in the right direction. Keep true to the fence.<br />
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The Kalena Trail consists of three distinct peaks, which from our point of travel, got smaller with each one. The last peak marked the turn off towards Kolekole Pass. By the time we got to the 2nd peak, the sun had already set and darkness was setting in fast. <br />
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By the time we got to the famous dikes between the 2nd and the 1st peak, it was pitch black. I also recalled the fence not being here last time I did this trail. It was sad to see fences popping up all over the place, places that you've been before. Off in the distance, we could see the city lights of Wahiawa and Schofield Barracks. The moon was shining brightly and there were times that we didn't need our headlamps for illumination. Once on the first peak, the trail turned sharply right and headed downward for Kolekole Pass. Another 30 minutes to an hour and we were on Kolekole Rd. Carl's friend was waiting for us further down the road and drove us back to Schofield Barracks.<br />
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Although finally explored, every time I drive down Waiʻanae side and look up, I will always see this section of the Waiʻanaes as eerie and mysterious.<br />
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Lucky we live Hawaiʻi.<br />
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Video coming soon!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-1731452164813435432014-04-28T09:17:00.000-07:002015-01-14T23:05:36.541-08:0011-22/23-2013: Waiʻanae Summit Trail - Kaʻala to Three Corners<b><u>CAUTION</u></b>: The Waiʻanae Mountain Range is located on properties owned by the U.S. government, the U.S. military of all branches, the state of Hawaiʻi via departments, and private owners. The mountain ridges and valleys are also home to a delicate and vast array of native plants, animals, and insects. Please take care not to disturb them or their native habitats and always seek permission to access these lands. Always do your research prior to setting out. And finally, once you are out there, always minimize your impact to the environment and of course, be safe.<br />
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This stretch of the Waiʻanaes would include the hike up the Waiʻanae-Kaʻala Trail, the portion of the summit between Oʻahu's tallest peak, Mt. Kaʻala, and an area that is known as the "Three Corners". To exit, we would have to traverse a hot, dry, and a crumbly ridge to reach Puʻu ʻOhikilolo, all while clinging on to a fence that runs straight down the middle of the thin ridge. The final leg of the journey would take us from ʻOhikilolo, cross a low lying saddle to gain Keaʻau Ridge, and down a middle ridge to ʻOhikilolo Valley. Since none of us has done this segment before, we couldn't truly gauge the time required to hike the planned distance. We knew there was a cabin at Puʻu ʻOhikilolo so I made it our goal to reach this cabin by night fall and camp overnight. If we still had enough light left, we would skip the cabin and make the attempt to finish it all in one sitting. The crew for this day was Arnold, Zack, Kalani, Jon, and myself. Arnold and Zack would accompany us to Kaʻala and return the same way. The rest of us would continue to the cabin.<br />
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We began the hike at around 9am up the Board of Water Supply road. I've always dreaded heading up this road just to gain the trail head. The sun was already beaming down and it was to be a hot one today. We rested at a picnic area just outside the trail head. Once on the trail, we kept a sharp eye out for the purple plastic bottle caps that mark the W-K Trail. It's real easy to miss the junction to the left down to the stream and continue straight up the ridge line. We crossed a short clearing with views of the ridges around us and headed back into the forest. After a left turn into the forest, the trail begins it's relentless climb up to "Three Poles", a spot marked by three electrical poles. I was sadden when we came across the fence, which was not present the last time I've done the W-K Trail. Like a steel vine that never stops expanding, it's slowly making it's presence all over the Waiʻanae Mountains and the Koʻolaus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW09PJsVhEh0JoiwBZM4bsUlrMYPlqLzR9qOU6GWI09Pb-qqK1uwRZFpL7CC3jNjUPxcNEuvu-1ixpQmdDVnlVpsc6VJuzPoq8fuYXxbJGOQ0x434xeDGc-U-CN49DBHmvf7Ksri7S/s1600/DSC05273_05273a_05273b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW09PJsVhEh0JoiwBZM4bsUlrMYPlqLzR9qOU6GWI09Pb-qqK1uwRZFpL7CC3jNjUPxcNEuvu-1ixpQmdDVnlVpsc6VJuzPoq8fuYXxbJGOQ0x434xeDGc-U-CN49DBHmvf7Ksri7S/s1600/DSC05273_05273a_05273b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Fui2YyOBu9EgNwDf9RQs4k4w1cBshkpnaCZHxqdk9KSA4aDCJ70E2hCX8DKqznokI2vv5_PxFo0-45fdBA8hXHG9oYJ44pRTWtdKV9EoOQHz9sl5JXmlRRv2VwjVz9KkJQ0CQgPi/s1600/DSC05281_05281a_05281b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Fui2YyOBu9EgNwDf9RQs4k4w1cBshkpnaCZHxqdk9KSA4aDCJ70E2hCX8DKqznokI2vv5_PxFo0-45fdBA8hXHG9oYJ44pRTWtdKV9EoOQHz9sl5JXmlRRv2VwjVz9KkJQ0CQgPi/s1600/DSC05281_05281a_05281b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVArPpyt_T5wE_8Gzurt9TVz-AjzcI-iKxs7pxK7AIKNaTlivGJuNTtYGJAnqvv3Pp5ow0aho7m-S-BUCYL1R6FTtVzJTdipn0mZeEUzLIczGyGDOig9WVnYTFMZlRarV2UIgvsOxR/s1600/DSC05307_05308_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVArPpyt_T5wE_8Gzurt9TVz-AjzcI-iKxs7pxK7AIKNaTlivGJuNTtYGJAnqvv3Pp5ow0aho7m-S-BUCYL1R6FTtVzJTdipn0mZeEUzLIczGyGDOig9WVnYTFMZlRarV2UIgvsOxR/s1600/DSC05307_05308_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1zeXoEWWmxpGaj5N5IvhJUZA4KwOKnXQSVut4xwgyJmsqBKCdyNv1KJ4XsMyipITcvCFD4wZ1ZiGiJjHxR_04FV5qOm78kRXYMpnGR4_qO59DaLGRKMsHepp6tffrFVPobptvoVz/s1600/DSC05320_05321_05322_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1zeXoEWWmxpGaj5N5IvhJUZA4KwOKnXQSVut4xwgyJmsqBKCdyNv1KJ4XsMyipITcvCFD4wZ1ZiGiJjHxR_04FV5qOm78kRXYMpnGR4_qO59DaLGRKMsHepp6tffrFVPobptvoVz/s1600/DSC05320_05321_05322_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Looking up towards the flat topped peak of Kaʻala, The sky was completely clear of clouds. But that is always a deception. I would say about 80% of all my ridge hikes I've done, the clouds always came in upon reaching the summit and this hike would be no different. Just before the final push, the boulder section had to be climbed. But with choke ropes everywhere, progress was easily made. It was a steady and sometimes steep climb all the way until we saw the Kaʻala Nature Area Reserve. The views leeward were spectacular!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWI33AmyTSdiRW5FuVTcQ8S4_BD4ZKCKhyphenhyphen6Z4l8n5SaA5lPKePLu_FoYMV8tlnLz8XMNwmvpzmItcZKSG_D-7l9WJ5jzAYAQ3QPS7JYyVtJ1sY2oIf17ekbMkqmJTtjADV68DMaRqb/s1600/DSC05351_05351a_05351b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWI33AmyTSdiRW5FuVTcQ8S4_BD4ZKCKhyphenhyphen6Z4l8n5SaA5lPKePLu_FoYMV8tlnLz8XMNwmvpzmItcZKSG_D-7l9WJ5jzAYAQ3QPS7JYyVtJ1sY2oIf17ekbMkqmJTtjADV68DMaRqb/s1600/DSC05351_05351a_05351b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRiHP4_yYQQJv9sVw8H-3iTuPwZ2rZY5RPvBku-T5iRgaXJPiFWUuy9zmRUE7hIdJo6fsMqbr4LUkIE5TW88anKldcfzKEkRQPCVPIihYgLONMv0w3_l0WbJ2ZQYikyu-3Dg6QfiY/s1600/DSC05354_05354a_easyHDR-PRO-2_filtered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRiHP4_yYQQJv9sVw8H-3iTuPwZ2rZY5RPvBku-T5iRgaXJPiFWUuy9zmRUE7hIdJo6fsMqbr4LUkIE5TW88anKldcfzKEkRQPCVPIihYgLONMv0w3_l0WbJ2ZQYikyu-3Dg6QfiY/s1600/DSC05354_05354a_easyHDR-PRO-2_filtered.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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As we walked on a boardwalk through the mountain bog, the clouds dropped down, as expected at this time. We've encountered a few people heading the opposite direction on the boardwalk. Here we were introduced to three guides who were leading a volunteer group. Apparently these guys were following me on Instagram and recognized me by face. After talking short stories and posing for a photo, we continued on towards the Air Force / FAA. We gained the paved road leading into the facility and noticed two white trucks. It must have been the volunteer group. We skirted around the perimeter fence and sat down for lunch at the 4,025ft benchmark. The air was misty as the clouds have fully shrouded the views around us. The clouds would open to a view of the blue sky above but the clouds below remained thick.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lRcK7pKcWzrW12sY7krVgBg4JtLHCEXpDyAC06_aVdQNU3Ij8T1vNMRUrniOBpaQJT1NDCRrg3l70v-P9vZMG618FfPFfxs3MbO5rs23sXZIq6fTJ63jy4xBppEAwr_FFDKHBBx2/s1600/DSC05375_05376_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lRcK7pKcWzrW12sY7krVgBg4JtLHCEXpDyAC06_aVdQNU3Ij8T1vNMRUrniOBpaQJT1NDCRrg3l70v-P9vZMG618FfPFfxs3MbO5rs23sXZIq6fTJ63jy4xBppEAwr_FFDKHBBx2/s1600/DSC05375_05376_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVEgo4LbNEQxfBko4gU4T001_bhlD9Ryy1ZoYFK59Y8M4JCntw_eIbf5Z52ebgTfvZYsdehhaOIkzbG6QWt1u3VzSvnnUn9iCXvKYyliA3l3C3ybIr82l3lFbCwHomxbiOCejfzM_/s1600/DSC05384_05385_05386_easyHDR-PRO-2_filtered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVEgo4LbNEQxfBko4gU4T001_bhlD9Ryy1ZoYFK59Y8M4JCntw_eIbf5Z52ebgTfvZYsdehhaOIkzbG6QWt1u3VzSvnnUn9iCXvKYyliA3l3C3ybIr82l3lFbCwHomxbiOCejfzM_/s1600/DSC05384_05385_05386_easyHDR-PRO-2_filtered.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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We packed up after 15 minutes and headed back towards the paved road. We saw the volunteer group make their way back to the trucks for refreshments. We said our final goodbyes and began our very long walk down the road. It dropped in elevation fairly quickly and had to fight gravity. Walking backwards sometimes alleviates the feet. Initially, we came across a green bridge and a trail leading down the windward side of Kaʻala. This was the Dupont Trail. Unfortunately, access was lost back in 2009 and I could imagine the trail being completely overgrown by now. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmCL3Qo4oAA3XepNM4klvL2Z25xKBlwqY_AAsjCyHa_GRVHby3PoUiMFKECM1Ljw0HM1emll2lzJCb2VHbNsKHBFweI0QuiQu7p2Iob9jUrI2eQe8gAXyKoUsbPg15tt3tITFmKlr/s1600/DSC05426_05426a_05426b_easyHDR-PRO-2_filtered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmCL3Qo4oAA3XepNM4klvL2Z25xKBlwqY_AAsjCyHa_GRVHby3PoUiMFKECM1Ljw0HM1emll2lzJCb2VHbNsKHBFweI0QuiQu7p2Iob9jUrI2eQe8gAXyKoUsbPg15tt3tITFmKlr/s1600/DSC05426_05426a_05426b_easyHDR-PRO-2_filtered.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5CZpLpyN2R7v59SefAYyTEQbH6BcroUUBDs0y-4qUjSr_-mO3kzdc9VJ48VmUMppu2v_xXEnQc_1095vaKPO84U73odAdIYEThh0MyUYnQEc205nmEy40hKS3_cn3fzLuSX2Jklv/s1600/DSC05444_05445_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5CZpLpyN2R7v59SefAYyTEQbH6BcroUUBDs0y-4qUjSr_-mO3kzdc9VJ48VmUMppu2v_xXEnQc_1095vaKPO84U73odAdIYEThh0MyUYnQEc205nmEy40hKS3_cn3fzLuSX2Jklv/s1600/DSC05444_05445_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Further down, we noticed a white para cord dangling down the cliff face from the summit ridge high above the road. I wonder if this was left by Ahnate, the individual who traversed the Waiʻanaes in it's entirely in 3 days. Passing by a radio tower, we dropped below the cloud decks and were seeing views of the North Shore. Around another bend, ʻOhikilolo Ridge began to show it's razor sharp profile. <br />
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A short while later, we came across a worker in a shack. He informed us that we were on a government road and wouldn't let us pass initially, but after stating our intentions, he let us proceed. He said that people would sometimes try to go to Kaʻala from Peacock Flats and would turn them back. Since we were heading towards that direction, it only made sense for us to continue on instead of having us turn back up the road. He said farewell and good luck and we continued our tramp down the road. It was about 5 minutes or so when we spotted to our left, the rutted trail heading upwards to the summit ridge. Once on the summit ridge, the fence greeted us and we followed it to Three Corners. Here, the three valleys of Makaha, Makua, and Mokulēia converged to a point.<br />
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The views were grand, but it didn't last long as the cloud began to drop again. I traced the ʻOhikilolo Ridge to the cabin. It sure looked very close but knew that this would be a roller coaster ridge from hell, fully equipped with a fence. On we went, first down, then up, and down again. Grip the fence, step on this side, step on the other, up, down, up, down, up, down. This would be the motto for the next few hours. Along the way were some tricky rocky obstacles, including one where one has to traverse right over it on some slippery looking rock. Daylight was beginning to run out and we knew that ʻOhikilolo Cabin was going to be our home away from home for the night. <br />
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As the light grew dim, we focused on the silhouette of the next pu'u. Then the next. Then the next. At around blackout, we finally noticed that the fence began to contour this one really large pu'u. This has got to be it! Rain began to fall hard. The fence began to level out and I noticed that we were contouring a large red washout. I was familiar with this washout and I instructed everyone to hop the fence to the Makua facing side. A few more steps ahead and we were standing at the front door of the cabin. Knock. Knock. I grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, fearing it would be locked. The door swung inward. Welcome to the hotel ʻOhikilolo. We got our sleeping bags out and warmed up the burner for some hot drinks and soup as the rain continued to pelt the roof. Glad the rain held out just in time to get to the cabin. Once we finished our dinner, we tucked ourselves into our sleeping bags and drifted off to sleep. I woke up to a bright light shining through my window. Since it was blurred, I couldn't see what was out there, but the light had a moving effect. I thought we were going to be sharing the cabin with other people. I got up and walked into the kitchen area and was in awe when I saw the moon. Wasn't quite a full moon, but it was still bright. Turns out, that was what I was seeing and the clouds passing over it gave it that moving effect. I could easily see Puʻu ʻOhikilolo standing tall and proud. In fact, the silhouette of that peak and the two next to it gave it a familiar look to the Gaza Pyramids in Egypt. I went back to bed and drifted off to sleep.<br />
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The following morning, we had a light breakfast and packed our gear. The clouds were still hanging over the Waiʻanaes but the rain had stopped. The morning sun was peaking over the clouds. <br />
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Unfortunately, the ground was soaking wet, making the saddle part of the hike a little sketchy. We followed the red washout downward. There was a goat trail contouring a set of teeth like rock formations, which we followed. At some point though, the trail disappears and we had to scale upward to gain the top of the ridge. Following the ridge, we reached an area that looks like the surface of Mars. The color of the surrounding soil and rock were completely different to the rest of the mountain. Another fence greeted us and we followed it, scaling some minor rock face to gain the top of ʻOhikilolo Middle Ridge. We made it! It's all down hill from here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPac8C50ln5ogJ-5zEvSFUIzqwEoZY2NRorXBTEIEBQypqWRCWkd-lMV_sMIxpb5SAbYqYGQuuNIPVnZ5bX8A94IoPkfMORwsbsng3gmG3Is1OElA9zXH7ARRnZn3FBWwXU908M2kK/s1600/GOPR0860_0860a_0860b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPac8C50ln5ogJ-5zEvSFUIzqwEoZY2NRorXBTEIEBQypqWRCWkd-lMV_sMIxpb5SAbYqYGQuuNIPVnZ5bX8A94IoPkfMORwsbsng3gmG3Is1OElA9zXH7ARRnZn3FBWwXU908M2kK/s1600/GOPR0860_0860a_0860b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDYF_UnLqGxZ4AwEQb1IAmyTyT2MN1gRW3O0eALPenqI11kNws1GEnOXEK-6Fq5GIqG8k71ZBKYPyct6Td4i3AQ2B5-n2B4iQ7mb4iNp6GxtMxknDuSVp2NK-unF8_2izqTvaoSmK/s1600/GOPR0864_0864a_0864b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDYF_UnLqGxZ4AwEQb1IAmyTyT2MN1gRW3O0eALPenqI11kNws1GEnOXEK-6Fq5GIqG8k71ZBKYPyct6Td4i3AQ2B5-n2B4iQ7mb4iNp6GxtMxknDuSVp2NK-unF8_2izqTvaoSmK/s1600/GOPR0864_0864a_0864b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We went down some ropes, losing elevation quickly. The trail than contoured to the right to bypass a large rocky cliff to the right before regaining the ridge line again. We crossed some narrow sections with some great views. Looking back, the pyramidal peak of ʻOhikilolo dominated the ridges high above. Looking forward, we could see the valley road leading back to Farrington Hwy. <br />
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A couple hours more and we made it. Mahalo to Brian for picking us up! He said he tried to fly the RLU-1 Breezy over our spot since I've checked in with him yesterday. The clouds however prevented him from going that far mauka. Now that I think about it, I do recall hearing a sound of a small aircraft, but the sound was faint.<br />
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What a trip!<br />
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Video coming soon!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-92215585548033180072014-04-26T18:43:00.000-07:002014-05-13T05:40:41.470-07:0011-12-2013: Waiʻanae Summit Trail - Kealia to KPSTS<b><u>CAUTION</u></b>: The Waiʻanae Mountain Range is located on properties owned by the U.S. government, the U.S. military of all branches, the state of Hawaiʻi via departments, and private owners. The mountain ridges and valleys are also home to a delicate and vast array of native plants, animals, and insects. Please take care not to disturb them or their native habitats and always seek permission to access these lands. Always do your research prior to setting out. And finally, once you are out there, always minimize your impact to the environment and of course, be safe.<br />
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Kalani and I hiked the section of the WST between Kealia and the Kaʻena Point Satellite Tracking Station. In a previous hike, another group and I were hoping to cover the KPSTS in it's entirely from Kaʻena Point to Kealia but we were caught by the Air Force guys operating the station and were escorted down. In order to continue the segment hike of the Waiʻanae Mountains, it mean't having to return to KPSTS. I didn't like the idea of having to return to a restricted area. So the plan today was to skirt the boundary of the installation, turn around, and head back to Kealia. However, I had a flight that evening so time would pressure us on this day.</div>
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We began at 8am up the Kealia Trail. The morning sun was already starting to get strong and weather called for partly cloudy skies and a light trade. We took a short break at the picnic table just above the switchbacks. Beyond on the dirt road, we came across three local guys in a white truck. After exchanging pleasantries, they asked us if we came up from Dillingham Airfield and if there was a way to drive their truck down to a point in Waialua from where we were standing at the moment. I pointed out that the road does head makai but I didn't know the exact location as I've only hiked up via the hiking trail. We said our goodbyes and continued on our way towards the summit.</div>
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Shortly before topping out at the Makua Valley overlook, we came across a junction with a sign pointing in the direction of KPSTS. We've figured this would be the route to take, but since Kalani has never been to the terminus before, we would skip this for now. At around 10am, we were at the top and could see the valley below. I scanned the summit ridge to the northwest and noticed another group of hikers coming in our direction. I wondered if they came from KPSTS on the crest. After exchanging waves, we headed back down to the signed junction. We'll just follow the dirt road all the way to the facility. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KmtAECgckxm2_8pwcZ_v4BrRJw5cX6K51jucqI3THMalID0nKfsdGshd-QtSg1bVvAgLypt1G7a3-Q7J445MQBmHcj3PnPl0-L9b6vDhID99WJM7DX5TMlEYPwrFZtZs_9sciktG/s1600/DSC05094_05094a_05094b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KmtAECgckxm2_8pwcZ_v4BrRJw5cX6K51jucqI3THMalID0nKfsdGshd-QtSg1bVvAgLypt1G7a3-Q7J445MQBmHcj3PnPl0-L9b6vDhID99WJM7DX5TMlEYPwrFZtZs_9sciktG/s1600/DSC05094_05094a_05094b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjjQSW-txAGoaGa7aqfsbz3mNG2krQDjykFzaQhZFj5yfpQmc-GnZ3dlP08OYBjmpNA1NV-vRTmJjtm69EvPntjrVvKPVDomYRkMr7yC13mNAyhEUshDJy-POBuvCzew9b3Ndpa1k/s1600/DSC05079_05080_05081_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjjQSW-txAGoaGa7aqfsbz3mNG2krQDjykFzaQhZFj5yfpQmc-GnZ3dlP08OYBjmpNA1NV-vRTmJjtm69EvPntjrVvKPVDomYRkMr7yC13mNAyhEUshDJy-POBuvCzew9b3Ndpa1k/s1600/DSC05079_05080_05081_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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Little that we knew, this would end up being a much longer walk than the crest. However, we were treated to some fine views of the North Shore on some portions of the road. On the leeward facing side, we noticed how far the road takes us windward to the summit crest and how winding it was. I glanced at the time and was starting to get concerned with my flight that evening. Judging by the distance of this road, I wasn't liking the idea of heading back. Looks like it's going to be plan b and intentionally getting the escort from KPSTS.</div>
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As we got closer, we could easily make out the white "golfballs". We were getting close. We soon heard a motorized vehicle. Thinking it was military, we dashed off into the bushes. Turns out it was a United States Department of Agriculture vehicle. Apparently the driver saw us dart off the road and stopped to ask what we were doing and what our intentions were. He said that the installation was about a mile up ahead and that it was restricted to hikers. We acknowledged and he motored off in the Kealia direction. We proceeded ahead and it wasn't long before we came upon the boundary of the installation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5_YzjyATribHF2fmdAvb0Hi8fisaPHVn183NZUZiOCWO_tqSvWgJSf1TtEwXVImWi9lMoVPetRjTV3IxQLHK0MCaYMiNKK_G6jRP9pslGAsy5y1bAFBZtUOFaMSGWQijPSHCuFjW/s1600/DSC05199_05200_05201_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5_YzjyATribHF2fmdAvb0Hi8fisaPHVn183NZUZiOCWO_tqSvWgJSf1TtEwXVImWi9lMoVPetRjTV3IxQLHK0MCaYMiNKK_G6jRP9pslGAsy5y1bAFBZtUOFaMSGWQijPSHCuFjW/s1600/DSC05199_05200_05201_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mtPsyyyYx9UgFrJJdqLFcEwO8Ngq4MxWVeHqNzwiNUGREesdnV1vwLV_tgc781ts7UrrgzjayN5f7Qm1OwBHKOXfyJtDN_KVjobZ5oYnlod-HWuPT0qpiNx5R9cbFOuoLaiwsQ9v/s1600/DSC05205_05205a_05205b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mtPsyyyYx9UgFrJJdqLFcEwO8Ngq4MxWVeHqNzwiNUGREesdnV1vwLV_tgc781ts7UrrgzjayN5f7Qm1OwBHKOXfyJtDN_KVjobZ5oYnlod-HWuPT0qpiNx5R9cbFOuoLaiwsQ9v/s1600/DSC05205_05205a_05205b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stop here, turn around, and head back the way we came? Or push on and seek the nearest guard? We opted for the latter and made our first steps onto KPSTS. It didn't take long before I realized that we reached the exact location where we got picked up last time. Around 100ft and we would have made the crossing without having to get the escort the first time, avoiding an unnecessary return here. Nevertheless, we were here, our journey complete for this stretch. There was a worker standing near a building so we walked there and raised him. He was an older looking fellow. After formalities about being on premises were stated and contacting an MP to escort us down to Keawaula Beach (Yoks), he was quite amazed on how we were section hiking the Waiʻanaes. He said before the station was even built, he would hike around the hills here back in the day. He was sadden that now the station was built, no longer could we hike around here now.</div>
