All posts tagged Kahana Ohana

Piei Makai: Extending Piei to a Loop at the Seaward tip of Pauao Ridge

by Marvin on February 15, 2012 in Hikes with 6 Comments

Jeremy waiting after climbing down the first notch as Jen waits for Cory and Josh to finish

While the traditional Pu’u Piei trail is a simple trail leading to a peak on Pauao ridge on the west rim of Kahana Valley, making a right at the Piei turnover on the ridge introduces you to a much more difficult trail that can be used to loop back into the valley. The Piei Makai trail is short, at around 3 miles total, but can take up to 6 hours to complete due to its 2 major obstacles and many scrambling sections, both up and down.

The trail starts with fairly narrow rocky sections

Baron Yamamoto invited me on this hike with Joshua Serrano and Jeremy Kreis already agreed to join. Later, Cory Yap and Jenelyn Castillo would also agree to join the hike. I have had actually talked with most of them before online but this would be the first time I would meet them in person, except for Jeremy who I ran into when I did Ohulehule.

Cory climbing down as Jen takes pictures and Jeremy, Josh, and Baron wait at the next peak

Jeremy was the first to arrive in Kahana around 6 AM as he planned to make the crossover from Pauao (water tank) to Piei and then would meet us at the Piei summit. The rest of us all got to the park around 8:30 and started towards the Piei trail around 8:45. When I was here the first time, I used the Stuart Ball route by starting on the highway. But this time, Josh would lead us to the starting point from within the valley. We would walk into park, make a right before reaching the orientation center then hop a chain and continue until we found a dry stream to make a left on. From there, it was an obvious trail to the ridge.

Josh and Jeremy

We arrived at the turnover around 10:15. Josh and I elected to wait at turnover while the rest of the group made a left towards the Piei summit to wait for Jeremy, who would finish all of Pauao ridge after today. They intended to wait only until 11 AM and found Jeremy just 4 minutes before they were about to leave. After all of us met up at the turnover, we turned makai to start part of the Pauao ridge none of us had been on before.

Josh climbing down the first notch

The trail is narrow at times and somewhat crumbly. But it was dry when we went and most of the footings were solid enough to not cause any major slips. There are many small saddles on the trail that can at times require actual saddling, but there won’t be any majorly difficult sections until you have to climb down the first notch.

Cory going back to the first notch to find a contour trail around the second notch

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Pu’u Piei: An Excellent Introductory Hike in Glorious Kahana Valley

by Marvin on February 14, 2012 in Hikes with 1 Comment

Andy Dewald, PhD, walking back to the Piei turnover

Pu’u Piei differs from the numerous great hikes in Kahana Valley in that it is short and still offers great views from higher elevations not seen from the valley. The trail is fairly steep at points and some areas get narrow. But overall, it is a basic hike suitable for most skill levels that offers great views during most of the climb.

Hang Gliders over Kahana Bay

There are 2 different ways to approach the trail. There is one that starts inside the valley and another that starts from the highway. We chose the highway version as that is the one described in Stuart’s book (1st edition):

At Punchbowl St. get on Lunalilo Fwy (H-1) heading ‘ewa (west). Take Likelike Hwy (exit 20A, Rte 63 north) up Kalihi Valley through the Wilson Tunnel. The highway forks. Keep right for Kahekili Hwy (Rte 83 west). Kahekili becomes Kamehameha Hwy (still Rte 83), which continues up the windward coast. Drive through the villages of Kahalu‘u and Waiāhole to Ka‘a‘awa. Pass the Crouching Lion Inn on the left. The road curves left to go around Kahana Bay. Cross Kahana Stream on two bridges. By a large palm grove turn left into Kahana Valley State Park. Park in the lot in front of the green Orientation Center on the right. It has rest rooms and drinking water. A shelf by the front door contains park brochures and trail maps.

Bus: Route 55 to the entrance of Kahana Valley State Park. Walk 0.1 mile along the park access road to the Orientation Center.

Ball, Stuart M., Jr. (2000-09-01). The Hikers Guide to the O’ahu, Rev. Ed. (Kindle Locations 3676-3688). Latitude 20. Kindle Edition.

Main attractions you will see

From the parking lot, head back towards the highway and make a left (or right if parked on the beach). While walking along the road, keep an eye on the utility poles on your left, you will need to turn soon after finding number 313. Walk a little passed utility pole #313 until you see an entrance into the forest. Inside, make a right and you will soon see some stones on the ground creating a trail. Follow it and you’ll soon find some man made stairs leading you up to the trail. After following the stairs, you will make a left on the junction on the obvious trail. Follow this until you are forced to go right and you will see some ribbons leading to a trail going up after hopping over a then dry stream.

