All posts in Hikes

Kuaokala Trail: A State Trail With Restricted Trailhead Access

by Coty on May 12, 2013 in Hikes with 3 Comments

By completing the Kuaokala Trail, I was able to strike off another Na Ala Hele maintained trail off of my list. Kuaokala terminates at a lookout that overlooks Makua Valley, however, the best views are to be had before reaching this lookout. Our crew had previously reached this same lookout point via the Kealia Trail in Mokuleia. The Kuaokala trailhead is located in Waianae, far from the trailhead of Kealia. Access to the Kealia Trail is open, whereas you will need to get a permit from the Hawaii Division of Forestry if you want to hike the Kuaokala Trail. That said, I believe that Kuaokala is a better hike, with much more varied vistas.

Hey, guy, don’t get too close to the edge! Photo by Coty Gonzales

Long dirt road. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Awkward peace sign. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The day started with a long drive along the Waianae Coast. The meeting point would be the Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station sign, located near a dirt parking lot, just before Yokohama Beach. The group then convoyed past the guard station and then through two large metal arm gates. During the drive up, we passed the two white satellite balls, which you can see from the highway below. Just slightly past the second metal arm gate wil be a dirt parking lot, and the trailhead to the Kuaokala Trail.

After a quick debriefing by Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club leader, Laura Owens, we were off on the trail. The trail begins by shortly meandering through the forest, until you get to a wide dirt road. The dirt road continues uphill for sometime, passing a picnic table to the left. Toward the top of the dirt road trail, you’ll begin to get some nice views of the Waianae Coast. The vast ocean will be your view, so be on the lookout for whales.

Shade. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

That’s Laura, she was the HTMC hike coordinator for this particular trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

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Awakening Kauai’s Sleeping Giant on the Nounou-East Trail

by Coty on April 25, 2013 in Hikes with No comments

The Nounou Trail, commonly referred to as the Sleeping Giant Trail, served as my introduction to hiking in Kauai. We reserved the second day of our Kauai trip for this particular hike, however, we didn’t know whether or not we would be able to do it because of the island-wide flash flood warnings that were issued the day before. Not letting the weather get in our way, we decided to check out the trail anyway after first getting our fill of pancakes at Eggbert’s. The risk paid off, and we were rewarded with stunning views of the Kapaa coastline, Wailua River, and Mount Waialeale.

There are three different ways of tackling the Nounou Trail. You can take either the east route, west route, or the Kuamoo-Nounou route. We decided on the Nounou-East route, because the trailhead was closest to our hotel. In fact, if you find yourself on vacation in Kapaa, then the Nounou Trail will make for the perfect outing since it’s located right in your backyard.

The Nounou Trail is well maintained. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

We did notice some erosion. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Joel checking out his Canon 7D. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Comparing it to Oahu’s trails, I’d have to say that the Nounou Trail is partly like the Kuliouou Trail and partly like Olomana, albeit a much easier version of Olomana. The first half of the trail consists entirely of switchbacks that will have you cutting through ironwood and guava trees. You’ll continue on this portion of the trail for roughly two miles until you reach a picnic table. They have mile markers, in 0.25 mile increments, that you will pass as you work your way up. The picnic table area is known affectionately as the “Giant’s chest” and marks the end of the first half of the hike. Guidebooks will often say that this is where most people should stop and only the more adventurous should continue.

The views from the start are very nice! Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Even Joel thought the view was nice. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Eventually, you reach a very nice scenic lookout. It makes for a great place to snap a photo. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

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Wailua Falls: Up Close and Personal With Kauai’s Popular 173 Foot Tall Waterfall

by Coty on April 18, 2013 in Hikes with No comments

Wailua Falls is one of the most popular and most visited sites in Hawaii. It is undoubtedly an itinerary staple for any first time visitor to Kauai. Why? Because it’s a spectacular waterfall that can be easily accessed and viewed. However, for many, the view of Wailua Falls comes from the official lookout point at the end of Maalo Road (Highway 583). We wanted to get closer to Wailua Falls. Really close. We wanted to go down to the base of the waterfall. And so we did. The view down below did not disappoint.