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As we continued to converse with the worker, two uniformed Air Force guys in a truck rolled up and took us down. They were hikers themselves and were intrigued about our intentions on the Waiʻanaes. The drive down was incredible. The views of Keawaula Beach down below is rarely seen. They dropped us at Farrington Hwy., near the main gate, exchanged goodbyes, and off they went towards town, apparently their shift over.</div>
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I called Jerry in Ewa Beach to pick us up (Mahalo nui!). While we waited, Kalani went to venture around the beach while I plopped down in a grassy area near the restrooms and looked back up at the white golf balls high above.</div>
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"Finally..", I whispered to myself and drifted off to sleep.</div>
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Video coming soon!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-55564435119956441422014-03-14T07:20:00.000-07:002017-06-03T14:52:03.639-07:0011-8-2013: Waiʻanae Summit Trail - Kealia to Mt. Kaʻala Rd.<b><u>CAUTION</u></b>: The Waiʻanae Mountain Range is located on properties owned by the U.S. government, the U.S. military of all branches, the state of Hawaiʻi via departments, and private owners. The mountain ridges and valleys are also home to a delicate and vast array of native plants, animals, and insects. Please take care not to disturb them or their native habitats and always seek permission to access these lands. Always do your research prior to setting out. And finally, once you are out there, always minimize your impact to the environment and of course, be safe.<br />
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Today's adventure covered the section of the Waiʻanae Summit Ridge between the terminus of Kealia Trail and Mt. Kaʻala Road. We had hoped to gain the actual summit of Mt. Kaʻala but time caused us to head down the very long paved road back to Waialua. Joining me on this trek would be Joshua, Jon, and Jani. This would be Josh's first hike out in the Waiʻanae Mountains. We didn't have a car staged because of our plans to reach Kaʻala and head down the Waiʻanae-Kaʻala Trail down into Waiʻanae Valley. That trailhead is notorious for break ins so we opted for a pick up at that location.<br />
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We started off at around 8am at Dillingham Airfield and headed up Na Ala Hele's Kealia Trail. The last time I did this actual trail was back in 2008. I recalled the steep "Three Sisters" as one blogger called them, a series of uphill dirt roads. It wasn't as taxing as it was back in 08 and we soon gained the Kuaokala Hunting grounds. We passed a junction that had a sign, indicating the direction of Kaʻena Point Satellite Tracking Station, the U.S.A.F. military installation that I've visited a week ago. A short walk through Ironwood forest and we were looking down into Mākua Valley, one of many leeward valleys of west Oʻahu. Looking west along the crest, we spotted a group of hikers. They were appearing to head in this general direction, possibly from KPSTS. The weather was excellent for summit walking, clear of clouds with gentle breezes.</div>
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We didn't waste time at the top as we had a long day ahead of us. After exchanging shakas with the other hiking group, we headed eastward along the crest. Looking at the vista, we could make out the summit ridge heading all the way to the mammoth Mt. Kaʻala. Puʻu ʻOhikilolo was clearly visible as the pyramid looking peak and it's ridgeline spanning from the summit crest all the way to Keawaula Bay (Yokohama Beach). We thought we were going to be hiking the crest for the entire way, but it wasn't long before we found ourselves on one of the dirt roads that makes up the complex dirt road system in this area of the Waiʻanaes. As we continued to hike east, the angle that we saw Mākua Valley changed. It opened up to a larger viewing area of the valley and the ocean. There were times that we also got some spectacular views of Oʻahu's north shore. The HECO (Hawaiian Electric Co.) Pūpūkea wind farm, which was erected in 2012/13 created an eye sore as I remember this view vividly without the windmills. The northern Koʻolaus were clear of clouds but we could see the cumulus clouds forming over the mountain range.<br />
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We eventually came upon that metal fence line that I've always dreaded while hiking. Since this fence separated the leeward from the windward of wild goats or pigs, we were to follow this fence for much of the way. Since I've also remember hiking the summit stretch of the Waiʻanaes between Peacock Flats and Three Corners years back, I knew this fence would stretch all the way to at least Three Corners. Better learn to enjoy the fence, Kawika.<br />
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We continued to hike for some time, enjoying the ever lasting views of both north shore and Mākua Valley and the surrounding flora and fauna. We stumbled upon a geological survey marker that read "MOKU". A short while later, we've came upon some sort of building area and a paved road. We didn't know what was here or if we were able to be here so we snapped a few photos and continued on our way. There were a few wooden structures holding up steel drums. What was inside these barrels was unknown. The further east we went, the more central Oʻahu was visible.<br />
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I began seeing familiar areas. Wait, was that building complex that we've passed a while ago part of Peacock Flats area? Jon apparently told us that it was and he was right. We were well on our way to Three Corners. We kept following the fence and running into random signage that dotted the fence line, ranging from explosive area, to signs indicating rat poison traps, and the like. Then suddenly the vista opened with the most incredible view of Mākua Valley I've have ever seen, although I've seen it before! But wow, this view was still as breathtaking! Unfortunately, clouds were beginning to form over the crest and we knew this meant trouble for navigation purposes. We pushed onwards and the landscape changed from the dry Waiʻanae Mountain look to a more Koʻolau look with the Uluhe.<br />
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We were in autopilot with a heading of following the fence as the clouds continued to thicken around the summit ridge. After a while, I began sensing that something wasn't right about our path. We were heading in a mostly downward direction, something that we shouldn't be doing on the crest. We reached a grassy flat section and I began to mention the doubtfulness of this path. At the same time, the clouds lifted and we were looking at the north shore head on. Somehow we got turned around with the fence line at the summit in all those clouds. Frustration began to settle into me as I couldn't figure out how we ended up here, when in fact, I've done this section before. Turns out even navigating in the clouds in a familiar area can still prove tricky. We headed back up to where we came from. Once at the top, the clouds were still thick enough that we couldn't make out the crest but we did notice that the fence did split into another direction. This must be the summit crest. Sure enough, the clouds lifted to reveal the answer. I've totally forgot about the fence junctions and apparently let autopilot follow the fence.<br />
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Finally, we were back on the right path and headed onward on this roller coasting ridge of a hike. The somewhat steeper sections where the fence became the ground were annoying as hell. Regardless, we made it to Three Corners at last, but the clouds were beating us to the view. We witnessed the view for about a few minutes before the clouds completely shrouded it. The sunlight was beginning to fade so Kaʻala was out of the question. Then I thought about the paved road that lead up to the flat topped peak. We'll just head down that instead. The Uluhe returned and the trail was overgrown. We got to a point where we could make out the road about 50ft below us, paralleling the ridge crest. We noticed a faint trail heading downward to it so down we went and we all felt relieved when we set foot on pavement. Now to head down 5 miles of it in wet misty cloudness. Ugh!<br />
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Nevertheless, we were happy of how much we've covered on this day. As we dropped below the cloud decks, we could make out the blinking red lights of the Pūpūkea wind farm, which made for an eerie futuristic look. Looks like it could resemble a cloaked star ship like the Enterprise that has landed there. After a painstaking hour or two on the road, we made it to Farrington Highway. Mahalo to Jon's Mom for picking us up! What an epic day in the mountains indeed.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tETaW6DX3JA" target="_blank">Wai'anae Mountain Range: Kealia to Ka'ala Rd.</a><br />
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-51806219114911989132014-03-13T17:28:00.004-07:002017-06-03T14:01:47.891-07:0011-1-2013: Waiʻanae Summit Trail - Kaʻena Point to KPSTSI want to wish all of you a Happy 4th of July, Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, and soon to be Happy St. Patrick's Day! That's because the last time I've updated this was back in June of last year! I've been just so busy with life that I couldn't even keep up with this blog. I am also extremely behind in video documentation. Remember the time in late 2012 to early 2013 when the lava fields were active down by Kalapana, Big Island? I still have video footage of that event that I still have yet to release. The year in review video for 2012 and 2013 was a bust. Talk about wishing that there were 25 hours in a day. Will I ever get all of these out to you? I'll stop making promises but someday, maybe 20 years from now, I just might. However, during this long period of absence from the blog, I was able to document Oʻahu's western mountain range, the Waiʻanae Mountain Range or the Waiʻanaes for short. The Waiʻanaes is the older of the two ancient remnants of the two shield volcanoes that formed the island of Oʻahu. Both have had makai (ocean) facing flanks destroyed in massive landslides. The Koʻolau lost it's windward flanks about a million years ago and the Waiʻanae lost it's leeward flank about 3 million years ago, forming the shape of the island that we recognize today.<br />
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Just like the Koʻolaus, I wanted to document the Waiʻanaes by hiking it's entire summit ridge in segments also known as section hiking (as opposed to thru hiking). The first segment would be the northwestern most end of the Waiʻanae Mountains from Kaʻena Point to a point on the crest that contains the Kaʻena Point Satellite Station, which is operated by the United States Air Force. But before you continue reading this write up, please read the following paragraph as I will also include this for all the upcoming write ups of this mountain range.<br />
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<b><u>CAUTION</u></b>: The Waiʻanae Mountain Range is located on properties owned by the U.S. government, the U.S. military of all branches, the state of Hawaiʻi via departments, and private owners. The mountain ridges and valleys are also home to a delicate and vast array of native plants, animals, and insects. Please take care not to disturb them or their native habitats and always seek permission to access these lands. Always do your research prior to setting out. And finally, once you are out there, always minimize your impact to the environment and of course, be safe.<br />
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On this cool clear November morning, Zack, Jon, Marc, Jani, and myself began the first segment of the Waiʻanaes. Our goal today was to hike out to Kaʻena Point, climb up the ridge line that rises up from the nature preserve which makes up the point itself, and hike along the crest of the Waiʻanae Summit Ridge to KPSTS where there are numerous large white golf ball like structure that house the U.S.A.F. tracking equipment. One can see these structures clearly from Keawaula Bay, otherwise more commonly called Yokohama Beach or Yoks for short. From KPSTS, we were to continue all the way to the terminus of the Kealia Trail. This trail heads down from the summit and north towards Dillingham Airfield. We opted to start from Mokulēia side because the Keawaula side is too sketchy to stage cars. The hike to Kaʻena Point was a nice walk under a cool morning sun. Upon reaching the perimeter fence and it's elevator looking gate of the nature preserve, we headed left, following the fence line until it reached it's highest point. Here, a faint trail heads upward to a few pillboxes and marks the start of the Waiʻanae Summit Ridge. This trail appeared to actually receive quite a bit of foot traffic, at least up to the pillboxes. Upon reaching the first pillbox, a view of Kaʻena Point not commonly seen awaits. The shape of the point actually resembles a bow of a cruise ship, appearing to plow forward through the bluer than blue ocean of the Pacific. There were probably around 4 or 5 pillboxes before the trail continues upward to a fence and a few structures of some kind behind it. It did not take long to realize that we were approaching the KPSTS. <br />
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Being a military installation, we had to engage ninja mode for this next section. If we were to make it to Kealia Trail, we were required to traverse through this installation in it's entirely as it sits completely on the crest of the summit ridge. It's like in those classic Nintendo or Sega Genesis video games where you have to navigate your character through a set course through a level without being spotted by cameras or an enemy guard. If you were to get caught, you get a message "Hey! You're not supposed to be in here!", the screen goes black, and you find your character back at the start of of the level where you have to try again and again and again to progress further in the game. Today, there would be no reset button or going back to the start of the perimeter fence to try again and again. If you get caught anywhere on the installation, the military police will escort you down the road and drop you off at Keawaula Beach. Since we didn't have any cars staged there, it made things problematic for us.<br />
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When we reached the fence perimeter of the KPSTS, we followed the fence line on it's northern side. Soon a very smooth paved road came into view and we could see it head gradually upward, following the crest. The fence line ended and we were soon walking on this paved road, following it. Around us were some buildings that housed antennas of some kind and a white golf ball tracking equipment. We continued to follow up on the paved road when we saw a truck coming towards us from the other direction. We didn't think much to make an effort to hide. We just simply kept walking up the road, towards the truck. The truck stopped and the driver asked what we were doing here and if we knew this was government property. He then told us that there was a dirt road that parallels the government paved road directly on the north side. He appeared to be a contract worker and not an MP and pretended that he didn't see us. So we hopped a ranch looking fence and started walking on the dirt road. We later found out that this road belonged to DLNR, or the Department of Land and Natural Resources.<br />
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We continued on this dirt road for some time and came upon a couple junctions. We chose the path that kept us relatively closest to the paved road. Unfortunately, the dirt road ended back onto the paved road, which we were warned not to be on. We tried to backtrack on a few of those junctions and see if there was any headway around KPSTS but to no avail. We had probably less than 1,000ft before we cleared KPSTS and were back on hunting grounds. Jani decided to scout ahead on this paved road for any guard shacks and sure enough there was one. After a few minutes, she returned, saying the guard will pretend that he didn't see us and pointed to the direction of the trail that would take us to Kealia. Unfortunately that mean't having to continue on the paved road until we reached said trail. Off we went and we attempted to book it faster than normal. We came across a parking area where we spotted some people in civilian clothing. They said they obtained permits to hike the area so that is some good tidbits to know for the future. We didn't waste time and continued on our way east on the paved road. We saw more golf ball structures along the way, which made for a Star Wars feel. We came across our last bend before we made it to the other side of the installation and back into hunting grounds. I was following Marc when I noticed Jani and Jon far behind us. Then we heard the sirens far behind us. DARN! We actually didn't see the MP but we also noticed that Jani and Jon were not coming up behind us. We knew they got caught. Marc thought for a split second to dash into the brushes on our left but I didn't want to leave them behind. We stood there for a couple minutes, debating our next move. Had we just simply continued to walk, we probably would have made it to the hunting area. Regardless, the MP came up to us in his police truck and told us to get in the truck bed to be escorted off. Behind him was another government official in his car with Jani and Jon. We've been caught and knew our hike had come to an end today so we complied without second thought.<br />
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When we started down the road switch backs, we were treated to a cool view of Yokohama Beach below. I thought about filming and taking photos but decided against it. Upon reaching the bottom, we all got off and the guards said nothing more. We walked over to the bathroom area of the beach. Jani and Jon told us that the government official who was driving them in his car had actually debated with the MP in letting us continue on our merry way which could explain the long delay in getting Marc and I. That would have been nice if they did, since we were only mere feet from crossing back into hunting grounds. Then we all realized we were at the west side when our cars were staged on Mokulēia! That meant we had to circumnavigate around the point to get back to our cars, which meant another 5 or 6 extra miles to hike! Well, we did it and it was actually a pretty neat coastal hike. When we reached the start of that faint trail again that we took up this morning, I jokingly said "Let's try again!".<br />
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With our trek cut short on this day, I had to think that if I were to segment hike the Waiʻanaes, that meant having to visit KPSTS from Kealia, which will be written on a future write up. Stay tuned!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Tkm-UE1ag" target="_blank">Wai'anae Mountain Range: Ka'ena Point to KPSTS (GoPro 3 POV)</a><br />