Watch out for drop-offs and some crumbly sections before summiting

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Pu’u Manamana: An Exciting Narrow and Rocky Trail in Kahana Valley

by Marvin on February 9, 2012 in Hikes with 2 Comments

Katherine photo-bombs an otherwise nice view of the Windward coast. Photo by Marvin.

In early August, soon after we all came back to Hawaii from Boston from a Cognitive Science conference, Katherine invited us on a hike. Ahnate and I were the only ones available that day to join her and I was the one who would end up picking the trail. I chose Manamana as it was highly recommended by Laredo when I first met him on Haiku Stairs back in June. At that point, Manamana was on top of my to-hike list and it did not disappoint. Still today, this is one of my favorite hikes and the views are simply unrivaled on Oahu.

Climbing towards the ridge. Photo by Marvin, Processed by Katherine.

Manamana is a fairly popular trail on the island and it is known best for its narrow ridges that provide excellent views of the windward coast as well as Kahana Valley. One can get here by following what our old friend Stuart has to say:

At Punchbowl St. get on Lunalilo Fwy (H-1) heading ‘ewa (west). Take Likelike Hwy (exit 20A, Rte 63 north) up Kalihi Valley through the Wilson Tunnel. The highway forks. Keep right for Kahekili Hwy (Rte 83 west). Kahekili becomes Kamehameha Hwy (still Rte 83), which continues up the windward coast. Drive through the villages of Kahalu‘u and Waiāhole to Ka‘a‘awa. Pass Swanzy Beach Park on the right and the Crouching Lion Inn on the left. There are rest rooms and drinking water at the park. The road curves left to go around Kahana Bay. Park on the right shoulder just before the road swings right and crosses Kahana Stream. The spot is near a bus stop and a rock with a missing plaque.

Bus: Route 55 to the trailhead.

Route Description Walk back along Kamehameha Hwy toward the Crouching Lion Inn. Pass a short guardrail on the right with a Rte 83 sign near it. At the first utility pole past the guard rail, turn right into the forest on an indistinct trail. Across the road is a line of ironwood trees and Huilua fishpond.

Ball, Stuart M., Jr. (2000-09-01). The Hikers Guide to the O’ahu, Rev. Ed. (Kindle Locations 3422-3436). Latitude 20. Kindle Edition.

As you are walking on the freeway, there should be a ribbon to your right not too far from the bus stop. The trail will start out steep and a bit crumbly. There are no gradual inclines here; it starts as a lung burner. As you get closer to the Manamana ridgeline, you will make a right onto the main trail. There should be some ribbons at the early portions of the trail. The trail will then become obvious until you reach the rainforest area.

Many photo-ops for Facebook profiles; Photo by Marvin. Processed by Katherine.

The Manamana ridge offers many opportunities to take pictures of the valley and the coast as you go along the trail. One downside here, however, is that you will be exposed to the sun for many parts of the hike and that could be frustrating on a hot day. It also rains a lot in this area so you won’t have any cover from the rain as well.

Ahnate climbing down. Photo by Katherine.

The majority of the first hour or so is walking on an even, sturdy rocky trail with some rock climbing and scrambling. There may or may not be ropes in certain sections, although they are not completely required. Many climbs can be done in a few basic moves, although much caution must be taken as a slip will cause a long fall.

Cloudy day in Kahana Valley. Photo by Katherine.

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Pu’u O Kila: Steep and Narrow Climb in the Heart of Kahana Valley

by Marvin on January 11, 2012 in Hikes with 2 Comments

Laredo talks about True Manamana, which he was the first to complete with Pete Clines, as we descend from O Kila.

Pu’u O Kila sits in the back of Kahana Valley and is connected to and is shadowed by Pu’u Ohulehule with just one peak separating them (Koiele). The climb to the peak is steep and often times overgrown. There is some danger as there are many narrow, brittle, and steep ridge sections. Overall, it is an easier climb than Ohulehule but still requires great effort and care to summit.

Laredo shares stories as he leads us

This was a hike set up by O’ahu Hikers and Adventurers and was led by Laredo Muredo and Quyen Nguyen. We were additionally joined by Ken, Pat and John. Laredo (aka Da Rainbow Man, LaRambo) is best known for being the weekday security guard at Stairway to Heaven (Haiku stairs). He has also recently completed the whole Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST) from Makapu’u to Pupukea after completing the Kalihi Saddle. He had originally completed all portions of the KST over 10 years ago but required only the Kalihi Saddle to finish.

