All posts tagged Death

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

by Coty on March 18, 2012 in Hikes with 31 Comments

Leslie Charles Merrell was the father of two children. Leslie was a carpenter and an avid hiker. He was the organizer of the Oahu Hikers and Adventurers group on Meetup.com and helped to plan many fun hiking excursions for Hawaii’s residents. Merrell, originally from Carrollton, Georgia, was a widowed husband and the father to two little girls.

On March 18, 2012, Merrell took part in a hike through Oahu Hikers and Adventurers. The plan was to do Bear Claw to Pu’u Kona down Kuliouou West (near the traditional Kuliouou Ridge Trail). The Meetup was scheduled to start at 8am. On the event page, the following description was used to describe the hike: “If you are not used to scrambling, climbing rocks, walking on narrow ridges , DO NOT sign up for this hike. This is a advanced hike.”

A member of the Oahu Weekend Hikers group on Facebook had been watching the group climb the Bear Claw trail from his home. He posted on the group page at around 1:40pm that “One hiker fell 100 ft on top of Puu O Kona!”

I then received an ominous text from Marvin at around 2:48 pm asking if I heard about Leslie. He had fallen near Puu O’ Kona (Pu’u O Kona is located a short distance from the terminus of the Kuliouou Ridge Trail). A few moments later I received another text from Marvin that they had just pronounced him dead.

I was at a lost for words. It hit me that I actually considered attending this particular meetup.

Apparently, Merrell was holding onto a boulder that dislodged. He fell over 150 feet.

Although I’ve hiked with the OHA group before, I never had the opportunity to hike with Leslie. However, Marvin had hiked with him on numerous occasions. In fact, one of his earliest hikes was with Leslie on the Kamiloiki to Makapu’u trail. More recently, he joined Leslie on a hike to Kaena Point.

Leslie was integral to the Hawaii hiking community. He will be terribly missed. My heart goes out to the Merrell Family and especially to Leslie’s two little girls. May you rest in peace, Leslie.

Rest In Peace Leslie Charles Merrell

UPDATE 3/19/2012: Below is a news report from KHON2 News about Leslie.

News Updates:

Hiker Falls, Dies On Waimanalo Trail -KITV News
Avid hiker dies after falling 150 feet off unsanctioned trail -Brianne Randle for KHON2
Hiker falls to his death on Waimanalo trail -Hawaii News Now
Hiker Falls, Dies On Waimanalo Trail -MSNBC

A scholarship memorial fund has been set up by friends of Leslie Charles Merrell. Donated funds will go toward Merrell’s two daughters.

Leslie Charles Merrell Memorial Fund

China Walls: Cliff Jump Into The Pacific Ocean

by Coty on March 3, 2012 in Beaches with No comments

When heading to to hike the Koko Crater stairs you take a left from Kalanianaole Highway onto Lunalilo Home Road. What if you turn right at Lunalilo Home Road? First of all, you’ll be driving into a residential area that consists of very rich residents. Second, you’ll be en route to a tiny treasure tucked away in Hawaii Kai. China Walls is what the locals call the rocky shoreline diving the Pacific Ocean from Koko Kai Mini Beach Park.

Surfers, they will surf. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Koko Kai Mini Beach Park is, as the name implies, mini. The grassy square lot is located between two residential homes and consists of just a couple of trees and stone tiles leading to the beach. The real treasure of Koko Kai Mini Beach Park is its rocky and cliff-like shoreline. This area is a popular spot used by some of the more extreme local surfers and body boarders. You’ll also find people setting up their fishing poles here. However, the real appeal is the cliff-jumping opportunities offered by the rocky and raised shoreline.

The rocky and raised shoreline of Koko Kai Beach. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

A brave soul goes for it. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Locals love to hang out at China Walls and haphazardly jump into the ocean. If you decide to drive out to his spot with the idea of jumping off the cliff then be sure to bring along your better judgement. Jumping from the cliff is extremely dangerous. Heck, standing near the cliff can be extremely dangerous. The waves here are very powerful. You could easily be swept off the cliff and into the water in a split second. In fact, this recently happened to a friend of mine. When she learned of my visit to China Walls, she messaged me on Facebook, “If you find my knee and my slippers and a pint of blood… bring them back for me.”