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-62757837806001953522013-06-14T14:57:00.001-07:002017-06-09T22:21:28.349-07:00 Completion of the Koʻolau Mountain Range<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xGRLrDFkUe-zh8WmWcpH4iV9JpKE8iEJhyzRtMJqDzRCW4YIgXlPrdckoKoikpC0QIEvQwh4X67rR1QhKf_LfZ2DANEoMd740yaq5fyEIV0vSwj7ciLGloko1_EsVzYMZGJ37j7t/s1600/ijt4JeKPD5rMV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xGRLrDFkUe-zh8WmWcpH4iV9JpKE8iEJhyzRtMJqDzRCW4YIgXlPrdckoKoikpC0QIEvQwh4X67rR1QhKf_LfZ2DANEoMd740yaq5fyEIV0vSwj7ciLGloko1_EsVzYMZGJ37j7t/s640/ijt4JeKPD5rMV.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">It was March 6th, 2008 when I did my first "hike", up to the top of </span></span><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">Lēʻahi, otherwise known as Diamond Head, the iconic crater that forms the skyline of </span><span style="background-color: black;">Waikīkī. From it's summit, I saw the cityscape in it's entirely. Then, my eyes shifted towards the mountain range that dwarfs the urban city sprawl. My curiosity got the best of me. What was up there? There was only one way to find out. It was August 19th, 2008 when I hiked the Na Ala Hele state trail of Kuli</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ou</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ou and saw the windward view from the top of the Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">olau Mountain Range for the first time in my life. I eventually acquired Stuart Ball's "A Hiker's Guide to O</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ahu" and would continue to hike more trails up to different spots of the Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">olaus. The views were majestic from every point of the mountain range. But I've noticed that there seemed to be a trail that went either left or right of each summit point of their respective trails. I began to wonder, could all of these summit points be connected by way of what I've learned was the summit trail?</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;">I began to research this summit trail and found virtually no documentation on the internet, except for a few old </span><a href="http://www2.hawaii.edu/~turner/hikes/koolau.html" style="line-height: 19.5px;" target="_blank">OHE (O'ahu Hiking Enthusiasts) articles</a><span style="line-height: 19.5px;"> with some film photographs that were scanned to digital. I would soon discover </span><a href="http://kaleolancaster.blogspot.com/" style="line-height: 19.5px;" target="_blank">Kaleo Lancaster's "Island Trails" blog</a><span style="line-height: 19.5px;"> with some information regarding the summit trail. But overall, the entire summit trail from Pūpūkea to Makapu</span></span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">u was very little documented. I wanted to change that. I began my personal quest of section hiking the Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">olau Mountain Range. I started by connecting the southern portion of the range from Konahuanui to Makapu</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">u. It was then I would learn of the three Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">olau saddles, the most dangerous portions of the entire mountain range. There was one saddle that was virtually undocumented, the infamous Kalihi Valley Saddle or Kalihi Saddle for short. As I made more friends in the local hiking community, we would set off to pioneer these saddles and document them in full detail for the future generation of hikers to come. It was during the summer of 2011 when Marcus Griego, Jeremy Kreis, Michael Loftin, Rhonda Hutchinson, and myself became the first group of hikers to successfully traverse and document the Kalihi Saddle in it's entirely, at least during modern times.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;">All I had left to do now was document the northern Ko</span></span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">olaus. This area requires a lot of planning as the connector trails are much more scarce and the Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">olau Summit Trail itself is very overgrown to the point of it not being discernible</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">. Also the topography is nothing but rolling hills everywhere you look, making navigation very difficult. Once I had all the connector trails and the distance between them via the KST analyzed enough, my hiking friends and I proceeded to successfully section hike the remainder of the northern Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">olaus to become among one of the first pioneers to traverse and document the Ko'olau Mountain Range from </span><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; line-height: 19.5px;">Pūpūkea to Makapu</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻu.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">On July 11, 2009, I did my very first Koʻolau summit traverse from Moanalua Middle Ridge to the Haʻikū Stairs. On May 5th, 2013, I did my very last Koʻolau summit traverse from Castle to Laʻie to complete the entire summit spine of the Koʻolau Mountain Range by section hiking via connector trails.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Below is a list (sorted by date) of every single hike I've done to "connect the dots" on the Koʻolau summit spine from Pupukea to Makapuʻu. Some of these may overlap one another so take note of that when comparing these on a map.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">7-11-2009: Moanalua Middle Ridge to Haʻikū Stairs (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2009/07/7-11-2009-moanalua-middle-to-haiku.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vP9BFWIPLg" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">1-21-2010: Kuliʻouʻou Ridge to Puʻu O Kona (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2010/01/1-21-2010-kuliouou-state-trail-to-puu-o.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLhYjnsdYD0" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">5-5-2010: Tripler Ridge to Haʻikū Stairs (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frkhjwvx1xg" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">5-18-2010: Bowman to Haʻikū Stairs (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSW9hyIwfFw" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">6-26-2010: Mariner's Ridge to Kuliʻouʻou (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2010/06/6-26-2010-mariners-ridge-to-kuliouou.html">write up</a>)(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoigtjoqp5Q" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">9-12-2010: Halawa Ridge to Haʻikū Hidden Stairs (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MGLI4FOsRE" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">10-8-2010: Olympus to Konahuanui (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2017/06/10-8-2010.html">write up</a>)(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-eG1cf64sI" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">10-18-2010: Olympus to Puʻu O Kona (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2010/12/10-18-2010-mt-olympus-to-puu-o-kona.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aos6qFHAWM0" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">1-9-2011: Makapuʻu to Mariner's Ridge (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/01/1-09-2011-makapuu-to-mariners-ridge.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x-9dtO-Lvg" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">2-19-2011: Pali Lookout (Notches) to Konahuanui - Nuʻuanu Saddle (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/02/2-19-2011-pali-notches-to-konahuanui-k1.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a41rXKnuLio" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">4-3-2011: Kaupo Cliffs #3 to Hahaione Windward (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/04/4-3-2011-kaupo-cliffs-to-hahaione.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wye_Vbx0afI" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">4-10-2011: Kamiloiki Ridge to Tom-Tom (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/04/4-10-2011-kamiloiki-ridge-to-tom-tom.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ljYVsXMWI" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">4-21-2011: Kulanaʻahane to Haʻikū Stairs - Moanalua Saddle (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/04/4-21-2011-moanalua-saddle-to-haiku.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWDR9WOsU04" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">5-10-2011: Kulanaʻahane to Red Hill Ridge - Moanalua Saddle (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/5-10-2011-moanalua-saddle-to-red-hill.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-1dgh5i-lE" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">5-15-2011: Pali Lookout (Puka) to Lanihuli - Nuʻuanu Saddle (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/5-15-2011-pali-puka-to-lanihuli.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLLld7YC4qA" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">5-29-2011: Aiea Ridge to Kulanaʻahane - Moanalua Saddle (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/5-29-2011-aiea-ridge-to-moanalua-saddle.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ4NS8TS9OA" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">7-15-2011: Kahuauli (Bowman) to Wilson Tunnels - Kalihi Saddle (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/07/7-15-2011-kahuauli-bowman-to-kalihi.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a-q_pbsKKg" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">8-4-2011: Lanihuli to Wilson Tunnels - Kalihi Saddle (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/08/8-4-2011-lanihuli-to-kalihi-saddle.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgCpZWizoMY" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">9-29-2011: Waimano Ridge to Aiea Ridge (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/10/9-29-2011-waimano-to-aiea-ridge.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqXQO3rhoWI" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">11-12-2011: Manana to Waimano Ridge (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/11/11-12-2011-manana-to-waimano-ridge.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p29LIt2OdA" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">8-9/10-2012: Manana to Waiahole Uka (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2012/08/8-9102012-manana-to-waiahole-uka.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZGtOtylNj4" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">10-21-2012: Waikane (Kaʻaumakua) to Waiahole Uka (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2012/12/10-21-2012-kst-waikane-kaaumakua-to.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcTE1WE6Tds" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">12-29-2012: Waikane (Kaʻaumakua) to Poamoho (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/01/12-29-2012-kst-waikane-kaaumakua-to.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPbIpmAOgB8" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">3-9-2013: Castle to Poamoho (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/03/3-9-2013-kst-castle-to-poamoho.html">write up</a>) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_AaAsiRLM4" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.5px;">4-6-2013: La</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.5px;">ie to </span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;">Pūpūkea</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;"> (</span></span></span><a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/06/4-6-2013-laie-to-pupukea.html">write up</a><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.5px;">) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Vy7L9mCGo" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">5-5-2013: Castle to La</span><span style="color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">ie (</span><a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-5-2013-endgame-castle-to-laie.html">write up</a><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">) (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC4BEuPUtH0" target="_blank">video</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">I want to give out shoutouts to every single person who accompanied me on these long, dangerous, and arduous treks. If it wasn't for people like these guys and girls, there would be absolutely no way I could do this. MAHALO NUI LOA to each and every single one of you! And of course I would like to say mahalo to all who have supported me during these years. There were many challenges to be overcome. There were many battle scars along the way. There was even a 20ft fall. There were times that I just wanted to give up and go home, but I kept pushing forward. I've learned so much from these awesome mountains to help me become a better person in life. This was one that I wanted to do for myself and now I can truly go to sleep every night, knowing that I no longer have to wake up at 2am to do a 14-18 hour hike! ;-) </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Lucky we live Hawaiʻi! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Imua!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: x-small;">Compilation of every single segment hike done. Each clip is accompanied by it's aerial view!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: x-small;">Aerial footage of the Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: xx-small;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: x-small;">olau Mountain Range from Makapu</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">u to P</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: x-small;">upukea (Be sure to watch in HD 1080p)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: x-small;">Another aerial footage of the </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Ko</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: x-small;">olau Mountain Range from the other direction (Pupukea to Makapu</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">ʻ</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">u</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: x-small;">)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">For those who can't view the embedded videos above can access them by following the link below:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">Video #1: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwI8lDL4A-M" target="_blank">Enter the Ko</a></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 19.5px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwI8lDL4A-M" target="_blank">ʻolau (Segment Hike Compilation)</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Video #2: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXk5XAIbF1A" target="_blank">RLU-1 Breezy: Koʻolau Summit - Makapuʻu to Pupukea</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Video #3: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPY93BftVtk" target="_blank">Aeronca Champ: Koʻolau Summit - Pupukea to Makapuʻu</a></span></span></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-86803145111741507022013-06-14T14:14:00.000-07:002017-06-09T12:08:07.476-07:005-5-2013: Endgame - KST (Castle to Laʻie)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/06/4-6-2013-laie-to-pupukea.html">Head north</a>--- Thru hiking the Ko'olaus? ---<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/03/3-9-2013-kst-castle-to-poamoho.html">Head south</a></div>
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The final leg of this 3 and a half year journey to complete the Ko`olau summit in it's entirely happened on this day, but it wouldn't come without a battle. And what a battle it would be. In fact, this was going to be so epic that I've enlisted quite a few experienced individuals who have joined me over the years. Along with that, I would get to meet several new faces as well. I've put together such a big hiking army, that this day would virtually be my Ko`olau version of D-Day at the Normandy Beach. We would definitely prove that 2 or more heads are better than one as this final segment of the Ko`olau summit would probably be the most confusing of them all due to a sheer number of side trails that branch off in every direction.<br />
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We got together at around 5 at the 7-Eleven in Hau'ula after staging cars at the La'ie Trail. But after some unexpected delays, we didn't push off until 5:30 or 6. Up we went on the long roller coasting trail of Papali Ridge. The morning sun was lighting up the skies around us but as we went further up, the thick cloud decks were obscuring the entire Ko`olau summit. I had a bad feeling that this would be a repeat of the weather conditions when I did La'ie to Pupukea the month before. The Papali Ridge Trail intersected the Castle Trail and we followed that up to the junction with the Ko'olau Summit Trail. It was around 11 or 12 when we topped out at the Castle Trail terminus, marked by a rusted metal stake and a plastic PVC pole. The weather was already deteriorating so we wasted no time and pushed off towards La'ie.<br />
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Things were uneventful. It was typical socked in white out conditions on the KST. However it wouldn't be long before we would lose the summit trail and it wouldn't be the last time either. There are so many junctions that it is very easy to get disoriented and possibly lost. It didn't help that we didn't have a view so everything looked the same around us. I recalled us getting disoriented at a rat trap area. The trail kept going but then simply vanished. Since we had a huge group, many of us ventured off in every direction to scout the surroundings. It probably took around 15 minutes before we realized that we missed an obvious junction to the left just as rat traps came into view. We soon rediscovered the KST and continued on our way.<br />
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A few hours passed and navigated through a couple more junctions before coming upon the fence. We followed it for some time when we encountered the Koloa Cabin. This was the best cabin I've seen yet. It was even fully provisioned with canned goods. But we were on a timely schedule so we skipped the meal and proceeded on. A few more hours and the Ko'olaus will be mine, this thorn finally out of me! We continued along the fence line and we were treated to a brief view of the La'ie coastline as the clouds lifted up. It didn't last long and we were back in white out conditions.<br />
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We would be set back once again when we came across a critical junction. The KST and fence line diverted away from each other. Go left and keep on the trail? Or go right and keep following the fence? We saw a pink ribbon on the fence. We opted for the latter... ::GAME SHOW BUZZER SOUND:: WRONG! We ended up losing a half hour for that when the fence started to drop steeply windward. We backtracked to the junction, took the pink trail tape off the fence, which is misleading, and moved it to a brush on the trail. Keep left on the trail, not the fence on the right! From that junction, you should no longer be following the fence.<br />
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The clouds were beginning to thin and visibility was improving rapidly. The next thing we encountered a short while later was a place that I've seen before... A place where it threw Andrew and I when we attempted this route but instead went to Pupukea! It's was that swampy marsh! On the next hill ahead of us was the foundation of the Kawailoa cabin and helipad. The KST kept to the left side of the marsh, contouring the hill which is just above it, and gradually descended to place us in a small gully that is leeward to the marsh. We crossed the marsh and reached the grassy spot where Andrew and I turned around. I would technically complete the Ko`olaus at this very spot but didn't celebrate until we got to the La'ie summit. Since we were back on familiar territory, I told everyone where to go and we would be at the terminal point in about 15 minutes. As we made our way, the clouds finally lifted up, revealing everything around us, including the windward coastline. The first thing that stood out to me was the fact that the entire Ko'olaus was very broad, a flat profile. This isn't like the south Ko'olaus where a distinct windward drop is present. The KST practically goes around all the rolling hills in this area, hence one could get lost easily in this section.<br />
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We reached the foxhole at around 6pm. As I made my final steps, somebody yelled out "You've completed the Ko`olau Summit!" I was too tired to even respond so I threw my two fists into the air and plopped my okole down. High fives were exchanged amongst the crew.<br />
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The journey was finally over.<br />
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We didn't stay too long. We were rapidly losing sunlight and the rain began to fall so the faster guys booked it down the La'ie Trail. The rest of us would stick together as darkness enveloped us. It was raining for much of the way until we reached the dirt road. The road was wet so it made for some slippery footing. We could see some of the water trickling down the lowest portion of the dirt road. Up in the distance, we could see Kamehameha Hwy and all the brightly lit light poles. After some 14 hours on the trails, we reached our cars. The thorn was gone at last and I let out a sigh of relief.<br />
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"I stand relieved".<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC4BEuPUtH0" target="_blank">KST: Castle to Laʻie (GoPro 3 POV)</a></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-82231557355495527892013-06-13T04:11:00.002-07:002017-06-09T11:50:11.877-07:004-6-2013: KST - La'ie to Pupukea<div style="text-align: center;">
Thru hiking the Ko'olaus? <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-5-2013-endgame-castle-to-laie.html">---Head south---></a></div>
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It's crunch time. With the momentum of achieving my personal goal still strong as a brightly lit torch piercing the vastness of the Ko`olaus, I wasted no time in scrambling together the second to the last segment of the entire summit spine. Joining me would be Andrew Wilhite of <a href="http://punynari.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/laie-to-pupukea-via-the-kst" target="_blank">Punynari's Island Adventures</a>. The original plan was to actually gain the summit of La'ie Trail and cross over to the Castle Trail via the Ko`olau Summit Trail and then descend to the point where the Papali Ridge branches off the Castle Trail. That trail would have lead us back to Hau'ula, where we staged a car there. There are numerous accounts of people of losing the KST in this segment. Unfortunately, our excursion would be added to that seemingly growing list.<br />
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We pushed off the La'ie trailhead at around 5am. Since this was my first time on this trail, I made sure to survey my surroundings a little more than what I usually do with connector trails. The trail is quite pleasant until beyond the norfolk pines. Beyond, the trail narrows to a graded footpath that meanders it's way to the Ko`olau summit. About 2 hours in, we came across the junction to the La'ie Falls. The majority of traffic usually goes to these falls, a place I have yet to do. The infamous "La'ie 18 Falls" also ends here, another hike I have yet to do. The clouds were still thick just beyond the waterfall sign. Rain began to pelt us and would remain this way for much of the day.</div>