An unconventional bunker in the jungle

The trail starts in Kahana Valley on the Nokoa trail just as Ohulehule. Although where one starts on the Nokoa trail differs. Directions to Kahana Valley trail from Stuart Ball:

 At Punchbowl St. get on Lunalilo Fwy (H-1) heading ‘ewa (west).

Take Likelike Hwy (exit 20A, Rte 63 north) up Kalihi Valley through the Wilson Tunnel.

The highway forks. Keep right for Kahekili Hwy (Rte 83 west).

Kahekili becomes Kamehameha Hwy (still Rte 83), which continues up the windward coast. Drive through the villages of Kahalu‘u and Waiāhole to Ka‘a‘awa.

Pass the Crouching Lion Inn on the left.

The road curves left to go around Kahana Bay.

Cross Kahana Stream on two bridges.

By a large palm grove turn left into Kahana Valley State Park.

Pass the green Orientation Center on the right.

It has rest rooms and drinking water.

A shelf by the front door contains park brochures and trail maps.

Drive another 0.5 mile into the valley on the paved road.

Ball, Stuart M., Jr. (2000-09-01). The Hikers Guide to the O’ahu, Rev. Ed. (Kindle Locations 3548-3560). Latitude 20. Kindle Edition.

 

Once you are parked just outside the residential area, walk through the neighborhood until you reach a hunter check-in station. Go right and you will continue along a long paved road until you meet a fence. Near the fence, there will be a sign for the Nokoa trail on your left. Start on this trail and you will find yourself on a straightforward trek to a set of stone bunkers. As you arrive at the bunkers, find some ribbons on the right side. If you go left, you will continue along the Nokoa trail and eventually exit the Nokoa trail.

From here, Laredo took a shortcut to the O Kila ridge and I didn’t keep good record of how the trail followed. But here is a guide from a more competent blogger from after you pass the bunkers:

You will soon reach a thick bamboo grove at the edge of the stream. Cross the shallow stream. Continue along the trail, again keeping an eye out for ribbons. The stream will immediately come into view on the right. Cross again to a narrow strip leading toward the left side of the stream. Walk along the boulders and pick up a trail coming out of the stream. Walk a short ways and take a left. This left is the start of the ridge heading to the top of Pu’u O Kila

Prepare for an overgrown and slippery climb

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Pu’u Ohulehule: The Towering Peak of Windward Oahu

by Marvin on January 2, 2012 in Hikes with 6 Comments
Clearest day

One of the clearest days from the summit

Pu’u Ohulehule is a dominating peak in Hau’ula that sits in the back of Ka’a’awa and Kahana Valley. The peak can easily be seen when one is on the Windward side of Oahu, and it can be seen from as far as Pali lookout. The peak is also a prominent feature from the Poamoho summit. There are multiple ways to summit the pyramidal mountain. The Southeast and Northwest are the most common routes with NW being the most common and safest. The NW route is first covered in this post.

Kahana Valley Park

Directions: The trail begins once you enter Kahana Valley Park. From Stuart Ball’s The Hiker’s Guide to Oahu:

At Punchbowl St. get on Lunalilo Fwy (H-1) heading ‘ewa (west). Take Likelike Hwy (exit 20A, Rte 63 north) up Kalihi Valley through the Wilson Tunnel. The highway forks. Keep right for Kahekili Hwy (Rte 83 west). Kahekili becomes Kamehameha Hwy (still Rte 83), which continues up the windward coast. Drive through the villages of Kahalu‘u and Waiāhole to Ka‘a‘awa. Pass the Crouching Lion Inn on the left. The road curves left to go around Kahana Bay. Cross Kahana Stream on two bridges. By a large palm grove turn left into Kahana Valley State Park. Pass the green Orientation Center on the right. It has rest rooms and drinking water.

Ball, Stuart M., Jr. (2000-09-01). The Hikers Guide to the O’ahu, Rev. Ed. (Kindle Locations 3548-3560). Latitude 20. Kindle Edition.

There will be many parking spots available right before you enter the residential area. Walk through the residential area on the paved road while avoiding unneeded conflicts with residents or their dogs! You will soon find a hunter sign-in booth. Go left and you will find a gravel road on the left and the trailhead sign for the Nokoa trail on the right. Go left on the wide gravel/muddy road and soon you will find a dam reservoir to walk over.

Dam reservoir crossing

Walk slowly over the reservoir as the flow can be strong during flash flood times. Continue on the trail (you’re still on the Nokoa trail) until you see the following sign:

The Ohulehule trail

Don’t go either left or right as the sign suggests but go behind the sign into the forest in the narrow trail you see in the image. This will take you off the Nokoa trail and you will begin the trek towards Pu’u Ohulehule. As you continue on, the trail will be well marked. If you do find an unmarked junction, stay right. While many places are overgrown, the trail should always be obvious. If you venture for too long without an obvious trail, you may have made a wrong turn and should backtrack. From the junction of Nokoa trail it is a fairly straight line towards the top of Ohulehule.