With about 30 or so people viewing Wailua Falls from the lookout, we made our way down using a makeshift trail located just before the lookout. We jumped over the guardrail, where there was some crumpled down fencing. The trail begins to the left of the fencing. The hike down is short. Actually, it’s very short at 0.20 miles. However, the area is very slippery and very steep in sections. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the bottom of the falls.

View from the top of Wailua Falls. This is what you see at the lookout. Pretty spectacular. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

Would you jump off the top? Photo by Joel Sabugo.

Although the trail is closed, there were ropes installed to assist with the down climb. However, I have read that the state is known to the remove the ropes to prevent people from hiking down there. Obviously, they are worried about liability. This comes after two women died while trying to hike down to the nearby Opaekaa Falls in December 2006. In March 2012, the state reached a settlement with the families of the two hikers in the amount of $15.4 million. The lesson here? If you’re unsure of your abilities, or simply don’t like to leave things to chance, then stay at the lookout point and do not attempt to go to the bottom of the falls.

Down below is where the awesome is. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

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Waikiki Historic Trail: Conquering the Educational Honolulu Urban Hike at Night

by Marvin on April 14, 2013 in Beaches, Hikes, Photography, Sights with 8 Comments

Marker 1 of the Waikiki Historic Trail

Throughout the most popular spots in Waikiki exists 23 markers for an urban trail. While it is easy to stumble upon a few of them simply by chance, visiting all takes some effort. Most of the markers are wooden surfboards with both images and text that narrate the history of Waikiki. Building upon the efforts of Troy Solano, I was able to finish the whole trail over 2 days while also practicing long exposure night shots.

Troy became interested in the urban hike a few months ago after finding an essay documenting all the markers. Despite becoming the laughing stock of the hiking community for his ridiculous mission, Troy would finish the trail over 3 days. The final day of his hike also included me and allowed me to see a few of the markers before attempting the whole thing at night. The following will list all the markers’ locations as well as images from nearby locations. Detailed information about what is found on the markers can be found here and here.

The first marker, pictured above and titled “Beaches”, is found where Monsarrat Ave. and Kalakaua Ave. merge. This marker details the four nearby sections of Outrigger Canoe Club, Sans Souci, Kapi’olani Park and Queen’s Surf.

Walkway next to Marker 2

Continue walking West on Kalakaua and soon you’ll find another surfboard. “Waikiki” explains the popularity of surfing in the area as well as the importance of streams leaving the Ko’olaus. While on the walkway taking pictures of that patio thing, a local became interested in what I was doing and let me know about some dark areas on the Windward side as I was here trying to get some star shots near the current New Moon. He would also let me know my pronunciation of Hawaiian names was very good. Just wanted to let everyone know.

Marker 3 near Ala Wai canal

This marker has you leave Kalakaua temporarily to visit Ala Wai canal. Walk up Kapahulu Ave. then head left on Ala Wai to reach this marker. “Queen Liliuokalani” shows how Waikiki began as an agricultural community to become what it is today.

Waterfall near Marker 4

Head back down to Kalakaua and head West again. Soon, you will find a statue of Prince Kuhio, along with an urban waterfall just a little more West. The marker here will tell you the story of Prince Kuhio. Continue reading →

Hoopii Falls: A Short Hike Along The Kapaa Stream to Two Gushing Waterfalls

by Coty on April 9, 2013 in Hikes with No comments

It wasn’t supposed to be this way, but due to the weather, it turned out this way. Joel and I had planned on focusing on the Kokee area of Kauai during our recent visit. However, Mother Nature had a different idea. The forecast suggested heavy showers and on the evening that we arrived in Kauai, with the National Weather Service later putting out a warning for flash flooding. It turned out that nearly 21 inches of rain fell in the Kokee area between the first two days of our trip. The rain would continue to fall heavily in the surrounding areas. Kokee was out of the question. As an alternative plan, we decided to focus on Kapaa, the surrounding area, and the North Shore. These areas were receiving the least amount of rain fall. This Kokee trip officially turned into a Kauai waterfall trip.