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Beyond, the trail transforms into the usual native Ko`olau experience as one hikes closer to the summit. While the La'ie Trail is only 5 miles, it felt much longer than that. At this point, we were hiking in white out conditions. I started getting concerned that we would be hiking in this white soup for the entire summit stretch, which would prove true as the day went on. We also passed Dave Fahrenwald's "Moose" near the top.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgcmIjxIFKqQzhd5ht-Hm-Z46w3-vZliuPUhDdlI1OK_PAmjUkUjAaL4U6uWQXstWUvPZjsyL2Td-jSYyfD64ZKSS3s1PbHm13HayE3sMJNuD8Pql1klJ0b_mBW8oOj3GedVOpjOT/s1600/DSC04442_04442b_04442c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgcmIjxIFKqQzhd5ht-Hm-Z46w3-vZliuPUhDdlI1OK_PAmjUkUjAaL4U6uWQXstWUvPZjsyL2Td-jSYyfD64ZKSS3s1PbHm13HayE3sMJNuD8Pql1klJ0b_mBW8oOj3GedVOpjOT/s320/DSC04442_04442b_04442c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the summit, we plopped down, rested up, took some photos of the immediate surroundings, the backdrop obscured by the clouds. We then pushed southeast along the KST towards Castle. After about 15 or 30 minutes, we came across a very strange, swampy, flat area. It was filled with mystery as the socked in conditions made for an eerie backdrop. We kept to the windward crest, passed a small grassy area, and continued onward. Suddenly the trail became very rugged and seemed to go downward a bit. Up ahead was a small gully with a tiny waterfall. Then, I didn't like what I saw. The trail continued forward but also nearly straight down. This wasn't the correct way. The KST does not do this at all. The strange thing was that there were fresh pink ribbons tied, making this a marked trail. Back we went to the swampy marsh. Once on the grassy area again, we went leeward, right in the heart of the muddy marsh to look for signs of a trail. Sure enough there was and was also marked with trail tape. We followed this and it appeared to be the correct way since the trail was back to it's typical contouring profile. We were confident that we found the summit trail.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8DY52BbFEbVUit7IoX_2CeoZ3IhrvYSN6wWvdYY2Jjq-hy08AlVKlSkNHaOEeJ7gYQ5lFsYV0WzWS2uAE6-E-3Rl9rsnanqywgi_EdrEbUrBXVO0hwIlJtegV9tOvaptcUZHAjYm/s1600/GOPR0069_0069a_0069b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8DY52BbFEbVUit7IoX_2CeoZ3IhrvYSN6wWvdYY2Jjq-hy08AlVKlSkNHaOEeJ7gYQ5lFsYV0WzWS2uAE6-E-3Rl9rsnanqywgi_EdrEbUrBXVO0hwIlJtegV9tOvaptcUZHAjYm/s320/GOPR0069_0069a_0069b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JTZWNLF6SVw2x5YuenNf4g9Mt-RLsg9oXUqvyAI6nmSW_cumdLqBFsN5tOZKBWckA_ep26qcZZKzyeu909dh4v_GNxvGU07OrZ_e8baxAR7cE2Ci5IcaAQvw-Uyf08soEGBMy30m/s1600/GOPR0072_0072b_0072c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JTZWNLF6SVw2x5YuenNf4g9Mt-RLsg9oXUqvyAI6nmSW_cumdLqBFsN5tOZKBWckA_ep26qcZZKzyeu909dh4v_GNxvGU07OrZ_e8baxAR7cE2Ci5IcaAQvw-Uyf08soEGBMy30m/s320/GOPR0072_0072b_0072c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFwGybW99b391ovdXrRtlyUqF1tXDh-sUpVTs0vRcJyJMhaMgxt18S3_qZgtS_zhIJUjEdw3H8JRAZhRGO15Yl8wwlm159r-RidHHYU6WKG23LS2yAPOhfHACq3u3q7tl3ZIX8dMr/s1600/GOPR0053_0053b_0053c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFwGybW99b391ovdXrRtlyUqF1tXDh-sUpVTs0vRcJyJMhaMgxt18S3_qZgtS_zhIJUjEdw3H8JRAZhRGO15Yl8wwlm159r-RidHHYU6WKG23LS2yAPOhfHACq3u3q7tl3ZIX8dMr/s320/GOPR0053_0053b_0053c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrI3kEiJYDiMjARN-qj3KNG9n3CZh0uLXKTNcbb4CoTIMgrjy3_LFn2f1WR0WMyQoipLHWTq9bbDQKKYDRiOnk8eC2Lg4RGzFCZHUyx7jI4zsmBC1FbYx7ObTSzDvkej_Jh7xQ0TO/s1600/GOPR0046_0046a_0046b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrI3kEiJYDiMjARN-qj3KNG9n3CZh0uLXKTNcbb4CoTIMgrjy3_LFn2f1WR0WMyQoipLHWTq9bbDQKKYDRiOnk8eC2Lg4RGzFCZHUyx7jI4zsmBC1FbYx7ObTSzDvkej_Jh7xQ0TO/s320/GOPR0046_0046a_0046b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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All of that would soon be thrown out the window about a half hour after we left the marsh area. The clouds lifted very briefly to reveal the Wahiawa plains and the Wai`anae Mountains directly in front of us. Below, the trail followed a leeward ridge line heading towards that area. Turns out we were going down the Kawailoa Trail. Darn. We backtracked to the marsh once again and an hour was wasted. Growing frustrated, we decided to go back to the waterfall again. Andrew would scout farther ahead on that steep trail just beyond the falls, but later would tell me that the trail just keeps heading downward. It was definitely some unknown windward ridge trail. Kawailoa Windward perhaps? Back to the swamp we go. Demoralization filled our heads and with no answer in sight, we made the call to go back to La'ie. As we were making the short walk back, I thought about the segment between La'ie and Pupukea. What if we just make a long shot for Pupukea? We came up La'ie and didn't want to waste it for nothing. Andrew agreed and as soon as we reached the La'ie terminus, we went straight ahead along the KST northwest towards Pupukea. It was around 12:30pm and mean't roughly 6 or 7 hours of daylight left. Would we make it in time?</div>
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The white out conditions remained with us and while initially the KST remained the same with it's uluhe filled hills, I kept thinking about the wrath of the strawberry guava trees that battered intrepid hikers for decades. This segment would be after all, the worst of the entire KST as far as overgrowth is concerned and I would end up agreeing at the end of the day. About an hour or so after La'ie summit, the guavas did come out in full force. From here on out, this would be our environment we had to deal with. The guava thickets were so dense, we had to probably expend 4 times the amount of energy to plow our way through. Andrew remained at the ramrod position, exposing him to most of the blunt of the thickets. Even as I followed him, it wasn't easier at all for me. We had to bend our heads down like we were running backs of the NFL. For this section, having an actual football helmet probably wouldn't be a bad idea! Safety goggles would be wise too as every branch protruding towards our face would appear to gouge our eyes out. The farther we progressed, the thicker the walls on both sides thickened. Our shoulders began to hurt. A real football player would probably fare better in these conditions than us. It was so bad, but we were committed to finish. We were in complete silence as the only sound we heard was the rattling of each guava branch as we pushed and shoved foward.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVaX8rZP4EcUiZhhxwhWKk1HHrAybvCdrNTF5a-FUNk9Xvb0y-1eZFxbZy8B9NQLGCx6jOPALNmJ1Fa2w_LZ_L5ZXo_1znu5jEf7R-PGhPskGXuUbVhALxGzX8Rj4A-yLi_dbTFr0/s1600/GOPR0079_0079b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVaX8rZP4EcUiZhhxwhWKk1HHrAybvCdrNTF5a-FUNk9Xvb0y-1eZFxbZy8B9NQLGCx6jOPALNmJ1Fa2w_LZ_L5ZXo_1znu5jEf7R-PGhPskGXuUbVhALxGzX8Rj4A-yLi_dbTFr0/s320/GOPR0079_0079b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeTtA8nST2WbWxG0INCaBUss8_Et7pOSdgrMrttJJAOu03iYdaDeL5HDV3Sfk-5rv8YLJIDIoc0T7xCoGNiOe6n24uHetMMXt_nGBTnr7CbYxvyX1CObF13gec2zl_o02_hm-oRGN/s1600/GOPR0081_0081b_0081c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeTtA8nST2WbWxG0INCaBUss8_Et7pOSdgrMrttJJAOu03iYdaDeL5HDV3Sfk-5rv8YLJIDIoc0T7xCoGNiOe6n24uHetMMXt_nGBTnr7CbYxvyX1CObF13gec2zl_o02_hm-oRGN/s320/GOPR0081_0081b_0081c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There was a slight break and the guava trees let up somewhat. We came to a small clearing with a sign pointing downward towards windward with no obvious sign of a path. The sign is badly weathered and almost overtaken by nature but the letters enscribed on it are still visible. "MALAEKHANA" Oops.... ;-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JDw98MpQsRXhcjAgCKknVNVYPEc5N8qKSPU2Fhs1wryQ-hSf9GwybMcb5KFy6Asfn0jhPbky4QxvKUREUnJH5zYpQt-YgABsgAgDfPZxwCGJ8VkYH3kXlgjv37OIb6_yHsgQ1V0W/s1600/GOPR0085_0085b_0085c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JDw98MpQsRXhcjAgCKknVNVYPEc5N8qKSPU2Fhs1wryQ-hSf9GwybMcb5KFy6Asfn0jhPbky4QxvKUREUnJH5zYpQt-YgABsgAgDfPZxwCGJ8VkYH3kXlgjv37OIb6_yHsgQ1V0W/s320/GOPR0085_0085b_0085c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RCbPkek6oYt85lmTSkrWDbNsQMZLmccRvMMArOYaB6HT-D18sGJWTT0qsSICYL2c0zzBRiBWJn6bYLZKZKR3EcAz1hg3MGBz2y7psgXRV6VY1QsO1nDZLiEmCAqhCXmXY_SYE3Hl/s1600/GOPR0089_0089b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RCbPkek6oYt85lmTSkrWDbNsQMZLmccRvMMArOYaB6HT-D18sGJWTT0qsSICYL2c0zzBRiBWJn6bYLZKZKR3EcAz1hg3MGBz2y7psgXRV6VY1QsO1nDZLiEmCAqhCXmXY_SYE3Hl/s320/GOPR0089_0089b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH-W-Z-4mgMBs8Bq4AS2mhj5S8kfk4rIADxOFSWAjkQPTZSemTlQuQLZ1HU_WZnnIpj36PSmfxU1JLAXX_N-Mu10LP0jae4FV_qiCLwA9aTVpJevKkSNEFenvA2pl8ifag1vgDS_Q/s1600/dscn4934modify.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH-W-Z-4mgMBs8Bq4AS2mhj5S8kfk4rIADxOFSWAjkQPTZSemTlQuQLZ1HU_WZnnIpj36PSmfxU1JLAXX_N-Mu10LP0jae4FV_qiCLwA9aTVpJevKkSNEFenvA2pl8ifag1vgDS_Q/s320/dscn4934modify.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next hour or two would be hell. The already thick guava thickets just kept getting THICKER! Push and shove! Push and shove! Go! Go! Go! When will this end??? A short while, we came upon a sign.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLwQL5_T3KhaLL8sLK0VCBAjHkv163kiKGVLzBEiBWhHVR9c1M_YwT3T4hbaGxkcQ5UBfMEb5gjAGN6uYBiJTi0ze-Q6oBzNSbL6cFAtf2SgJ2UXJZgR67v_7cBT7hveMQGFfImFS/s1600/GOPR0096_0096b_0096c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLwQL5_T3KhaLL8sLK0VCBAjHkv163kiKGVLzBEiBWhHVR9c1M_YwT3T4hbaGxkcQ5UBfMEb5gjAGN6uYBiJTi0ze-Q6oBzNSbL6cFAtf2SgJ2UXJZgR67v_7cBT7hveMQGFfImFS/s320/GOPR0096_0096b_0096c_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next was another junction. This one can easily fool you if you're complacent with your surroundings. The trail on the right would appear to head straight, but actually it's the left trail that continues on the KST. The pushing and shoving resumed. Sometimes the guava trees were coupled with the dense uluhe, which formed "tunnels" and we had to duck our heads! Keep going, I muttered to myself...</div>
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After a never ending battle, the guavas opened up to a WIDE open grassy area with a benchmark on it! "Hina" it read. We did it! We made it to the terminal point of the Pupukea Trail. We were in joy as we ran down a freeway of a trail, thanks to HTMC's recent clearing! This was like a sidewalk compared to what we were enduring hours ago. We came across some battery packs strewn on the ground. Wondered what they are used for and what they are doing laying around on the trail. We came to a signed junction with a big sign that read "PUPUKEA". The side trail heads for an overlook, but since we had no view and fast diminishing sunlight, we skipped it and continued downward. </div>
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Another hour passed and we were soon on the paved road. We discovered as we were making our way down this road, we were not alone. Two groups of people were also going down. One group were hikers, the other some runners. I know for one thing, we looked like we just finished up Warrior Dash! We passed by a picnic table. An older lady was sitting at the table with her dog. We asked how much longer to the Boy Scouts Camp and she replied that we had 2 miles to go. Almost there! The group of people disappeared into the distance. We left the lady with the dog behind but she would later catch up to us. We were that tired. Soon, we were alone once again as the sun began to set. In the distance, we could make out the Pupukea HECO windfarm. We walked the final mile in the dark to rendezvous with Andrew's Fiancee at the end of Pupukea Rd. She drove us to La'ie and then to Hau'ula to fetch our cars.</div>
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This is indeed a decision to remember.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Vy7L9mCGo" target="_blank">Laʻie to Pūpūkea (GoPro 3 POV)</a></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-30578055796399501372013-06-12T23:32:00.000-07:002013-06-13T00:09:19.869-07:003-24-2013: Tubing Kaukonahua (North Fork)I will, for this blog entry only, officially rename this blog to "DGC's Hawai'i Tubing Tales". That's right, the highlight of this trek was tubing down a winding river, deep in the hills of Wahiawa. According to sources, Kaukonahua Stream "is the longest river of the whole island group." Actually, there are two forks that meet up at Lake Wilson, the north and south fork. The Wahiawa Hills Loop Trail intersects with the north fork. However, this is one journey that can't be done "on demand". The weather in the upper reaches of the Ko`olaus feeding the stream determines the water level. This water level determines whether if tubing can be done to it's fullest potential. If the water level is too low, the stream will be too shallow and if it's too high, the fast currents may place tubers in a potential dangerous situation. If it's just right, tube on!<br />
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In the months prior to this day, I have made a couple of attempts to tube with Baron Yamamoto but the stream level was too low on both attempts. But the day finally came when the stream level held out just barely to allow for a near continuous tube excursion. This requires a bit of staging. One has to go down the exit trail and place some sort of a marker (ex. rope across the stream to act as a finish line) to mark the point where the tuber must exit the stream. Continuing downstream will lead to Lake Wilson. From there, it is technically possible to follow this river all the way to Kai'aka Bay at the North Sho<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">re.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">To get to the stream on both start and end points, one has to navigate the confusing network of pig trails intersecting the Wahiawa Hills Trail. I recalled a four way junction where one can easily get disoriented. It is here where one person has to go down the trail to the stream to mark the end point. Once that task is completed, the group can resume on the Wahiawa Hills Trail to the farthest point of the loop where the trail heads on down to Kuakonahua Stream to begin the tube excursion. The hike from the start of the trail to the starting point of the stream is about an hour. Since my D-SLR is not waterproof, it had to sit this one out so all photos were taken with either the GoPro HD Hero 3 or my iPhone 5 (equipped with a LifeProof Case).</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">The next task is to inflate the tubes. I highly recommend a hand pump or pedal pump to make the task easier. Once tubes are fully inflated, the actual tubing can begin. The section of the Kuakonahua Stream is roughly around 3 miles so be prepared to spend nearly 3 hours on the tubing portion of the entire hike. To spice up the experience, I highly recommend "arming" yourself with a personal water cannon or water gun. <b>Please be respectful to the land and surrounding ecosystems and make sure to keep all personal belongings on you and leave no trace behind.</b> When we went, we recovered two pieces of a broken water gun that was laying on the river banks just beyond the end point.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">The tubing experience can be divided into two categories, both of which alternates with each other as the stream transitions from a calm lazy river like feel to minor shallow rapids and back again. It is the shallow rapids where your speed will increase drastically. Depending on the water level, your tube may or may not clear the rocks that are inches below the water surface. For us, we had to manually walk our tubes over the rocks maybe a total of 3 times. For this, I highly recommend an inflatable mattress as this will help you clear the shallow areas better, making your ride experience more enjoyable with less interruptions. At around the halfway point, there is a curve in the river with a shallow shore area, making it a perfect lunch spot.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6JwrjGi-dDM2OmdmtBTEZ6_N0zREpxhW5eDHjeOAiN6gGiKZkgN55lX3ua_En74OAoct5vptmZGpW06H5sEWfrGvCvDzkAjNPv4gFTJLrO_UaMu-x3fUPo1TKJ-vMmrHC-KJrEhY/s1600/IMG3294_3294a_3294b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6JwrjGi-dDM2OmdmtBTEZ6_N0zREpxhW5eDHjeOAiN6gGiKZkgN55lX3ua_En74OAoct5vptmZGpW06H5sEWfrGvCvDzkAjNPv4gFTJLrO_UaMu-x3fUPo1TKJ-vMmrHC-KJrEhY/s320/IMG3294_3294a_3294b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLPmL7TbdbAqYKw49zBxJMUheCZSiQXntZ_0ts3iyWWIOhbc2irLEfB9F9WEqdQCy8W6aqP6EjGJ90re41BV95Mrh1fpHm5YIP2pExWsEJxzh1kJsc8cqFKJbmdGOMLCxwSgwe7M2/s1600/Untitled3_3a_3b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLPmL7TbdbAqYKw49zBxJMUheCZSiQXntZ_0ts3iyWWIOhbc2irLEfB9F9WEqdQCy8W6aqP6EjGJ90re41BV95Mrh1fpHm5YIP2pExWsEJxzh1kJsc8cqFKJbmdGOMLCxwSgwe7M2/s320/Untitled3_3a_3b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4lzKNxasFsIVWtaOqnXMyb1FtrwGgDJG0Gj5oluyhPrTnCMojRptKWKW-kTeCJsgcp5qptic5OV2HTNyRJAQeeu37jJpeH7n4wwRGPkpb1sa1j2I0wY0tGsxcdWqggnEhLU8m2z-/s1600/IMG3319_3319a_3319b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4lzKNxasFsIVWtaOqnXMyb1FtrwGgDJG0Gj5oluyhPrTnCMojRptKWKW-kTeCJsgcp5qptic5OV2HTNyRJAQeeu37jJpeH7n4wwRGPkpb1sa1j2I0wY0tGsxcdWqggnEhLU8m2z-/s320/IMG3319_3319a_3319b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxH7P2t3FfOqjV4w7qWL0DM44h9ojVqY2h8_l52H_59y2gHDa-wYhDUwTFIR76gilsWiJQlaqax9canjkmcTmWCJFHK7sXehNpW0_uziQAE-gqiuXGrp5J73ORhJJ2o3QA1HYlQRu/s1600/IMG3334_3334a_3334b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxH7P2t3FfOqjV4w7qWL0DM44h9ojVqY2h8_l52H_59y2gHDa-wYhDUwTFIR76gilsWiJQlaqax9canjkmcTmWCJFHK7sXehNpW0_uziQAE-gqiuXGrp5J73ORhJJ2o3QA1HYlQRu/s320/IMG3334_3334a_3334b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vjnOLZVzfQ5Gi1XmWNpR7oNA7zh4F59DjxULaWeTSSy7EvbbzoBvJlCWTIp1sIJZduOOfzOSQFz66TvcKeKe3-08NyyFNMz33FZIBQe1TI-FljERVmCeUwUm_1fn19g-1XhxuLKa/s1600/IMG3302_3302a_3302b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vjnOLZVzfQ5Gi1XmWNpR7oNA7zh4F59DjxULaWeTSSy7EvbbzoBvJlCWTIp1sIJZduOOfzOSQFz66TvcKeKe3-08NyyFNMz33FZIBQe1TI-FljERVmCeUwUm_1fn19g-1XhxuLKa/s320/IMG3302_3302a_3302b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRWc7mrmoGUEbKqII1aaJTskKYm4Z5DNT1gQOXwjMIp1SmyQUTv8QhNCXlwdtBZobFrdI-WEmskxLYKphnwGK9Z2CbVv-YXw5J_EwWHocZ39NvnDJQLuxu0KE2FgQAwQ2It79FGCR/s1600/Untitled4_4a_4b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRWc7mrmoGUEbKqII1aaJTskKYm4Z5DNT1gQOXwjMIp1SmyQUTv8QhNCXlwdtBZobFrdI-WEmskxLYKphnwGK9Z2CbVv-YXw5J_EwWHocZ39NvnDJQLuxu0KE2FgQAwQ2It79FGCR/s320/Untitled4_4a_4b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJgglnwIsL_e5X2ZTfr2qKYKoQq5yWaKUvlZ7uZtgBv4sZymmGzCpRAjW9UcvkKlmEOxhCILCn59neqeHT0UiFPGXUPHV8LoOzD-T2QIW8ZgtL6JvB264_PDXFMXeJgL7J_2c2M4q/s1600/Untitled5_5a_5b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJgglnwIsL_e5X2ZTfr2qKYKoQq5yWaKUvlZ7uZtgBv4sZymmGzCpRAjW9UcvkKlmEOxhCILCn59neqeHT0UiFPGXUPHV8LoOzD-T2QIW8ZgtL6JvB264_PDXFMXeJgL7J_2c2M4q/s320/Untitled5_5a_5b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_52V4_n3U4Ge-U6clRg2l9QuaXVHZ_9yTf9QHJVWtYCTeeiW-wvlzHyPIDpukyJHzlYKQ8ZQrcw17h7r3idPkWx9Nj2ldf79DfJwnzRH0iFUxEG6Ier_VHKJyszySIb5ivBW6z3b/s1600/Untitled2_2a_2b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_52V4_n3U4Ge-U6clRg2l9QuaXVHZ_9yTf9QHJVWtYCTeeiW-wvlzHyPIDpukyJHzlYKQ8ZQrcw17h7r3idPkWx9Nj2ldf79DfJwnzRH0iFUxEG6Ier_VHKJyszySIb5ivBW6z3b/s320/Untitled2_2a_2b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">There are some obstacles (rocks if the water level is shallow, low lying tree branches over the stream, natural land barriers that split the stream down the middle before reconnecting a short few feet later) that one must contend with. I used a retractable paddle to help with directional navigation although this can be difficult as using the paddle on one side of your tube can cause you to spin you in circles as you head downstream while paddling alternatively using a single paddle will tire you out quickly. A double paddle may be the better choice, although it sacrifices portability. Be wary of what's at the end of each shallow rapids. I recall a long stretch of shallow rapids where it allows for rapid acceleration. At the end of this stretch was a very large tree branch that broken off and was partially submerged. I was going too fast to control my direction of travel with my paddle. The result was me crashing nearly head on into this tree branch and causing a breach in my tube as part of it was twisted in the sharp tangle. Fortunately, I had a backup tube (highly recommended) at the ready and I continued on my merry way. When the water is deep and calm, speeds can be nearly a crawl so what does a group do during this downtime? Blast the bejesus out of one another with high intensity water cannons. Water cannons work best as simplicity (dip nozzle into water, pull, aim, and fire!) counts for the number of shots one can do to the unsuspecting tuber. There is one portion where there is a big fallen tree where it's size can allow people to stand on it and fire down on tubers! Or you can use it as a perfect scene for the "wild wild west showdown" DRAW!!!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTL9gMF5QTZMycCHy9svWDXrNmGaiNliWzj8lDfTnK1y3dU6N6ON_qByHwy84rrpB78Tuhtf45Prl-CrGIj6zGpYxJPW1pL7yOjs8wEYthPGOUqyjFMulFZNV-c-WBM0maSMege7y/s1600/IMG3349_3349a_3349b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTL9gMF5QTZMycCHy9svWDXrNmGaiNliWzj8lDfTnK1y3dU6N6ON_qByHwy84rrpB78Tuhtf45Prl-CrGIj6zGpYxJPW1pL7yOjs8wEYthPGOUqyjFMulFZNV-c-WBM0maSMege7y/s320/IMG3349_3349a_3349b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISo9BQVa0dVG957w7_QOSc7ftduAfQg4ZBgiqn96CNFfXnKpAt-2mldPbcWOCTEaYBFHtZMjbXvTsuEEf55XJYXYOw9NlXhWxBFB4HSV0DpUXfrHfKitbSo0-bpNxwXZPjk4kMy6Y/s1600/IMG3341_3341a_3341b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISo9BQVa0dVG957w7_QOSc7ftduAfQg4ZBgiqn96CNFfXnKpAt-2mldPbcWOCTEaYBFHtZMjbXvTsuEEf55XJYXYOw9NlXhWxBFB4HSV0DpUXfrHfKitbSo0-bpNxwXZPjk4kMy6Y/s320/IMG3341_3341a_3341b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSgHbCcAUpqOGL4U3v8ythE_bQEobE9FzDDjGx9TzdzLPiJmH9cyJOmwoBdpyDksedCLwkVcYuHT9IdtPdEYKNZk9vS3-4C_Xc1DNG8rSKJObo-zlLXOenyhhjLGZ8PtTJkDTl1xL/s1600/IMG3314_3314a_3314b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSgHbCcAUpqOGL4U3v8ythE_bQEobE9FzDDjGx9TzdzLPiJmH9cyJOmwoBdpyDksedCLwkVcYuHT9IdtPdEYKNZk9vS3-4C_Xc1DNG8rSKJObo-zlLXOenyhhjLGZ8PtTJkDTl1xL/s320/IMG3314_3314a_3314b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2i4egpPsbKVhBy3zeoEgqh3omtdM2lkjjrnA4ZQhHZyjbTRSRfFCugqkrSSVH2CImfBgTtXQp086UPBLQ-QuoOJ8MFwsZpZo530wASBOL9w9a28AdVjJAFPiL8SOvI71cHu_Pkmy/s1600/IMG3320_3320a_3320b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2i4egpPsbKVhBy3zeoEgqh3omtdM2lkjjrnA4ZQhHZyjbTRSRfFCugqkrSSVH2CImfBgTtXQp086UPBLQ-QuoOJ8MFwsZpZo530wASBOL9w9a28AdVjJAFPiL8SOvI71cHu_Pkmy/s320/IMG3320_3320a_3320b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbRR9mRfKcf2H94KSyvaiVi7MbeAhGGnFIpGYn4o1rMpktiUbB1_bGTa_R02JHiOblDlFb5SFcQpdnpEOm0SMDz6p5upfO7F5Zj3aTa8D9lL8dqxJ4I46NUnG0rs7BobShYqnx5U6/s1600/IMG3325_3325a_3325b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbRR9mRfKcf2H94KSyvaiVi7MbeAhGGnFIpGYn4o1rMpktiUbB1_bGTa_R02JHiOblDlFb5SFcQpdnpEOm0SMDz6p5upfO7F5Zj3aTa8D9lL8dqxJ4I46NUnG0rs7BobShYqnx5U6/s320/IMG3325_3325a_3325b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFqX1ZlV1VtaKHgHKmIZ-D9bobdG9QDAPuTkGtz98X4c5MXktJz2eQwMPPVEK0m2ymxgAkncnvpUiv9y0FCBR3yEEBeJZiTvsEbNeWvUjHdmsHF4gh7-gsTQ_I5LwQJJ5ZUHeZyQe/s1600/IMG3332_3332a_3332b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFqX1ZlV1VtaKHgHKmIZ-D9bobdG9QDAPuTkGtz98X4c5MXktJz2eQwMPPVEK0m2ymxgAkncnvpUiv9y0FCBR3yEEBeJZiTvsEbNeWvUjHdmsHF4gh7-gsTQ_I5LwQJJ5ZUHeZyQe/s320/IMG3332_3332a_3332b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">After 3 hours of wet and wild fun, we spotted the old white t-shirt coupled by numerous ribbons marking the end point of the tube excursion. By this time, we were cold and ready for warmth. After a 10 minute hike back to the junction and another 10 minute back up the steep hill (think Cardiac Hill) to the starting point of the loop trail, we were at our cars.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADLQwMWMQ-1L2J3f_STiHPn6xQSlTQbxrl7A8PfHLrDCyoXNNT6ptAueoH_8eOFmsl1-IglkXy2SA2nt60w0B_MY4rzG6ndM5IM9iv5ssjRO13-wMkZxzjID-Ri9zGh232DrWCh8/s1600/IMG3353_3353a_3353b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ADLQwMWMQ-1L2J3f_STiHPn6xQSlTQbxrl7A8PfHLrDCyoXNNT6ptAueoH_8eOFmsl1-IglkXy2SA2nt60w0B_MY4rzG6ndM5IM9iv5ssjRO13-wMkZxzjID-Ri9zGh232DrWCh8/s320/IMG3353_3353a_3353b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVpty1aR1pwe8VHi13gZGoDNcXdhqLOjyQwOSd5niViNhFZ2eLa2eFHy9KX4vvB8NZBDWsR7OFBR_gku9MIGEOpkqjy6cAKVZ0Dh9TxRZ1zJ6AEGRcJUAFAf7LrJYpt2iQbWMPMH2/s1600/IMG3355_3355a_3355b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVpty1aR1pwe8VHi13gZGoDNcXdhqLOjyQwOSd5niViNhFZ2eLa2eFHy9KX4vvB8NZBDWsR7OFBR_gku9MIGEOpkqjy6cAKVZ0Dh9TxRZ1zJ6AEGRcJUAFAf7LrJYpt2iQbWMPMH2/s320/IMG3355_3355a_3355b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Recommended items to bring:<br />Waterproof bag for all your electronics (waterproofing your electronics is a plus)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">A paddle for means of thrust (double paddle works best)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Spare tube in case your first one fails (mine did)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Raincoat or other personal waterproof clothing for warmth (you're going to be in the water for hours)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">A water cannon to wreck wet havoc on your fellow tubers!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">GoPro to record your memories! (Caution: numerous GoPro cameras have been lost on Kuakonahui Stream, earning it the nickname: "The GoPro Grave")</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sjqrlQLx7gMVpHeUafhbcXMhlW36HtfLcteErovwpY_Z1IL6ME3W4ruydSNqyFbPAx4m4VtDgvs1ADD34X3bRRnxnE3gx50esGKNSY9bWuBKXXlElgqr2oKgHVqOYcHASfU5Q5C3/s1600/IMG3318_3318a_3318b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sjqrlQLx7gMVpHeUafhbcXMhlW36HtfLcteErovwpY_Z1IL6ME3W4ruydSNqyFbPAx4m4VtDgvs1ADD34X3bRRnxnE3gx50esGKNSY9bWuBKXXlElgqr2oKgHVqOYcHASfU5Q5C3/s320/IMG3318_3318a_3318b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWkCXfPcoxmOBjXZ9OrCjS8iNRboLAa52KD4gQNsc4UNr1WqwEukuL3Lqavj-88R-iwxVlnLh_cwK1WPDglT8Te8PmHUWj_1rScMWpqCvm-ZqB1Cvd7J8fvm8AlvaJSsOtRXyyln6/s1600/IMG3298_3298a_3298b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWkCXfPcoxmOBjXZ9OrCjS8iNRboLAa52KD4gQNsc4UNr1WqwEukuL3Lqavj-88R-iwxVlnLh_cwK1WPDglT8Te8PmHUWj_1rScMWpqCvm-ZqB1Cvd7J8fvm8AlvaJSsOtRXyyln6/s320/IMG3298_3298a_3298b_easyHDR-PRO-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Video coming soon!</span></div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-35832478855298982442013-03-17T01:29:00.002-07:002017-06-09T12:15:15.593-07:003-9-2013: KST (Castle to Poamoho)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-5-2013-endgame-castle-to-laie.html">Head north</a>--- Thru hiking the Ko'olaus? ---<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/01/12-29-2012-kst-waikane-kaaumakua-to.html">Head south</a></div>