Explorers: Coty Gonzales and Joel Sabugo

These two talk it over before deciding whether or not to jump. They jumped in. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Slippery walk. It looks safe but it really isn't, especially if you get too close. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

These guys were here just to watch people jump in, as were we. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

It took this guy a long while before he jumped in. He thought it over a lot. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The two lone fishermen. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Previous catches. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Food for thought and deaths at China Walls:

Directions to Koko Kai Mini Beach Park (China Walls): Take the H-1 east bound toward Hawaii Kai. Continue straight on Kalanianaole Highway (HI-71) and then turn right at Lunalilo Home Road. Turn left on Poipu Drive. Take the 3rd right onto Hanapepe Loop. Take the 2nd right onto Hanapepe Pl. Koko Kai Mini Beach Park is located between two residential homes. Find parking along Hanapepe Loop.

Mount Olomana Part 1: The First Go Around to Ahiki

by Coty on February 21, 2012 in Hikes with 5 Comments

One of the hikes that is considered to be the most treacherous on Oahu is Mount Olomana. This mountain, comprised of three peaks, is located near Kailua and Waimanalo on the Windward side of Oahu. Although the entire mountain is often called Olomana, in truth, that is just the name of the first peak. The second peak is known as Paku’i and the third is Ahiki. On this day, the core Exploration: Hawaii crew (Ahnate, Coty, Joel, and Marvin) showed up to hike, along with one very special guest – Gentaro Shishimi. Gentaro, a native of Japan, is a psychology graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. This was also Gentaro’s first big hike (his previous hiking roster included just Diamond Head and Manoa Falls).

Olomana Trailhead Sign. Remember, no orgies allowed! Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Marvin putting on his microspikes. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Olomana is definitely a challenging hike. From the start, it’s an uphill climb. Once you’re out of the valley, you immediately get gorgeous views of the Windward side. The views of Kailua are stunning.

The Olomana trail is well defined. Just keep following the path upward and work your way to the first peak. In truth, the journey up to the first peak is very doable for the average/novice hiker. It would indeed help if you have a strong cardiovascular system, however, I’ve seen some very out-of-shape people complete the trail up to Peak 1 (the journey to Peak 2 and 3 are a different story). The only real “sketchy” section on the trail up to Peak 1 will be a fairly tall rock wall that will need to be scaled. There are enough hand and foot holds, though, so it is doable. Again, I’ve witnessed some obese (not trying to offend but just trying to give you an idea of the kind of people that I’ve seen on this trail) people do this section. The challenge will be gaining the courage to go up the rock wall. However, if you do decide to continue past this first obstacle, don’t forget that you will need to come down it on the return trip (this might be uncomfortably tricky for those who are afraid of heights).

You'll pass this old structure within the first 2 minutes of the hike. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Once you leave the valley you get an excellent view of Peak 1, Olomana. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Marvin poses with the signature Marvin look. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Once you pass the rock wall, the trip to Peak 1 should be a piece of cake. Of course, “piece of cake” is relative. You should always be aware of your surroundings and realize that the ridge section between the rockface and Peak 1 narrows considerably. Within about 1 hour and 30 minutes, you should reach Peak 1, Olomana. Peak 1 is the highest point on the mountain, with an elevation of 1643 feet. From this 360 degree vantage point, you get the best views that the trail has to offer. On one side is the beautiful Windward Coast, while on the other side is the prominent Koolau Mountain Range. Try your best to make out the different summits along the Koolau Summit Trail.

Since this was the day after Thanksgiving, Ahnate decided to enjoy his packed lunch – an entire Thanksgiving extravaganza including but not limited to turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. I would say that we spent a good 30-45 minutes hanging out atop Peak 1. As soon as the next group of hikers arrived, we decided to pack our things and head to Peak 2, Paku’i.