Hoopii Falls would be the first adventure on our to-do list. To access the trail, we took Highway 56 and turned on Kawaihau Road and then made a right at Kapahi Road. The trailhead was to our left. Be on the lookout for a rusty old yellow gate, covered with greenery and vines. The trailhead is located in a quiet residential area, so please be as ninja-like as possible when parking and accessing the trail. Parking is limited, so the early bird gets the worm (or the parking) so to speak. We decided to check out the trail early in the morning (8am) and were the first to snatch a parking spot, right alongside the trailhead.

Wide open trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Our first view of Kapaa Stream. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Very quickly, we reached Upper Hoopii Falls. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Joel taking the second left down to the falls. I recommend taking the third left. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

You’ll begin the trail by trekking on an old dirt road. After about a quarter mile or so, the trail will open up and you will notice multiple side trails to your left, bringing you down to the stream level. You’ll notice a distinct trail that will have you walking alongside the stream. You’ll gain elevation a bit, but you’ll be able to hear the stream to your left. Eventually, you will hear the sound of Upper Hoopii Falls. Next, you’ll notice a side trail leading steeply down and back toward the stream. We skipped this first side trail and took the next one a few feet away. It was still very steep, but led us directly to Upper Hoopii Falls. Going back up, we noticed a third side trail that was much more gradual and not as steep as the first two options. I’d suggest taking the the third left down to the waterfall.

We spent a considerable amount of time at the upper falls. The recent rains caused the falls to have a very nice and heavy flow. In other words, it was a “majah rajah,” as some local waterfall enthusiast would say. Once you’ve had enough of Upper Hoopii Falls, you will want to backtrack and make your way back to the main trail.

Upper Hoopii Falls. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

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From Papali Uka Ridge to The Forbidden Castle Trail in Punaluu Valley

by Coty on April 2, 2013 in Hikes with 3 Comments

Note: Access to the Castle Trail has been restricted since construction started on it in 1906 and closed to recreational hikers since 1923 (Ball, 2012). The land that the Castle Trail is on is owned by the Bishop Estate. Neither the Bishop Estate or the State of Hawaii have any plans to open the trail to the general public. It is illegal to hike this trail and to do so would be cause for citation or arrest. There is also a risk of falling boulders, landslides, falling off a cliff, and drowning. As such, all accounts here are fictional. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Adobe Photoshop is a wonderful piece of software that allows one to superimpose another into a photo making it seem as if they were somewhere when if fact they were not. This is an account of what would have happened IF we had actually decided to hike this trail.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to hike with Stuart Ball, author of The Hikers Guide to Oahu. He led a group of hikers from the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club (HTMC) on a hike up to Puu O Hulu, on the Waianae Coast. During the hike, I had the chance to ask Stuart a wealth of different questions. One of the questions that I posed to him was in regards to his favorite hike on the island. His definitive answer was: The Castle Trail. Prior to this, the Castle Trail had been on my long list of must-do hikes on the island. Access issues and community resistance had kept me away. But now, Stuart peaked my interest. My ears pointed upward as if I was a starving dog with a piece of meat being waved in front of me.

Orange Gatorade is the best. Photo by Allison Baird.

Sense of accomplishment. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

And here’s a picture that Joel took. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

Coincidentally, the day after my conversational hike with Stuart Ball up Puu O Hulu, I received a message from Marvin Chandra. Marvin was a regular blogger here at Exploration: Hawaii. We’d fallen out of touch, and had rarely spoken since March of 2012. He had mentioned some things from his hike the day before, but then he asked if I wanted to do the Castle Trail with him the following week. Weird, I thought to myself. What are the chances? I took this as a sign that now was the perfect time to tackle this mythical trail.