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Like NFL players driving the chains down 100 yards of gridiron, I am moving my virtual chains slowly but surely down the roughly 50 mile summit spine of the Ko`olau Mountain Range. One day before my 29th Birthday, I, along with Gerwin, Thessa, and Jose, would complete the segment of the Ko`olau Summit Trail between the termini of Castle Trail and the trail leading down Pauao Ridge from the summit back into Kahana Valley where we would conclude the hike. We couldn't have asked for better weather for this excursion. Although a Kona storm would bear down on us the very moment we would conclude this hike, some 18 and a half hours later, it seemed like mother nature would hold off her wrath as long as she could, until we were down safely.<br />
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The time was 4am when we all met up at Valley Temple McDonalds. John and Amber would join us but only for the 1st leg up Papali Ridge to the junction of Castle and back down the same way. Once our cars were staged, we set off on the long roller coasting trail of Ma`akua / Papali Ridge. The last time I was on this trail was with Leslie Merrell on July 17, 2010. On that day, we reached the Castle junction and headed down the switchbacks back down into Punalu`u Valley. Today, we were to reach for the same junction but continue onward on Castle to reach the KST.<br />
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Once at the trailhead of the Ma`akua Ridge, we dropped down to a streambed and picked up some switchbacks on the other side. A wonderful lookout of Hau'ula with two benches and a covered picnic table can be had. The trail then goes mauka up to a junction. Taking the left fork drops you down into Papali Gulch and is the return leg of the Hau'ula Loop Trail. The right fork takes you up the Papali Ridge Trail and eventually to the Castle junction. The trail remains pleasantly wide at this point but not for long. The trail quickly deteriorates into an uluhe choked footpath and the roller coaster action begins. This continues up for the next 3 to 4 miles until a pu'u with a commanding view of Hau`ula and as far as the Kahuku windmills. Due to an appointment later in the day, John and Amber would turn around and head back down. After saying our goodbyes, the 4 of us continued ahead to an ominous hill that looked very steep, but the trail contours on it's right and before we knew it, we spotted an old green sign marking the Papali / Castle junction. <br />
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Turning left goes down Castle so we went right and onwards towards the summit. We were relieved that the trail was nicely graded, unlike the ungraded Papali Trail. I've read articles that the summit was about an hour away from this junction, but the trail was pretty overgrown and eroded on some spots that it took longer than that. As the trail contoured to the right of the ridge, we got a nice view of the entire Papali Ridge and even spotted John and Amber, still on top of the large pu'u. <br />
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The trail became riddled with mud holes up to just above our ankles. Sometime later, we came to an unknown junction, marked with some blue ribbons. I associate blue ribbons with the KST so I was confused if we were on the KST already or if this was still Castle. Gerwin scouted the left trail while I scouted the right. A minute later and Gerwin called out that the left trail dead ends at a splendid waterfall lookout. We soon resumed on the right fork. Further up, we've encountered another side trail off to the left that heads up to a windswept hill. But this is a false summit. Again we continued straight ahead. We then came across a huge bowl shaped meadow like area and I was convinced the KST was just on the other side on the top. It turns out that the final quarter mile of Castle Trail would actually circumnavigate this meadow as it veered leftwards to acquired the small grassy terminus of Castle Trail, marked by a very rusty stake and a plastic PVC pipe. This also marks the junction with the Ko`olau Summit Trail. From here, one can head north towards La`ie or south towards Poamoho. Looking leeward, we had a commanding view of the entire Wai`anae Mountain Range.<br />
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We began the long haul on the KST towards Poamoho, but because of access issues on would be an easy 3 mile hike down Poamoho Trail with a permit and a 4x4 vehicle, we had to make due with a very steep descent down Pauao Ridge, a windward ridge recently cleared last year. We ended up coming upon that same bowl shaped meadow again, confirming my spectulation earlier. I got a text from John, saying Coty and Marvin were on their way up Papali Ridge. Wonder if they were going to follow us (would find out later that they only went up Papali and down Castle Trail). Continuing on, we encountered a fence, which would remain with us for just about the remainder of the hike as it follows the KST. Had the fence not been present, we would be virtually hiking in an ocean of windswept green with a view of the ocean to the windward and central O`ahu with the Wai`anaes to the leeward. In a way, the fence helped us with navigation. Looking southward, we could see the very tip of the ridge line overlooking Ka`a`awa Valley and the Kualoa Ranch.</div>
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After a short break in the fence, we came across a sign that read "Ko`olau Summit Trail". The fence continues beyond that.</div>
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Keep following the fence. Keep on hiking. When will this end? It almost seemed like hours would go on by with no change to the environment. Mud holes were ever so present and it was futile to avoid them so I charged into them like they were not even there. Talk about going off the beaten path for sure. This would be one of the muddiest hikes I've ever done. But there would be a light at the end of the fence...<br />
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Off in the distance, I could see the views beginning to open up and fill my field of view. We were about to cross over to the rim of the Ko`olau pali. If you've watched the previews at the movie theaters over the summer last year (2012), there was one particular preview that began with cramming the viewable area into an area roughly the size of your television and playing the audio in a monotone fashion while the rest of the movie screen remained shrouded. Then as the preview went on, the viewable area expanded. Then with a final and spectacular "BOOM!!!!", an explosion filled the entire movie screen and the audio became the well known Dolby FX. Yeah, that was exactly what this hike was. A monotone like hike with a spectacular BOOM to incredible vistas that stimulated the five senses.</div>
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The fence would continue along the edge of the pali, along with the KST, returning the Ko`olau summit walking experience to the one that I'm all too familiar with with past summit walks. It was truly epic! I could feel the energy flowing through me. Perhaps it was da mana! I could see the entire Ko`olau Range all the way to Makapu'u. Did I really segment hike all of that? It only took three years and is still in the making. Looking up ahead, we came across another large meadow with new fencing supplies stacked in the middle of it. Looks like they are still expanding the fencing network. We continued to follow the fence but it terminates to the windward pali. So we hopped the fence and cut across the meadow to the other side and hopped that side of the fence. We came to another sign, confirming the KST and on we went. Looking back towards the north, we spotted an <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2016/02/2-67-2016-opaeula-opaeula-cabin.html" target="_blank">unknown cabin that is tucked away rather far from the KST</a>. If you want complete isolation from the rest of the world, but want a cozy cabin, this is your cabin of choice!</div>
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The fence continues on but when the trail begins to contour to the windward around a large hill, the fence veers off to the right and that would be the last of it. The uluhe returned briefly but I could feel that we were fast approaching Poamoho. During the windward contour, we ran across some kind of weather tracking station equipment, all rusty, but perhaps still functioning?</div>
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Then the Poamoho summit came into view at last! We also spotted three guys sitting there as well. Before actually reaching the grassy meadow with the Clines Memorial, we came across another small clearing with a wooden fence somewhat erected. We then reached the summit and exchanged pleasantries with the guys there. They were stoked to find out where we came from as they were surprised to see us pop into view around a bend further out on the KST.</div>
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After fulfilling a request to snap their photos, my attention shifted over towards Pauao Ridge, which I could make out it's dark steep profile off in the far distance. It didn't look inviting, just like when we <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/01/12-29-2012-waikane-kaaumakua-to-poamoho.html" target="_blank">hiked to Poamoho from Waikane</a>. With company in hand, my thought of bailing down with them filled my mind. Why go down Pauao when one is presented with a nice graded 3 mile (ignore the 7 mile dirt road) and we get to go down with company. I gathered my crew together and discussed about going down Poamoho. As the men began their hike back down, my crew opted to continue to Pauao as planned. Discouragement filled my head and they knew it from my expression.......</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I don't wanna go down Pauao....... head down and SAD FACE :(</span></div>
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But Pauao Ridge it was and we quickly left the grassy meadow of salvation behind us. We spotted the watery marsh to leeward and then we reached the Poamoho Cabin. Exhaustion began to fill my body as I plopped my okole down on one of the bunks. Maybe we should spend the night here I thought to myself as I proceeded to sign the the logbook. But no, I slammed the logbook back onto the table after signing it, got my pack back on, and signaled the crew that this show must go onward to a proper closure. The clouds were beginning to thicken and the sky began to slightly darken to an ugly grey as the sun began to set.</div>
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So on we went. I did however enjoyed this stretch of trail as it was so wide enough to ride a bike here (don't even try). We passed by the notch cut into a side ridge and about 15-30 minutes passed when we reached the terminus of Pauao Ridge.</div>
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I looked downward and was not excited about climbing down this steep ridge this extremely late in the day. We hoped to get down to a safe elevation before dark. Just as we were beginning our descent, we spotted a nice rainbow over by Kane`ohe but my attention was focused downward. Down, down, down we went. This was similiar to Waiahole Uka but not as steep. But it would be much longer as we had to deal with roller coasting action once we were level with the remainder of the ridge. We've encountered a couple of rope sections on the steepest part, also like Waiahole Uka.</div>
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We were growing tired and the sun soon went to bed. We still had a long way to go. Now in complete pitch blackness except where our headlamps lit up, we reached a relatively safe portion of the ridge line where it began to roller coast up and down. But we kept on hiking, kept on hiking. After maybe 3 or 4 pu'u the trail veered sharply to the right, taking us down into Kahana Valley. Finally! We can end this! Down we continued through a sea of uluhe, using them to control our descent. If it wasn't uluhe, it would be trees. Later on, we could feel the ridge easing off in an uluhe plateau area, but it was a false indication as it dropped sharply again. But after 18 hours of hiking, we spotted the water tank and at last.... the road. I've never been so happy to be standing on solid pavement again. We did it. The time was around 11:30pm when we reached our cars at Kahana State Park. Once we started our drive home, the Kona Storm finally let go and dropped an inch of rain per hour at times over much of the entire island, including the Ko`olaus. She saw us finish and proceeded to dump her rain.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thessa was the one taking the photo so she was not able to be included.</span></div>
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A few days later, my Mom would ask me, "Why do you subject yourself to these kinds of hikes?"</div>
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"Because I want to..."</div>
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I would like to give a big mahalo to those who opened up Pauao Ridge. But it's sad to say that the trail is almost completely gone in some sections. It badly needs a trail clearing. I also want to thank John and Amber for accompanying us. Finally, I want to thank my crew who endured eighteen and a half hours of painstaking hiking, a personal record for longest day hike. What a hike indeed.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_AaAsiRLM4" target="_blank">Castle to Poamoho [Pauao Ridge] (GoPro 3 POV)</a></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-5666365166311176942013-01-08T16:25:00.001-08:002013-01-31T12:00:28.003-08:001-4/5/6-2013: Kalapana Lava Sunrise<u>1-4-2013</u>: "Wait, didn't you <i>just</i> go to the lava flows recently? Isn't one time enough? Why must you be <i>in danger</i> all the time???" That was the response I got from my Mom when I told her I was going to head back to Hawai`i Island to view the lava flows at Kalapana for the weekend. "Go get some nice shots of the flows when the sun is up!" That was the response from my Dad. Gotta love how parents go on each end of the spectrum when I'm about to embark on an adventure! Almost a month ago, I went to Kalapana to view the active lava flow on the coastal plain and ocean entry for the very first time. That trip was an unforgettable experience. Now, it was time to raise the bar even higher.<br />
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Laredo and I were invited by Tom Kuali`i and Bruce Omori. These guys go full force into Madame Pele's lava flows to capture that one in a million shot with their cameras! They've captured photographs that one can only begin to imagine. They risk their lives for it. They are <a href="http://www.extremeexposure.com/" target="_blank">Extreme Exposure</a>. We would be led on a surreal hike that we will never forget as long as we breathe this fresh Hawaiian air. I also have to mention that this trip wouldn't even be possible for these two very talented individuals, along with Christopher Wong, who let me borrow his truck for the weekend, and Brian Daniel, who offered his cottage up in Volcano for accommodations. And mahalo to TJaye Ailama Forsythe for helping us conclude this epic trip smoothly by dropping us off at Hilo Airport for our return back to O`ahu.<br />
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Once we got to the Big Island at around 8pm, we got the truck and spend the first night at the "Hale La`au", the name of Brian's cottage. Upon arrival, we were mesmerized by the secluded area. The cottage itself had that Big Island feel to it! This was to be our home away from home for the weekend.<br />
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<u>1-5-2013:</u> We virtually got no sleep that night. We were super stoked for the hike and we just wanted morning to come by already. And came it did. The time was 2am and our scheduled meetup was at 4am. Despite the lack of sleep, we were fired up! No pun intended. As we got closer to Kalapana, the street lights began to disappear and soon the only light visible were our headlights as it pierced the darkness. We arrived at the lava viewing area and there were some cars parked. I could make out some of the flashlights in the distant black horizon. I looked up at the sky and saw the starry sky like no other.</div>
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A short while later, we were met by Tom and Bruce, who would accompany us to the active lava flow. And away we went into the pitch blackness of Madame Pele's stomping grounds. As I've experienced for the first time I was here, sure footing is paramount as the terrain is very uneven. Blackness surrounded us in every direction, the flashlights being our only source of light. Then, off in the distance, a red faint glow appeared in the horizon followed by others a short while later. Then Tom received a report that a magnitude 4 earthquake just struck the Big Island only minutes ago! Hilo felt the brunt but we didn't feel a thing. The funny thing is was that the epic center was right under Kalapana, right underneath our feet! I hope this wasn't a bad omen! We stashed water at two locations prior to the flow to make our packs lighter, but keeping just enough for what was ahead of us.</div>
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When we got to the active flow and to the pali leading to the ocean, I was in total awe of what I saw before us: multiple glowing orange fingers heading down the steep cliff into the cold, black ocean! The first time, we only had 2 fingers. This time, I think I've counted 5 or 6, the farthest one being about a mile out. I was about to open my bag to set up my equipment when I noticed Kuali`i and Omori starting to walk directly towards the active flow! "We'll go to the other side of that last finger way out there!" Tom exclaimed. I thought to myself, "Really? We're going to hike over all of this?!" Just before entering the actual active flow, we passed by two tourists with expressions on their faces as we just walked casually towards danger. I was concerned that they may try to follow us but fortunately did not after they saw us disappear behind a small mound of glowing orange. We reached the first area where the heat was the most extreme. I could see orange glowing underneath every crevice and puka. Tom looked back at me and said, "One at a time!" He then proceeded to walk directly on top of lava that was only minutes old! Once he was some 30ft ahead, I followed his path. The heat radiating from the new and crackling ground below me, surged into my shoes and legs. Even with pants on, 600 degrees of thermal madness filled the air between my skin and the pant leg. I charged forward, hoping that cooler ground was nearby. About 30 feet later, the intense heat eased off and I caught up with Tom. We had crossed the first finger. Now, everywhere I looked were botches of red and orange all around us with a massive drop to a raging scalding ocean below. It was unreal to be standing on land was newly created and was still cooling off, like newly forged steel cooling off. Laredo and Bruce made it over and we were on our way to cross the next finger. It was like we were in Mordor, on our way to the volcano to destroy the ring.</div>
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This would repeat itself for the next 5 or so crossings. Keep going was all what was in my head. Down in the ocean, I could hear the hissing and an occasional explosion as red hot lava entered the ocean and flashed the seawater into steam. Since we were hiking downwind, we had another problem to deal with: plumes of hydrochloric acid and sulfur dioxide! This stuff is nasty to breathe in and I was starting to cough a bit. "My lungs are probably scarred by now!" yelled Tom, referring to his numerous treks out here. The ground all around us was crackling. I could even see some of the small pebbles popping upward from the ground. We hiked parallel to the sharp drop off into the ocean on our left, choosing the relatively 'safe' path over each active flow. The heat was turning up and the water in our bottles were going down. My intake of water was much higher than what I was used to drinking on other hikes. The heat really dehydrates you quickly. Without adequate water, you'll get into trouble really quickly so bring <i>lots</i> of water! I could feel the extreme heat on my shoes. I just waited for them to catch fire at any moment! "If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!" In this case, we were deep within Pele's kitchen!</div>
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Active flow after active flow, we pressed on. I felt like a video game character, where if you walk over a hazard area on a level, your life meter begins to drop temporarily, but as soon as you reach safe ground, your meter returns back to normal. Take too long and it's game over. One can only take the heat for so long before it gets too painful. What am I doing here?! I chuckled out loud because this was actually so much fun at the same time! If only I could call my Mom right now! Up ahead was yet another flow. We knew the drill. Shields up and full speed ahead!</div>