Deep stream crossing

There will be a few more stream crossings on your journey. There is one deep one to note. This was belt high for me and could be much higher if it had rained recently. Be careful crossing this one as the flow may be very strong in the rainy season. The deep crossing will soon come after you are off the Nokoa trail. Stay right as you head this way, venturing left will lead you off the main path and can make it difficult to find a way back in the maze of bamboo.

Steep climbs

Summiting Ohulehule requires a lot of climbing, particularly a couple of very steep sections towards the end. This includes gaining about 1600 feet in elevation in the last .75 miles and 600 feet in the final .25 miles. There are plenty of ropes that can be used for assistance, although many anchors are decaying so use caution. There are also many strong trees and clumps of grass that will aid you. While steep, there is no real danger until you get to the highest point as there will be some fairly narrow areas to cross. Take your time with the climbs as they will be tiring.

From the top, Chinaman’s Hat

The top offers a grand view of the Windward side. Manamana, Ka’a’awa valley, Kanehoalani and Chinaman’s Hat are prominent on the left side of the view while many valleys are observed on the right side if the weather cooperates. On my return trip, I also ran into Jeremy Kreis and Allegra Coleman as they passed me by. Small island!

The Ohulehule route and neighboring locations

Pu’u Ohulehule NW is an advanced trail that requires steep sections to be climbed. It is often not dangerous but one should be aware that the trail can be slippery and you may fall quite a bit on the trail if you lose your footing. Also be ready for the stream crossings. Reconsider if there are flash flood conditions and protect you electronics! The trail ends up being very fun and the adventure from Kahana Valley Park can take anywhere between 6 and 8 hours depending on your speed. The view at the top is one of the best on the island and my favorite.

Group panorama

Some people on the summit 

Update: Since my original trek, I’ve made it up to the summit a few more times with various groups and different routes. The trail is currently cleared by HTMC occasionally and this helps keep the trail fairly wide until you reach the steep climbs. Although even after clearings, there are still many serrated leaves on the ground that warrant at least long socks to make the trek less painful.

O Kila to Ohulehule One not too common route to the summit is to go up O Kila in the same valley then to crossover to Ohulehule via the Kahana saddle. Once at the top of O Kila, elect to go right of the geocache/traditional ways down and you will find a trail leading to Koiele and Ohulehule. As you begin the saddle, the first and main obstacle appears almost right away. There will be a short but completely vertical muddy wall that you will need to descend. Ropes can be easily set up here but there will still be a problem with footing (especially for the shorter folks). Aside from just jumping down, an easy way to navigate this section is to look for the root going down the wall to use that to slide down.

Koiele is the peak that marks the half way point of the saddle, and it is also connected to the Ko’olaus via the Waikane saddle. The route to Koiele is narrow and sometimes crumbly. There will be a couple short notches that you will need to climb, although very crumbly, there are many holds. The trees on the saddle are very brittle, make sure to hold the bottom if you choose to use them. There will be a lot of contouring required as the trail is both narrow and overgrown. Once on Koiele, the remainder of the saddle is relatively simple. There will still be some steep drops but the trail is wider and less stupid.

Soon you’ll reach the Ohulehule NW ridge and you can finally summit. Coming down the NW ridge will finish the loop. Expect between 9 and 11 hours for this loop. Timing will largely depend on how clear both the saddle and the O Kila trail currently is.

Nani on the summit

Nani on Ohulehule 

Ohulehule Southeast ridge

A more common alternate route is the Ohulehule SE ridge. While this generally takes around 3.5hrs to reach the summit, about the same time as NW ridge, it poses many more challenge and a much higher level of danger. Starting at the end of Haupoa St., make a right in the forest and you will be on the trail for SE ridge. The ridge is straightforward, it contains a number of rockfaces but many can be easily contoured if you choose to do so. The final area is the trickiest and cannot be contoured, however. The end of the hike has a long, steep and crumbly wall waiting for you. The ground is very crappy, and the climbing aides here are weathered and weak. Bring your own ropes for this final section. The area even before the final section will be very crumbly and narrow and a lot of caution is needed. With the increased number of hikers on this ridge over the last couple of years, the overgrowth is not as terrible as previously reported. Some of the areas will only get worse as traffic increases.

The traditional route to Ohulehule is enjoyable and provides one of the best hiking rewards on a clear day. If you find the NW ridge too boring, consider one of the more difficult routes to the top of this summit.

All pictures and write up created by: Marvin