The route that we chose to take was the same route that Ball had suggested to me. We would start by making our way through the state maintained Maakua Ridge Trail, eventually connecting with a junction that would bring us up Papali Uka Ridge, and then we would make our way down Castle Trail. With Marvin’s previous experience on the trail and some tips from other hikers, we estimated the hike to be in the ballpark of eight to ten hours. We would be in for a relatively long day, a mini-grinder, so to speak.

Early portion of Papali Uka Ridge. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Silly Rabbits. Group Photo! Photo by Coty Gonzales.

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A Sunrise Hike To The Koolau Summit

by Coty on March 25, 2013 in Hikes with No comments

Last January, Michelle and I decided to catch a sunrise together. This came after she revealed to me that she has never watched the sun rise before. This needed to be corrected, and quickly. So I suggested a sunrise hike to the Koolau Summit. We woke up at 4am in the morning, drove east toward Hawaii Kai and then proceeded to hike up to the Koolau’s. Doesn’t sound very safe, huh? The hike up is actually very safe and takes roughly thirty minutes. Just remember to bring headlamps or flashlights. Once you do get to the top, you are rewarded with stunning views overlooking Waimanalo. I’m pretty sure that she had a good time.

Michelle, waiting for the sun to rise. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Coty, waiting for the sun to rise. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Almost there. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

And finally, the sun begins to rise over Waimanalo. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

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Waimalu to Waimano: Visiting the most Mythical of Ko’olau Meadows

by Marvin on March 22, 2013 in Hikes with 6 Comments

Troy in the middle of the meadows

One of the interesting findings along the spine of the Ko’olaus is the grassy plateaus that are often completely windswept and accompanied by incredible views of Windward Oahu. More common in Central Oahu, these meadows are spread out along the Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST, or KSRT [Ko’olau Summit Ridge Trail] when discussing the sections East of Kipapa) and take some effort to reach. Possibly the most prized of these meadows would be the one in Waimalu.

The Waimalu meadow is the largest of the meadows and is considered a ‘mythical’ spot by ‘hikers’. This meadow is also known as ‘land of the lost’ as it looks completely different from anything else you may have seen in all of Hawaii, or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

HTMC stop point for Waimalu Ditch Trail

On this day, I would join Troy, Thessa, Andrew, and Jose on a day long trek from Waimalu to Waimano. Instead of simply going up and down the Waimalu Middle ridge to visit the meadows, we decided to make it a crossover hike where we would come down the Waimano trail in Pearl City. This would make the day less boring and also allow us to enjoy the views for a longer period of time as we would traverse the KSRT for a bit over an hour if the weather cooperated (Spoiler alert! – It would phenomenally).

Arriving at the Waimalu summit

The day started with all of us meeting at McDonald’s, the home of the Big Mac and all your other favorite burgers, at the bottom of Waimano Home Rd. We would then all drive to the end of said road to stage 2 cars then continue on to Onikiniki Pl. to reach the start of the Waimalu Ditch trail. As usual for staging cars, remember to leave a change of clothes and refreshments in the cars you would reach at the end of the hike (very easy to forget) and take care when parking in neighborhoods (never block driveways or mailboxes). Both parking locations seemed safe, although none of the cars were mine so it didn’t matter to me how safe these locations were.

Playing in the meadow

From Onikiniki Pl., head towards the security check-in and to your left you will see the beginning of the ditch trail. Begin the trail and soon you will reach a junction, go left and you will begin to lose elevation as you head West but soon the trail will turn North towards the summit. The trail was fairly obvious when we went, and you will spend about 2 hours doing the traditional ditch trail before you reach the Waimalu Middle ridge that will finally take you to the meadows. On the ditch trail, you’ll cross 8 streams before reaching the 3 ribbon HTMC rest stop with a large pool (although HTMC went further in their last outing on this trail).

From this rest spot, continue the trail by crossing the stream and you will encounter another stream crossing with a not so obvious rope that directs you up the next section. From here, navigate to the ridge that is just a bit to the right of the stream bed. There are ribbons leading to it, but this area was terribly overgrown and finding the base was not easy. Once on the ridge though, the trail is fairly wide open for a non-state trail that isn’t that popular. There is only one route so don’t worry about getting lost here even if socked in.