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Once we cleared the finger, the land ahead of us was pitch black. We had successfully traversed the mile wide active flow in it's entirely. In fact, we were now officially in Volcanoes National Park as we had crossed the border between the Puna District and the national park during the hike through the active flow. This border virtually runs right along the active flow from the ocean all the way to Puʻu ʻŌʻō. This hellish hike turned into a tranquil and serene walk. We were in the middle of nowhere. We stopped and our fearless leader said that this is where we will set up and watch the sunrise. Since the active flow was now to our east, we could photograph the lava as the sun rises. I've never experienced anything so surreal as this in my life. Just wow...</div>
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As the sun began to shine her first rays on the barren landscape, we began shooting the last finger that we've crossed. The light was just perfect to capture that perfect photo! And off our cameras went. "Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!"</div>
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Once we have shot probably 400 photos each and enjoyed the otherworldly sunrise, it was time to head back. No, not towards the end of Chain of Craters Rd. but back the way we came from. That's right, we had to do everything in reverse. Time to turn up the heat once again! Actually heading back through the active flow wasn't as bad as the first time. It appeared it was starting to lose it's energy somewhat, something that was going to be confirmed by tomorrow. It was, however, much harder to identify which rock harbored molten rock below due to the sunlight. We just had to judge it based on temperature spikes. We passed by a Pāhoehoe flow and a stick was nearby. Bruce suggested that Laredo and I grab the stick, poke the lava, and watch it catch fire. At about the same time, a rainbow formed overhead of us as we hiked along. What a perfect opportunity for an "action shot"!</div>
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We cleared the final flow and were back on cool ground for the duration of the hike. We rested up, rehydrated ourselves, and set off on a leisurely pace back to 'new Kalapana'. Since we had our stashed water this morning, we could go back to our "rest stops" and relax. Along the way, Tom told us a story about a lone house off in the trees somewhere that is the only structure that is part of the original Kalapana Village prior to the lava flows! It was said that the owner of that house is a powerful figure and was able to fend off the approaching lava by spirtual means. Three times did the active lava encroach ever so closer to her house and stopped dead in it's tracks at the exact spot! Her home is still standing as of writing this blog entry! Along with that, they explained to us about the cultural aspect of Kalapana and her people. Despite their village is in ruins, they refuse to leave. They will always call Kalapana home.</div>
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We made it back to our cars and decided we were going to do this again the following morning and we part ways. After lunch in Hilo, Laredo and I decided to catch up on some much needed sleep back at the cottage. The time was about 5pm. We would ultimately sleep until 1am the following morning.</div>
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<u>1-6-2013</u>: At 2am, the alarms blared and it was to be a repeat of day 1. But I've received a call from Tom and told us that they were not going to make it after hearing a report from a lava tour boat that the flows were not flowing very well and that it wasn't worth another hike. Since we were already on our way, we made the decision to go anyway since we had nothing better to do for the day. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for leading us.</div>
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We arrived at around 3am. This time, the parking area was filled with cars and people. Not wanting to get attention, we discreetly made our way by and hiked into the night. It was me who took the "ramrod" and led the way back to the lava flow. We felt confident enough that we could get there on our own without any mishaps. We noticed the big group of people following behind us, but by the time we were on open lava fields, that group quickly dropped back behind us and were soon distant faint lights in the horizon. Our pace was much faster this morning than day 1, due to our restful night and me actually eating breakfast before the hike, a habit I need to develop. Yesterday, it took us probably 2 hours to reach the flows. This morning, we were looking westward along the pali with maybe 3 fingers dropping into the ocean about an hour after we started. We decided that since we caught the sunrise from the west side of the flow already, we would try it from this end and photograph the massive pali and her flows. We actually decided to cross one small flow to get to a nice vantage point that overlooks the rest of the pali. Since I was the one up front, I had to navigate us through the hot zone as quickly and as safely possible. It was my very first test to see if I could navigate in hot extreme conditions solo but quickly did we find the other side and back to cooler grounds. Since we got there a bit early, we had to wait an hour or so before the sun started rising. While we waited, I took some practice photos of the ocean entries as Laredo found a level spot on the rugged landscape and drifted off to sleep as the warm heat from below kept the ground just at the right temperature for a soothing experience. It was so inviting that I wanted to take a nap myself, but somebody had to keep an eye out for the sun. I proceeded to take more photos.</div>
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As night slowly turned into day, I could make out the dark silhouette of the south shore and woke up Laredo. The sun was about to rise.</div>
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The sun was now up and soon we were greeted by another young local guy who showed up from behind us. "Hey, Rustyboar!" he said, referring to my shirt that I was wearing. He then asked how the flows were. I told him that it wasn't as great as last night. We then talked stories for a bit and he proceeded to head back. At the corner of my eye I spotted a small headlamp to the east of us on the other side of the first flow that we crossed. It was the large group that we passed by at the parking lot. We decided we would head west and cross one more finger to get to a nice vantage point above the ocean entries. Heat? What heat?</div>
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We felt small vibrations underneath us and agreed that we did not feel safe here anymore so we backed off and decided to call it a day. This entire pali area is very unstable land and has been known to just suddenly collapse into the ocean. Not wanting to be boiled human beings for breakfast, we headed back the way we came, but not before getting this shot!</div>
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Once we reached the final flow to be crossed, I pulled out my <a href="http://waydesworldhawaii.com/" target="_blank">Wayde's World Hawai`i</a> hat and took a few shots for the owner of said business. As much as I wanted to get closer with it, it was just simply too hot for me and the hat!</div>
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The last flow was crossed and we made it safely back to the truck. We were now "certified lava chasers"!</div>
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Once again, another huge mahalo nui loa to everyone that helped make this trip possible! Tom and Bruce, it was truly an honor to hike with you guys. You guys are welcome to hike with us anytime! This will go down in history as one of the most memorable hikes to date and it's our first hike of 2013! Imua!</div>
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Video coming soon!</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b>DANGER</b></u></span>: Do NOT try to cross active flows unless you have a thorough understanding of the terrain. This is not your average hike. Tom and Bruce are professionals who have been doing this for decades and even they have gotten into life threatening situations themselves! Wear shoes (absolutely not steel toe, heat and steel conduct very well) that are rugged in design. My shoes held but the treads took a huge battering from the intense heat. Wear long thick pants to protect your legs from the heat. Bring more water than you normally drink. Dehydration will settle in fast and hard. The ground near the pali is unstable and can break off at any moment. Do NOT try to go on lava benches as these certainly will collapse into the ocean. Also explosions down in the ocean as hot lava flashes into steam can hurl hot lava up to 100ft, fly past you, and land BEHIND you! The hot white misty steam radiating from the ocean entries contains hydrochloric acid and sulfur dioxide. You're practically breathing in car battery acid! Have a GPS in hand for navigation since you are hiking on vast lava fields. Finally, the most important: whatever happens, DO NOT PANIC! If you find yourself stuck, find an area that has the least amount of hazard and move in that direction. Heed all these warnings and you increase your chances of surviving. Failure to heed these warnings can lead to serious injury and/or death. Common sense is apparently NOT enough for this kind of hike. People have died trying to capture that perfect shot.</div>
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Please show respect for the residents of Kalapana. These lands are very sacred to them and it is private property. Do not park past the public parking area. The residents use these roads to get in and out of Kalapana and will become extremely agitated if you park on their roads and/or cross into their properties.</div>
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For a safe lava viewing experience, I highly suggest you sign up with <a href="http://www.kalapanaculturaltours.com/" target="_blank">Kalapana Cultural Tours</a>. They have the best guides available and will still get you within feet of the active lava flows. Happy lava chasing!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-55791502699491112202013-01-02T22:27:00.002-08:002017-06-09T12:25:43.058-07:0012-29-2012: KST (Waikane [Ka`aumakua] to Poamoho)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/03/3-9-2013-kst-castle-to-poamoho.html">Head north</a>--- Thru hiking the Ko'olaus? ---<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2012/12/10-21-2012-kst-waikane-kaaumakua-to.html">Head south</a></div>
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Happy New Year! We've survived the great apocalypse and the world keeps turning, as it has been for the past 4 billions years. With 2013 in full swing, I would like to bring you the last hike of 2012 and what a hike to close out the year. I am ever so slowly inching my way towards my personal goal of completing the Ko`olau summit in it's entirely. On December 29th, a beautiful gem of the Ko`olau Summit Trail has been added to my collection. It's said to be one of the best stretches of trail on the island and perhaps the best segment on the Ko`olaus. If one had just one chance to do a summit walk, then choose this one.<br />
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The initial itinerary was to start in Waikane Valley Road and hike the Pu'u Ka`aumakua Trail, where it eventually merges with the KST. From there, we would head northward along the summit trail towards Pauao Ridge. Pauao was recently opened up by several trail clearing crews this past summer so we were to use it to head back down into Kahana Valley. Chenay Borja, Gerwin Canoneo, and Andrew Wilhite would join me for this excursion.<br />
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At around 5:30am we pushed off into the darkness on the long road walk. I remember last time we were on this road, we've encountered a pack of dogs and it was the same case this time around. This time, they were not as alarmed by our presence, unlike last time, and we quickly made our way through them without incident. Daylight started coming upon us shortly after we got on the actual Waikane Trail and began the long winding trail to intersect the KST. We got to the lookout where the trail begins to contour on the north side of the spur ridge heading up to Pu'u Ka`aumakua and decided to check out a side trail that heads makai down the spur. About 50ft, we came across another clearing with a splendid view of Ohulehule and Kanehoalani. Directly behind us, Chenay noticed a cross at the top of a small hill and proceeded to climb it to investigate. Looks like it was recently erected with "Henry" enscribed on it. A last name also has been written but we couldn't make out the spelling. Look at the summit crest, it was completely devoid of all clouds. Despite having absolutely no trade wind, as we got closer to the summit trail, thick clouds began forming as a result of the warm sea breezes being warmed by the sun and rushing up and over the cool windward pali. Just like water condensing on my cold lens, it was the same for the mountains.<br />
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We reached the junction with the KST at around 10am. The clouds completely engulfed us but fortunately not enough to rain. I pulled out my phone and checked the weather report on the NOAA website. Not a green speck anywhere on the island or other islands. I assumed the clouds would burn up quickly as the sun warms the Ko`olaus. I noticed my lens was no longer fogged up. It would be the same for the mountains. About 10 minutes later, a break in the clouds revealed the windward expanse below and a view of Ohulehule, Pu'u O Kila, and Kahana Valley was had. Unfortunately, the clouds shrouded the view once again. We began to get discouraged if we were going to do the whole summit walk in the clouds. It didn't take long to get that answer. After about 5 minutes into the summit walk northward towards Poamoho, the clouds made a grand departure from the summit crest for good and the magic of the hike began!<br />
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We pushed onward, enjoying the incredible views to windward. The trail contours almost exclusively to the windward pali, but every now and then, the trail does head to leeward. When it does though, an incredible view to leeward as far as the Wai`anae Mountains can be had. Although it can get overgrown on these leeward sections, the contour does not last long and quickly does it head back to the windward side. Since the weather called for light sea breezes in the absence of tradewinds, I opted for comfort over shields and wore shorts. While the overgrown conditions were not as bad as let's say, Waikane to Waiahole Uka, my exposed legs would take a beating by the time this hike was pau (done). I highly recommend pants for any Ko`olau summit traverse.</div>
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After a half mile or so, we came across a grassy clearing, with a grassy hill. There was a trail coming in from leeward and figured it was the Schofield/Waikane Trail. We rested here for a bit, taking in the awe of what was around us.</div>
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Beyond Schofield Trail, the clouds dropped back down on us and stayed with us but not for long. Even when the clouds are socking the summit, it makes for a mysterious walk. Chenay posed by some trees, even climbing one. Quickly the clouds lifted and we were treated to more epic views! We could make out the KST etching it's way into the windward side all the way to Pauao Ridge.</div>
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The trail never got too terribly overgrown and was in remarkable shape. There are 2 or 3 landslides that covers the KST but are easily passed. The last one requires a minor scramble but nothing too difficult. Just watch your step because there's a huge drop to windward behind you on this scramble! Looking back where we came from, we could see the KST tracing back to Pu'u Ka`aumakua. Views are what it was all about! Chenay had a solar panel charger that she won on Instagram and was using it to charge her phone. I should get me one of these!</div>
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Pauao Ridge was getting near. The KST wraps around it's ridge spur and continues to Poamoho. With that thought in my head, I began to contemplate with myself if we were to stick with our original plan and head down Pauao, or continue onward towards Poamoho. We staged a car in Kahana Valley but none at the Poamoho trail head. That would mean walking down 6 miles of road. The weather was epic throughout the day and shows no signs of clouding up anytime soon. It was about 2pm when we came across the sign and ribbons marking the terminus of Pauao Ridge. I ventured slightly downward to check out it's profile. It looked akin to Waiahole Uka. I then went around the bend and my jaw nearly dropped. The KST was clearly visible and it was so distinct that it must have been blasted recently by trail clearers. I went back to the others and suggested that we continued onward towards Poamoho. Compared to Pauao, this looked more inviting. After a votation, the plan was to head down Poamoho Trail and walk the entire 6 miles of dirt road back to Wahiawa. As we made our way we noticed how ridiculously wide the trail got! This stretch of trail was a blast! We were all smiles as we went full speed ahead on what could have been mistakened as a bike trail! "Looks like a scene from 'The Hobbit'!"</div>
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We came across a grassy meadow and rested here. I was shoving a ham sandwich down my throat when Gerwin pointed something flying near the summit. I glanced over my shoulder and saw nothing. Then he exclaimed again and I dropped my lunch and headed to the edge of the pali. Sure enough, a paraglider was flying effortlessly above us. I jumped up and down and waved my hands at him. He saw us and he proceeded to get closer to us. He then started doing circles above our meadow spot and probably got within 50ft of us. "He's going to land!" yelled Gerwin. Then I heard a call from the guy. "What are you guys doing here?!" "Hiking to Poamoho!" I replied. After doing some more maneuvers, he gained altitude and went back over the windward side. I ran back to the edge of the pali and saw him making his way to Poamoho and quickly disappeared out of sight. What a treat!</div>
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The trail went leeward but not before it cut through a large notch to regain the windward contour. We posed for some photos on this notch and continued on our way. This place was so special that I didn't want to leave this stretch of trail. Off in the distance, I could make out some fences forming a perimeter on a hill. It must be the Poamoho terminus as I recalled this fence line the last time I was on Poamoho, some 3 years ago. A short while later, we came across the Poamoho Cabin, all newly built and complete with a water catchment system! There was water in it so as of this date, there is fresh water in the cabin. We signed the log book and posed for a photo. The time was about a little after 3pm. We knew we had 6 miles of unnecessary road walking to do so we had to double time it. Just past the cabin I looked leeward and spotted a swampy lake. One of these days, I'm going to get a closer look at it. Another half mile and the vegetation opened up to a very large grassy meadow with the Clines Memorial on it. We made it to Poamoho! The time was about 4pm.</div>
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The sun was beginning to set towards the Wai`anae Mountains and our attention shifted to the long 9 mile (6 miles of dirt road and 3 miles of Poamoho Trail) hike back to civilization. The Poamoho Trail is a pleasant walk and while it dragged somewhat, we made it to the trailhead and the start of the road just after sunset. We began our longest walk ever on the road and came across a truck! Would be nice to get a ride down. We knew if we had walked the entire road, we probably wouldn't be back until after 11pm or so. We walked past the truck for another 500ft until we saw a group of hunters! They asked if we were serious about walking down the road and we nodded. It was then the final piece of this epic adventure was upon us. They offered us a ride in their truck that we passed a while ago and they even gave us some tamales to wolf down. Nom, nom, nom we went. Vroom, vroom, vroom went the truck. I glanced back at the red tail lights piercing the pitch black road behind us. "That would have sucked if we had to walk down this blasted road!" I gazed at the sky and while it was no Kalapana starscape, it was still beautiful. We could see the military installation at the top of Mt. Ka`ala aglow with lights and soon the lights of civilization was near. Past 2 gates and then the final gate, we were back at the main road. The time was a little before 7pm. Success!</div>
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I want to thank those hunters for giving us a ride back down! We are grateful for you guys! I'm sorry I've forgotten your names! We hope you can find this page and see why we were there at that time of the evening! Mahalo nui loa!</div>
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This was yet another epic Ko`olau summit adventure!</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPbIpmAOgB8" target="_blank">Waikane to Poamoho (GoPro 3 POV)</a></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-28776982135073766502012-12-19T22:23:00.000-08:002013-01-07T22:59:12.342-08:0012-16-2012: Kalapana Lava FlowHawai`i began here. Thousands of miles below the Earth's crust, a big pool of magma formed the Hawaiian archipelago in the vast ocean of the Pacific. Usually volcanoes are situated on the edge of tectonic plates. The rim of the Pacific Plate has become known as the "Ring of Fire" as it is dotted with numerous volcanoes and are prone to major earthquakes. But out in the middle of the Pacific Plate lies what is called a volcanic hotspot. The accepted theory is that this hotspot remains stationary while the plate moves about on top of it. As it does, island after island form over millions of years which forms a chain of islands. The Hawaiian islands were formed in this way and continue to do so. At present, the hot spot is under Kilauea Volcano, situated on the southeast portion of the Big Island (Hawai`i Island). It continues to erupt and I had the privilege to stand on land that was only minutes old! The Hawaiians call her Madame Pele, the volcano goddess. She rules Kilauea and anyone who dare opposes her will be met with a fiery ending. I hoped I would be on her good side when the time to visit her was upon me.<br />