At the base of the ridge, you’ll be at about 600ft elevation and will need to gain about 2000ft before reaching the summit. There are a few steep sections and a couple narrow spots as well which must be carefully navigated if windy. The first half is nothing exciting; it’ll be a relentless climb up for the most part. On the upper sections, you’ll get clear views of the surrounding ridges, including Waiau on the left and Halawa and Aiea on the right. You may even see an upside-down waterfall on the side of Waiau if it has been raining recently.

Expect the ridge to take between 2 and 4hrs. We would reach the Waimalu summit in about 5.5 hours total starting from the parking lot that included plenty of breaks. With his extra lanky and extra white legs, Andrew set a nice, brisk pace during the final stretch of the ridge which is most demanding as it has you climb many mossy sections that quickly suck the energy out of you.

Waihe’e valley on the left and the meadows on the right

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A Memorable Hike with Local Author Stuart Ball

by Coty on March 20, 2013 in Hikes with 7 Comments

I rarely hike a trail twice. This is becoming increasingly difficult, though, as I complete more and more of Oahu’s hiking trails. In search of a unique hike to do, I began skimming through the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club’s (HTMC) outing schedule. I noticed that local author, Stuart Ball, would be leading a hike to Puu O Hulu. Without hesitation, I decided to revisit this little puu on the Waianae Coast that looms over Maili, with the added benefit of being able to pick the mind of a local hiking and backpacking legend.

Joel and Allison making their way up the rocky trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Makeshift Afro. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

Lita excited about this rockface, which is not part of the trail! Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Stuart Ball looks on as Lita scales the small rockface. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

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Kaunala Loop Trail: Part Hiking Trail and Part Dirt Road

by Coty on March 18, 2013 in Hikes with No comments

The Kaunala Loop Trail, located in Pupukea on the North Shore, is an interesting hike. Some might classify only half of this trail as a hike, with the other half being walking on an excruciatingly long and boring road. Okay, maybe the walk down the road isn’t that excruciating, but, for some reason, when it’s asphalt my feet is walking on, I tend to get tired (probably from boredom) very quickly. Not to say that the entirety of this hike was boring, it wasn’t. In fact, it had its share of pleasant delights.

Cross this gate to and walk the dirt road to reach the trailhead. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Weird and random art. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Interesting structure. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The trailhead will be on your left. You can see the yellow and brown Na Ala Hele trailhead signs in the photo. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

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All posts in Hikes

Kuaokala Trail: A State Trail With Restricted Trailhead Access

Awakening Kauai’s Sleeping Giant on the Nounou-East Trail

Wailua Falls: Up Close and Personal With Kauai’s Popular 173 Foot Tall Waterfall

Waikiki Historic Trail: Conquering the Educational Honolulu Urban Hike at Night

Hoopii Falls: A Short Hike Along The Kapaa Stream to Two Gushing Waterfalls

From Papali Uka Ridge to The Forbidden Castle Trail in Punaluu Valley

A Sunrise Hike To The Koolau Summit

Waimalu to Waimano: Visiting the most Mythical of Ko’olau Meadows

A Memorable Hike with Local Author Stuart Ball

Kaunala Loop Trail: Part Hiking Trail and Part Dirt Road

Hiker Falls Near Puu O Kona; Rest In Peace Leslie Charles Merrell

Kaniakapupu: The Summer Home of King Kamehameha III

A Night Hike Escapade Up Diamond Head Crater

How to get to Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven in Hawaii)

How To Get To Sacred Falls (Kaliuwa’a) and the Legend of the Demigod Kamapua’a

Kuaokala Trail: A State Trail With Restricted Trailhead Access

Discovering The Art of Herb Kane at The Grand Wailea

Instagram Hawaii Spotting: Volume 5

Standing on the Edge of Haleakala

Awakening Kauai’s Sleeping Giant on the Nounou-East Trail

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