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<span style="background-color: black;">I finally got the honor and privilege to hike with TJaye Ailama Forsythe of <a href="http://rustyboar.com/">rustyboar.com</a> and a good brother of mine who lives in Hilo. He has told me about the lava flows that are actively flowing. These flows experience upsurges in activity from time to time. Since I've never experienced lava up close and personal, I have since waited for that day to come. It finally did, on the fall <span style="font-family: inherit;">of 2012</span>. <span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Puʻu ʻŌʻō</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, located on the eastern rift zone of Kilauea Volcano, was showing high activity in November and the early part of December. It was time to make it happen, but it couldn't have been done without help from Bruddah TJaye and Christopher Wong, who also lives in Hilo.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of TJaye Ailama Forsythe</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ailama went to Kalapana to visit the lava flows there a week prior to my scheduled visit. It was his trek that gave me the inspiration to get my okole off my own stomping grounds of O`ahu and board a flight to Big Island. Chenay Borja happened to be free that day and agreed to journey with me since it was going to be her first time visiting an active lava flow. The plan: stay in Big Island for half a day, overnight, and return back to O`ahu at 6am the following day. With Hawaiian Airlines tickets in hand, we were going to make it happen! </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">On Sunday (12-16-12), I got up and drove over to Punchbowl to pick up Chenay. Once at the gate at Honolulu International Airport, we waited anxiously for our flight. Suddenly, a brilliant rainbow appeared in the background. It was a sign.</span><br />
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We arrived at 12:23pm at Hilo Airport and Chris picked us up. After getting a bite to eat, we realized we still had some time to kill. Since we were to go just before sunset, Chris showed us a waterfall that is visible just off the side of Waianuenue Ave. A 10 minute walk through a well trodden trail that parallels the Wailuku River permitted us to reach the top of the upper tier (lower one is some kind of man made falls). Several mini lookouts on the left of the trail gives a view of the river but don't get too curious, lest you find yourself in the Wailuku River! About a quarter mile in, we reached the top of Wai`ale Falls. And boy was she pumping! I was surprised because of the major drought that we've been experiencing for most of the fall season. And Big Island's famed "Rainbow Falls" has completely dried up on Dec 3! I wasn't sure if Hilo received enough rain to have that fall flowing again but Wai`ale Falls was raging! Wai`ale wasn't the sole waterfall in the area. In the vicinity are three more smaller waterfalls that made for a tranquil scene!<br />
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It was around 3pm when we went to Chris' house to prepare for the journey to Kalapana. Three other friends were to join us at 4pm. Once we reached the Kalapana area, we were met with Civil Defense guards where the old road terminates with the old lava flows. Apparently a lookout exists at the very end and is a known tourist area. Advancing further was not possible as the guards' presence forbid doing so. In an effort to bypass this viewing area, we attempted to head towards the coastline but was stopped by another civil defense guard who apparently parked his car in this area. This guy was rather bitter about us being here and gave us a good scolding. ::sigh:: blah blah, private property... This guy needed some aloha injected into him. I'm guessing he must have encountered many people attempting to reach the active lava flow in the past so I wasn't surprised that he was this aggressive with us. Disappointed, we made our way back to the cars. We needed to regroup.<br />
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Back at Chris' house in Hilo, we pondered plans about attempting to try for a second time but at 11pm. The civil guards' duty shifts are from 4pm to 10pm each day, which makes for an odd shift. In fact during our scolding, the guard even told us that if we truly wanted to illegally see the lava flow, that it's best to come in the morning when they were not there! Apparently they know that many people sneak in while they are not there. Under normal circumstances, we were to return that night at 11pm, but because our flights were in the morning, this was not possible. The time was now 6pm. I had to take drastic action otherwise, this trip would be in vain. I called up Bruddah TJaye and told him about what happened. He agreed to take us there, not at 11pm, but right now. We had a renewed sense of hope! Being pure Hawaiian, he has a Kingdom ID card that allows him to be able to go into land areas that are normally restricted to the general public. Being Hawaiian, he can "claim sovereignty" and declare that he has "gathering rights" to be in these sacred lands. The door was now wide open.<br />
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We were back at around 7:30pm, but the same guard we've encountered area was not there. Upon reaching the lookout area, the guard present once again stated that it was off limits to advance further. TJaye immediately brushed her statement aside and presented his Kingdom ID card to her. She still persisted in saying that we couldn't go but we merely jumped over the rope marking the viewing area. She threatened to call the cops and have our vehicle towed. We merely shrugged it off and disappeared into the night as she radioed, probably to another Civil Defense guard, that there were five individuals trespassing. They knew there was nothing they could do at that point and it was all bark and no bite from there on out. Even then, they couldn't make good on their threat. Unbeknownst to them, our vehicle was legally secured on Hawaiian property and was not possible the Civil Defense to reach it. Hawaiians - 1. Civil defense - 0. We were all smiles after that!<br />
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For Bruddah TJaye and Bruddah Chris, it was another hike. For Chenay and I, we were exploring the final frontier of our home islands. As the lights from the Civil Defense area dimmed further and further behind us, I felt a sense of calmness. Like being the only ship in the middle of space, we hiked onward towards the black horizon. Since we were aiming to reach the ocean entry of the lava flow, our route took us towards the jagged pali coastline. Looking up I saw the sky like I've never seen it before. I spot a brilliant meteor streaking across the sky over in the direction of the Kilauea caldera. Further up on that flank, I spotted red glowing lava flows, probably some 6 miles away. Off in the distance was the quarter moon, still rather bright. One thing I've noticed was the terrain. We were walking on decades old lava flows. While the area is flat, the terrain we were walking on is very uneven. We had to navigate around large cracks that consisted of old lava tubes. We merely stepped over smaller crevices. Pāhoehoe lava has a distinct rope-like appearance and numerous of them lined together form ripples in the terrain. Hiking over these can be tricky. The best way is to walk broadside with these ripples, otherwise you risk tweaking your ankle. I noticed on the smooth glassy areas, the ground was hallow! Perhaps large lava tubes were underneath and the scary thought of me crashing down through the ground filled my head. But the ground held. Some caved in a few inches, like walking on ice, but overall the ground was rather solid.<br />
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We stopped and glanced towards the black horizon in the direction of the ocean. I barely made out a red glowing point. Then another red point appeared next to it. That was our target lava flow. Like moths attracted to the light, we quickened our pace and made our way towards the red light. The glowing points soon became bigger and bigger and by the time we knew it, we were looking face to face with Madame Pele's lava. We were probably 500ft from actually reaching the red hot lava when suddenly heat began radiating from under the pitch black ground below our feet. At this point, we cautiously made our way towards the active surface flow. At around 300ft, we spotted the cracks below us were no longer black, but glowing red hot! We were standing on top of a lava tube that was flowing with red molten rock! We had to be careful now because the worst thing that could happen is the black solid ground would cave in, sending you plunging into the red abyss below! Fortunately, that never happened and the ground in fact held very well. We were now 50ft from the surface flow and things really started heating up. I could feel my hiking shoes heating my feet! The final 10ft was painful, but TJaye managed to walk up to the flow and kick it with his foot! I saw that plume of lava wiggle like it was jello! He told me to do the same. I kicked it and while it was still glowing red hot, it was rock solid upon contact! The lava was cooling enough to solidify into rock but remained glowing. I was stoked!<br />
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It was at that point that our attention shifted to the actual coastline, about another 500ft or so ahead of us. Paralleling the surface lava flow, we made our way towards the pali that drops straight down into the ocean and there it was. Red hot lava was oozing down the steep pali and exploding on contact with the ocean waves. I could hear the loud hissing and at times small explosions as steam was rising up. At times, large chunks of glowing rock would break off the side of the pali and land into the ocean! It felt like I was on another planet! Finally, I can say I've seen a real active lava flow with my own two eyes. We spent probably some 2 or 3 hours taking in the awe that we were watching land being created right before us. All the Hawaiian islands started with this hot red orange gooey stuff. When the first finger of flowing lava ceased and it's glowing became dark, another fresh finger would appear out from the darkness and flow down into the ocean. And then another. In fact we had to pull back because these fingers were opening up a little too close to us. I posed for some camera shots by standing on freshly cooled lava, being able to tolerate the heat for not even 5 seconds, just enough to get that shot! I've never felt heat in such a large scale before. The pain felt good! One thing I noticed was my intake of water. I would highly recommend bringing extra water because the heat will dehydrate you more, requiring you to consume more water than normal.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Christopher Wong Photo courtesy of Chenay Borja</span></div>
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Unfortunately, all good times had to come to an end as our time had run out. Flights were to soar the skies in about 8 hours from now and we still had to hike another hour back to where we started. Heading back was no easier than going. We relied on GPS coordinates to guide us back to our starting point. As we hiked back, I was still processing the raw information in my head of my experience during the last 3 hours. We reached our vehicle and drove back to Hilo with a sense of accomplishment. Back at Chris' place, Chenay and I couldn't sleep, all we could do was look at all the photos we've taken. Once back on O`ahu, we couldn't help but realize how small we are compared to nature, that all of these islands that are now heavily dominated with civilization began as red hot magma!<br />
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I'd like to express my gratitude to Chris for providing us transportation and accommodations during our short stay and to TJaye for driving us to Kalapana and taking us to the lava flow. If it wasn't for these two individuals, none of this would have been possible. Mahalo nui loa to both of you for making this happen. This will be a night to remember indeed! Cheee hooo!<br />
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Until next time...<br />
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CAUTION: While lava can be visitor friendly (Hawaiian lava flows exceptionally slow / flow with aloha), they can be unpredictable and dangerous. There is no trail leading to the active flow. You are walking on a vast plain of old lava flows with no visible reference points. This can lead to people getting lost so I highly recommend bringing a GPS device with you. The terrain is very uneven so make sure your ankles are well supported and look out for large cracks. The last thing you need is a tweaked ankle in the middle of a lava field. As you near the flow, you'll notice the temperature spike while being even a quarter mile away from the surface flow. If you see glowing lava in the cracks below, you are on active lava tubes. Take care where you step. If the rocks crack, move away immediately. If heading to the ocean entry, be wary of the sulfur dioxide and the sulfuric acid as the water reacts with the lava. Try not to get on the very edge of the pali, they are very unstable. They can collapse and send the unwary hiker down the pali into the scalding ocean. Last but not least, Civil Defense guards patrol the entry point from the road and will turn you away if you try to cross the barriers or head into private property... unless you are native Hawaiian and possess a Hawaiian Kingdom ID card!</div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-43190062542386527782012-12-13T21:28:00.002-08:002013-02-10T11:02:32.455-08:0010-1-2012: Diamond Head Rim³ (Threepeat)We've hit the trails around the Diamond Head Crater Rim for a third time and I've personally took the best photos this time around, mainly because I finally got the focus correct. When it comes to night photography, manual focusing can be pretty frustrating. When you think you got it focused and it looks great on that little tiny LCD screen, it looks terrible on the computer screen, but I finally got it exactly how I wanted it. I ended up taking a good friend of mine, Rick Kamakea who was visiting O`ahu for the weekend. I've documented this route 2 other times (<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2012/06/6-20-2012-diamond-head-rim.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2012/07/7-2-2012-diamond-head-full-moon.html" target="_blank">here</a>) so a write up won't be necessary. However, I will mention that there was one thing that was different from the last two hikes. While all three hikes started from the same starting location, there was some sort of device mounted on the warning sign at the cul-de-sac that was emitting a blinking red light this time. Upon closer inspection, we realized it was an infrared camera, or so it seems. There are cheap dummy infrared cameras that can be bought anywhere online so it's a good possibility that DLNR or someone installed a fake camera to deter hikers from going up on this location. I'm not sure about the other entry points. Enjoy the photos!<br />
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-87029024587628706102012-12-04T08:20:00.000-08:002017-06-09T12:24:02.275-07:0010-21-2012: KST (Waikane [Ka`aumakua] to Waiahole Uka)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/01/12-29-2012-kst-waikane-kaaumakua-to.html">Head north</a>--- Thru hiking the Ko'olaus? ---<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2012/08/8-9102012-manana-to-waiahole-uka.html">Head south</a></div>
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The last time I did the Waikane trail was in 2009 and it was one of my most miserable hikes I've done. The weather was so unforgiving with torrential rain and gale force winds that I didn't even make it to Pu'u Ka`aumakua, the official trail terminus. It would be be nearly 3 years later before I would make my return, but this time I was to go to the summit and beyond to Waiahole Uka, the Ko`olau windward partner of it's leeward counterpart, Kipapa Trail. My last Ko`olau summit hike was Manana to Waiahole Uka. This hike would mark my very first trek on the graded Ko`olau Summit Trail, a trail built into the rolling hills of the northern Ko`olau mountains between Pupukea and Kipapa.<br />
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Joining me on this day would be Thessa and Gerwin. We pushed off from the main highway at around 6am and began a long road walk to the start of Waikane Trail. About a mile in we began to hear the sounds of dogs barking. Around the bend, our headlamps pierced the darkness and revealed a pair of glowing eyes. Much to our dismay a group of dogs were blocking the road. We stood for sometime, wondering if they will be friendly to us or finding ourselves running back to the road as they would attempt to maul us to death. Soon, a black dog would decide it was going to be the bravest of the pack and approach us, wondering if we too were friendly or not. The dog approached us cautiously and then soon sniffed us. With it's tail wagging happily, first contact was established and "hostilities" ceased. After being playful with the black dog, it returned back to the rest of the pack and we began advancing slowly towards them. Finally they backed off and we were on our way. The first signs of daylight was now visible. When the road was finally visible, we came across a huge landslide that apparently covered the road. But we saw tire tracks and assumed that the big trucks just simply drove over the landslide to pick up the road on the other side. Some further up, we crossed a small stream and arrived to the start of the trail, marked by an old storm drain.</div>
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Wasting no time, we made our way up the rather dull graded trail. We talked stories along the way and the trail kept on winding around the gullies and side ridges. Eventually the trail made a very sharp left but not before coming upon a wonderful lookout at Kahana Valley to the northeast. About another 30 minutes to an hour later, the views of the windward Ko`olaus were upon us and we can in fact, see the remainder of the trail, etching into the windward pali just below the crest. Since this was the actual KST, the summit trail contours below the crest, rather than on it's top. Another hour or so passed and we came across a junction, marked by an old metal stake with ribbons on it. Turn left almost 180 degrees to pick up a switchback to head up to Pu'u Ka`aumakua. Continue straight and you're automatically on the KST heading towards Poamoho, which features the best stretch of summit walking because it almost exclusively contours the windward side! This junction is crucial if you are coming in from Poamoho. If it's socked in and you're not paying attention, it is incredibly easy to assume that you're still on the KST, but end up taking the wrong way at the junction and unknowingly continue down on the Waikane Trail!</div>
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The trail to Ka`aumakua from the junction is also part of the KST, but it's also the last leg of the Waikane Trail to reach the true summit. Here, the trail begins to contour on the leeward side of the Ko`olau crest and spells doom for those hikers not wearing pants. It is very overgrown and your legs will take a battering if you're not properly dressed! Even with the recent "clearing" compared to decades ago, the overgrowth is relentless. After crossing a clearing with a splendid view of northern windward O`ahu, we came across a grassy gully with a side trail heading up to the top of a pu'u. Turns out this side trail is the final climb to reach Ka`aumakua, which is indicated with a geological bench mark. At last, the Waikane Trail had been completed. We proceeded to have lunch here. The time was probably around 10am. The views were incredible initially, but the clouds quickly rolled in, obscuring it. The trade winds were in full force and we had to go just slightly leeward to feel reasonably comfortable.</div>
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We packed up and made our way back down to resume the grueling jaunt along the KST, heading southward. For much of the way, leeward contouring is what is all about. There were a few grassy clearings where a view of the windward side can be had, but it's very spotty. Leeward, leeward, leeward, overgrown, overgrown, overgrown was the topic of the hour. But the views of Ohulehule, Kahana, and Waikane when we did have a windward walk were well worth it! Later on, the clouds were beginning to thicken and our hike became a walk in foggyland. There were times that when we would round a spur ridge, we would think it was the wrong way because it appeared to head back the way we came from. With no windward view for a reference point, our minds were being fooled. Fortunately GPS on our smartphones confirmed the way was correct. I highly recommend having some kind of navigational device with you. You can seriously think you're lost and second guess yourself, leading you into a bad situation.</div>
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We soon came across a very large grassy gully that is dubbed the "wind tunnel". It is no joke. The winds felt like hurricane force winds and literally knocked us off balance. We had to bend forward and push against the howling wind. But don't fret. Once you get to the other side of the grassy gully, the winds quickly cease as the trail heads back to it's leewardness. On the next bend or two, I noticed a familiar hill off in the distance and pointed it out that it could be Waiahole Uka. Once we rounded this hill, I immediately noticed the Sugipine trees that we've encountered when we did the hike from Manana. We were here at last! We quickly beelined it up the hill to gain the summit. And by the time we did, the clouds gracefully lifted off and we had views all around us! I looked back along the summit crest and saw the hill with the huge landslide etched into it, marking the Kipapa terminus.</div>
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After taking in the views, we headed downwards. We headed very downwards. I purposely used bad grammar on that last sentence because that's all it does: go downwards. It's very hard on the knees and toes as we had to battle gravity to do a controlled descent. The two rope sections were passed and it became a sea of uluhe all the way down to the valley trail. Once on the valley trail, we made our way out back to our car that we staged earlier in the morning.</div>
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Finally I can put Waiahole Uka to rest for good.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcTE1WE6Tds" target="_blank">Waikane (Kaʻaumakua) to Waiahole Uka (GoPro 2 POV)</a></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-36476099229785655272012-12-03T19:03:00.001-08:002014-06-24T14:37:53.638-07:009-14-2012: Moanalua Middle Ridge to Haiku StairsEver wanted to climb the Haiku Stairs without waking up in the wee hours of the morning? If so, then this hike is the best route to do so. Normally, people will cut through people's yards to reach the access road that follows along the H-3 freeway. This road is where the bottom of the stairs begin. However, one can get a full night's sleep, wake up to a beautiful Hawaiian sunrise, and head on down to Moanalua Valley Park to begin this roughly 5 to 7 hour trek to the top of the Stairway to Heaven. The Moanalua Valley actually begins on the leeward side of the Ko`olaus by Halawa and Red Hill. To get to Moanalua Valley Park from Honolulu, take the H-1 going westbound. Once you are at the Likelike Highway and Middle St. area, keep left onto H201. Keep heading west on H201 and take Exit 2: Moanalua Valley/Salt Lake/Red Hill. Parallel the freeway for a short distance and then turn right onto Ala Aolani St. Follow this street until it dead ends at the Moanalua Valley Park. If coming from the west side of the island or the North Shore, take Exit 13B to Halawa Heights and merge with H201 eastbound. Proceed to take Exit 2 and parallel the freeway before making a left on Ala Napunani St. and finally left onto Ala Aolani St. Unless you are only hiking the Moanalua Valley Trail, I highly recommend that you park outside the park because the gates close at around 7pm, which would ultimately strand your car inside and potentially towed.<br />
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The hike begins with a 3 mile road which crosses numerous streams. Just about all of them can be crossed via small bridges, which avoids the slight elevation change with the mostly dry stream beds. About halfway in is a large boulder with ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs. After a large clearing, the number 12 marker with a trail going up is reached. This is the start of the Tripler Ridge Trail. Ignore this and continue on for another mile or so before reaching the junction on the left hand side with the Kulana`ahane Trail, marked with a sign. Be careful here. Many hikers get confused because this is a double junction. The Kulana`ahane Trail continues along the Moanalua Valley to pick up a small spur ridge that tops out at the lowest portion of the Moanalua Saddle, overlooking Haiku Valley and the H-3. Ignore this and proceed about 20ft or so beyond the trail head sign, keeping your eyes on the left. You'll pick up another faint trail marked with some ribbons. This is the trail that leads up the Moanalua Middle Ridge.<br />
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At the beginning, the uluhe can be thick at times but the trail is easily discernible. About halfway up, the ridge becomes dominated with windswept vegetation. It doesn't roller coaster much, instead it keeps a true upward fashion so be prepared for some huffing and puffing. The next feature is a large boulder that makes for a good portrait shot by sitting on it. Enjoy it now because one day, this boulder may be sent downward as erosion takes it's toll on it. Following the boulder is a somewhat narrow dike, but it can be crossed easily without much fear of falling. Beyond that is a rope section. By now, the summit is easily visible and one can actually trace the remaining trail leading up to it. Over to the right of it along the summit ridge stands the peaks of Tripler Ridge and Bowman. All of these can be connected to the Haiku Stairs, making this section of the Ko`olau crest a fun one.<br />
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Eventually the last serious climb lies ahead. From a distance, it can looking menacing but upon closer inspection, it's bark is worse than it's bite. The grade of ascent is not bad at all and is even accompanied by a long rope. Past this and you're almost home free to the summit. If the clouds are not socking the summit ridge, the CCL building and it's 2 dishes are visible over to the left hand side. A few 100 yards and the summit of Keahi a Kahoe is acquired, marked by a benchmark and with a wonderful view of windward O`ahu. Continue to Haiku Stairs by turning left on the summit crest and proceed north for about a quarter mile to top out at the CCL building. The trail is slippery and muddy as this receives a ton of foot traffic.<br />
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Congratulations, you've reached the top of Stairway to Heaven without climbing any stairs! Enjoy the marvelous views. From here, you can turn around and go back down the way you came from, or you can continue down the Haiku Stairs to reach the bottom of Haiku Valley. You may or may not encounter the guard but if you do, please do not get aggressive with him. They currently don't have instructions for dealing with people going down the stairs so he will often ask you how the hike was and show you the way out. There's no need for concern, they are very familiar with the "back route" to the stairs. If you do decide to go down the stairs, make sure you arrange transportation to shuttle you back to Moanalua Valley Park.<br />
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If you have climbed the Haiku Stairs, but never tried accessing it's top from this way, give this hike a try! You'll be able to say you've hiked up and over the Ko`olaus from leeward to windward!<br />
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Check out another tale when I hiked this very route at <a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/11/11-9-11-moanalua-middle-ridge-to-haiku.html" target="_blank">night</a>!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bjG9eB4PhA" target="_blank">Moanalua Middle Ridge to Haiku Stairs 2012 (GoPro 2 POV)</a></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2bjG9eB4PhA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-14575017957416843522012-11-10T09:29:00.001-08:002012-11-13T23:49:51.770-08:0011-10-2012: Photos fully restoredAloha from Fort Myers, Florida! I've been extremely busy with working seemingly never ending flights across the continental United States. Because of that, hiking and Breezy flights are on hold as the holiday rush nears. I have numerous video projects in the works including a KST hike, Breezy flights to Lana`i and Maui, and the 2012 Kane`ohe air show in which I would feature a stunt pilot who lands his Aeronca Champ on "the world's shortest airport", a "runway" mounted on top of a moving pick up truck! These projects seem to pile on top of each other as I continue to do more journeys. With me being off island for a while, I'm hoping to eventually catch up.<br />
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I have some good news though! All the photos have been fully restored. I'm hoping that now all my photos are now on the blogger/blogspot servers, they will never go offline again.<br />
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I also have purchased the GoPro Hero HD 3: Black Edition, the latest generation camera the company has rolled out in November. It features "cinema quality" at 4k or 4000p at 15fps. I probably won't be using this feature because I currently don't have a video editing software that can produce final videos at that quality. Also the 15fps is rather not appealing to me. However, the 1080p mode finally achieves 60fps and I am super excited about that. I still have yet to make a trek with this camera and am looking forward to it in the near future!<br />
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I hope everyone has a great start to their holiday season and I'll see you on the mountains again soon!<br />
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In the mean time, I leave you with this:<br />
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-38299327193987520702012-10-11T05:07:00.002-07:002012-10-11T05:34:35.634-07:008-25-2012: Lahilahi (Black Rock) Point, Makaha BeachI haven't known much about this rather secluded place until I made a fly by with Brian and his RLU-1 Breezy Experimental aircraft. Even then, I haven't paid much attention to it until a local resident who calls it home gave me some tidbits about it and was even invited to his birthday party which would take place there. He owns a condo that is the Makaha Beach Cabanas which stands tall right along the beach front. Upon arriving there, I was surprised that such a wonderful place went unnoticed on my radar for this long. I was in for a treat!<br />
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The party itself was a real good turn out with many people showing up. Even Wayde Fishman of "Wayde's World Hawai`i" was there. But he wasn't to film or document anything. He was there to celebrate the Birthday Boy and just have a good time. I wanted to take the opportunity to document it as there was a little known hiking trail that reaches for the top of what the locals call "Black Rock", a large rocky stand alone ridge that is oddly next to the ocean.</div>
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After settling and exchanging pleasantries with people who were there, I set off. I made my way down the beach and picked up an old 4x4 dirt road that heads mauka along the base of Black Rock. A local guy off the side of the road greeted me and I did the same in return. It wasn't long before I spotted a trail heading up the side of the rock formation and up I went. Looking halfway up, I could make out a mother and 4 kids doing the same route. The climb isn't difficult at all, much of it can be walked albeit a couple of mild scrambles. I didn't have my hiking shoes with me so "slippahs" (flip-flops) it would be. Before I knew it, I was already on the crest and the views opened up to the south. Dominating high above me off in the distance were the Wai`anae Mountains and the leeward coast of Wai`anae and all the way as far as Ko`olina were clearly visible to the south. The views to the north were obscured by Kea`au Ridge, a massive ridge line that connects to the ridge to the north, `Ohikilolo Ridge.</div>
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From here, the top is easily acquired by merely walking less than 5 minutes along the crest to reach a cemented metal pole, passing by a couple of Kiawe trees. It appears that someone has erected a Hawaiian Flag which was only secured to this pole by choke (a lot of) industrial tape! The views from here are spectacular. The entire Makaha Beach Cabanas and it's beach lay below, along with the bluer than blue waters. Looking directly to the west is nothing but a deep blue Pacific Ocean. Not many ridges take you so close to the ocean as this one so it makes for a unique perspective of the coast line. This also makes an excellent location to view the sunset as I would do later on this day. But for now, I wanted to explore what would be the highlight of this small little hike. The plan called to continuing makai along this ridge and see if a descent can be done. I've read and heard accounts of people ascending and descending a short but very steep bouldering section that lies on the makai facing side of Black Rock.</div>
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As I was about to push off, I heard voices from behind and noticed the same mother and kids I saw earlier popped out into view. I said my aloha to them and offered to take their picture of them on the summit and then they departed back down the way they came from. I proceeded makai and encountered numerous Kiawe trees with it's razor sharp thorns protruding in every direction. Some of these trees took up the entire width of the ridge which made for slow progress at times. Since I was doing this in slippers, my foot was exposed to these thorns. At some point, I felt a severe sharp pain and looked down to find that indeed one of the thorns from a fallen branch has punctured my foot. And I saw the damn thorn pierce even deeper as I placed my entire weight. I yelped in pain and somehow made it past the tree to a clearing. Blood began flowing and the pain was relentless. I highly recommend shoes for this portion.<br />
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After tending to my wound for some time, I proceeded onward and the ridge began a gradual descent towards the deep blue ocean, bottoming out at the area that makes up Lahilahi Point. After going down some ledges, the angle of descent steepened abruptly and I can see where the bottom was. I carefully made my way down, bypassing yet another Kiawe tree on my right. Just after this tree is where the angle of descent is at it's steepest and it goes down for maybe about a little less than 100ft. Fortunately, there are plenty of holds to use. Unfortunately, a lot of these holds are not sturdy at all. In fact they can look deceiving to the unwary. Testing each hold is a must or you risk of making your descent via express! Going down proved tricky for me as I have a habit of descending steep things facing forward. Having your back towards the ocean is probably your best bet but it's very steep that you have to feel your way downward with your feet. Testing each hold is crucial here.<br />
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Eventually I reached the bottom, proceeded to head to the farthest point to the coastline, and looked back up to see how it looked bottom up. Doing an ascent on this makes for some bouldering fun but make sure to test those holds! I made my way back to the beach area via a trail that skirts the base of Black Rock on it's north side. There are a few heiaus in this area so please make a mental note to not disturb these areas.<br />
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This is a short and fun little hike to get a better vantage point of Lahilahi Point and the Makaha Beach Cabanas. Heading up the mauka side only takes 15 minutes or less and a quick way to catch that perfect sunset! I definitely recommend shoes for the summit section past the cement pole and the makai side!</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv5j1ETj27c" target="_blank">Lahilahi Point, Makaha Beach (GoPro 2 POV)</a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kv5j1ETj27c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012435277822314695.post-85872860093886320352012-08-18T23:33:00.004-07:002017-06-09T12:34:29.550-07:008-9/10/2012: Manana to Waiahole Uka<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2012/12/10-21-2012-kst-waikane-kaaumakua-to.html">Head north</a>--- Thru hiking the Ko'olaus? ---<a href="http://dgcpinoy.blogspot.com/2011/11/11-12-2011-manana-to-waimano-ridge.html">Head south</a></div>
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With so much time and energy devoted to flying, I haven't done a major hike this year. That all changed when Thessa would join me on one very long hike, going up the long roller coasting trail of Manana Ridge and crossing over 4 miles of the rugged Ko`olau summit ridge to reach Waiahole Uka. From there, we would descend it's steep windward ridge to the bottom of Waiahole Valley. In fact, it was so long and grueling that it took us a day and a half to complete due to getting confused on one particular section of the Ko`olau summit, which I have to admit could have been avoided if I researched into this area a little bit more. Some other hikers gave me a heads up on that section of the crest days before we would set off, but for some reason, I've failed to interpret it clearly.<br />
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We set off around 6:30am on the Manana Ridge Trail. With virtually no conditioning at all for just about this entire year, my pace was staggeringly slower, which contributed to the longer than usual hike time. Up and down we went on the never ending roller coaster ridge. If tracks were laid from the trailhead to the summit with a train starting from the summit, this ridge would be perfect for a 6 mile long roller coaster ride! After some 4 hours later, we finally acquired the summit and took in the windward views. With an overall overcast sky over the summit, coupled by brisk trades, it made for rather chilly conditions. Wasting no time, we headed in a north, northwest direction along the crest towards Waiahole Uka.<br />
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A short time later, we've reached a grassy meadow that has been dubbed "The Corner", where the crest makes a sharp turn to the west before gradually heading more north. It is here where one can view the green expanse of Waiahole Valley. Clouds began to make their way over the crest, obscuring the view at times, but it was never a complete washout, at least not yet. Continuing on, the summit ridge began it's downward descent into a saddle what is apparently called the Wahiawa Gap. Numerous pu'u made for more roller coasting action, but overall elevation was lost. It was on the ascent to regain the lost elevation that made for serious huffing and puffing. Just before the lowest point, we came across another grassy bowl where the trail heads slightly leeward from the crest. Clouds and wind blanketed and buffeted us relentlessly in this section, but the conditions quickly cleared up for more spectacular views with clouds dancing all around us. Time was beginning to go against us and it was probably already 4 or 5pm when we finally reached other side of the Wahiawa Gap. Progress was painstakingly slow but we remained confident that we could reach Waiahole Valley before dark.<br />
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All of that would be thrown out the window when we reached the Kipapa summit, marked by a sign on a broad hill. Normally with good visibility, we would have easily made out where the summit continued. But just before topping out on Kipapa, the clouds came back with a vengeance and this time the clouds got very thick, reducing visibility to maybe a quarter mile or less. Also, the sun was just about to set. With no visual reference, we were inclined to continue straight ahead across the hill to descend it's other side. But the grade of the slope turned very very steep, and there was no hint of a trail at all. We backtracked to the sign and discovered the trail making it's descent on the windward side of the grassy hill. By this point, the last remaining light was all but gone and out came our headlamps. Winds began to pick up exponentially and rain began to pelt us. Not good. What appeared to be a side trail heading leeward down into a dry gulch was discovered but there was no sign of any trail on the dry streambed. We followed the crest trail until it makes a sharp descent. With sunlight, it would be easy to see what was ahead, but it was virtually pitch black and it seemed like the trail simply disappeared here. Growing frustrated, we headed back up to the grassy hill again with the sign and began exploring westward but to no avail. We discussed further plans, including over nighting. We headed back down again towards windward and to our surprise, the clouds lifted, revealing the city lights of Kaneohe to the south. Coming up on the sharp descent again, I decided to push forward this time. I've encountered a ledge and climbed down it, followed by Thessa. A next hill loomed ahead, but not before encountering another side trail heading leeward down into what appeared to be the same stream bed I've encountered before. Ignoring it, I kept to the crest and tried to climb the next hill but the trail disappeared. There was no sign at all that anyone continued up this hill. Growing tired, we decided to call it a night and headed back to that side trail and with winds absent on this particular spot, this would be our sleeping spot for the night. Little did we know that this side trail would be the correct path, which we would find out by morning.<br />
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At around 6:30am, we packed up and continued on our way. I noticed the half moon in the sky and realized that the clouds were no longer over the summit! I looked up and saw the huge grassy hill that marks the terminus of Kipapa. However, Thessa pointed out something that I did not notice before, a massive landslide on it's windward slope. Then I remembered what the other hikers said about the landslide and gears began to turn in my head at last. After enjoying a wonderful sunrise, I've headed down the side trail into the dry stream bed and found much to my surprise, a contour trail! And it headed north! Excitement filled my head and my pace began to quicken. I looked up and saw why the hill on the crest was not climbed. Apparently, I hate contour trails so much that I like to keep true to the crest. :-)<br />
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We eventually came across a grove of Sugi pines with what appeared to be metal remains of a cabin. We were back on familiar territory. Just ahead was the summit of Waiahole Uka! The clouds filled the summit again and we were eager to head home. Going east, we picked up a trail leading down a windward spur. As we dropped quickly in elevation, the clouds lifted again and revealed a magnificent view of Mokoli`i, more commonly known as "Chinaman's Hat". Ohulehule and the ridge line over Kualoa stood tall and proud. Looking back to the south, we saw where we came from. Hard to believe we came all the way from there.<br />
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Heading down the ridge was beginning to take it's toll on my toes. I dropped back as Thessa took the lead and rocketed downward. One word can basically summarize this ridge, DOWN if you're heading down and UP if you're heading up. No and's, if's, or but's. The ridge narrows considerably at times, but there are so many trees to use for security and for brakes in this case. Eventually I came across a red rope section and the grade was near vertical here, but holds are present everywhere, along with the rope. Heading further down, I've encountered a yellow strap accompanied by some cables. From there, the ridge continues it's steep descent until it gradually shifts to the right into a sea of uluhe. Despite the sometimes thick uluhe, the trail is easily discernible and soon I met up with Thessa resting on the junction with the Kuolani-Waianu Trail that meanders it's way around the ravines of Waiahole Valley. After a few stream crossings, a man made waterfall, and one final stream crossing, the jeep road was reached and finally the gate leading to the paved road at last concluding our hike, some 30 hours after we started!<br />
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Want to thank the pilot of the red RLU-1 Breezy for giving us a ride back to our cars even though your car battery died! Coasting down the valley road with no use of gasoline at all was pretty cool! We were able to coast all the way to Kam. Hwy before finding someone to jump his car. What an epic adventure! The Ko`olau summit saga continues...<br />
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P.S.: I was told that apparently the actual Ko`olau Summit Trail (KST) starts leeward of the Kipapa Trail, thus bypassing the summit ridge and the Sugi pine grove completely, intersecting the Waiahole Summit on it's leeward side. Maybe coming in from Waikane on the KST, I'll explore this segment in detail.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZGtOtylNj4" target="_blank">Manana to Waiahole Uka (GoPro 2 POV)</a></div>
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David G. Concepcionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00895292409403045223noreply@blogger.com2Waiāhole, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA21.4858333 -157.856666721.4710583 -157.87640770000002 21.5006083 -157.8369257