All posts tagged Ko’olau

Chase Norton’s Koolau Summit 8 Day Thru Hike: Part 1 (Chapters 1-3)

by Coty on April 11, 2012 in Hikes with 4 Comments

On April 1, Georgia born Chase Norton completed an amazing feat of fortitude, strength, and bravery. Norton became the first person to hike the entire length of the Koolau Mountain Range on a single try. His journey began on March 25 as he embarked from Pupukea and ended on, of most days, April 1 when he descended the Makapuu end of the Koolau mountains. It often takes people months, years, or even decades to complete what Norton did. Impressively, he was able to do it in seven days with minimal gear.

The announcement of Norton’s accomplishment was first announced by Nate Yuen on the popular Facebook group, Oahu Weekend Hikers. Immediately, the Hawaii hiking community cheered on Norton’s efforts. Jay Feldman, president of the Hawaii Trail & Mountain Club, exclaimed “Congratulations!! That’s an amazing and intrepid feat.” Jeremy Kreis, someone who has also completed the KST (in segments), was simply amazed by how lightly Norton packed for his 8 day trip, “Wow, you packed light.”

In 1979, Hawaii hiking pioneer Silver Piliwale attempted the same trail. The then 78 year old Piliwale stopped short of completing the entire KST when he exited Moanalua Valley on the 5th day of his trek. Thirty-three years later, Norton was able to complete what the agile Piliwale could not. Norton was nice enough to allow me to share his experience in his own words.

Below is Part 1 (Chapters 1-3) of Chase Norton’s personal report posted with his permission.

Chapter 1: The Motivation

It all began in 2009 while in a pub with a discussion I was having with a good friend and hiking buddy, Chappy. I wanted to do more backpacking around Oahu, both for the experience and to make use of all the new gear I had recently purchased from REI. After a couple of beers the talked turned to an argument about hiking the entire Koolau summit in a single trip. I was ignorant, reckless and far too confident in my hiking abilities but was adamant it could be done. Of course, this was before I had ever hiked on Oahu. He rightfully laughed at my desires and let me know that even in sections it could not be completed let alone in a full backpacking trip.

Chase getting ready to hike.

This was the time the seed was planted especially for the section hiking of the Koolau summit. As I was doing some of those northern portions or the saddles the motivation transitioned from proving a friend wrong to my own desire to find and push my limits. From that day forward both consciously and unconsciously I began making the necessary changes in myself to prepare and execute a thru hike of the Koolau summit. I hiked more and started to learn and understand the mountains on Oahu. Through these hikes I would meet other hikers who seemed to share the same opinions as Chappy, which simply furthered my desire to take on the impossible. We all want to make our mark in this world.

From that initial argument, I started with the southern portions from Makapuu to Konahuanui. Actually, it took over a year to hike those sections. Some sections I would repeat until I knew them very well. Still, I am not sure why it took so long and now that I’ve done it all in one day, it is even more comical. Regardless, it took me a year to section hike it.

After the southern portion, I turned my focus to the saddles. These were the sections most people argued were undoable. For a long time I was working on the Pali Notches but continually failed in my attempts. I went up many times, perhaps six or seven attempts, but always got stuck at the nub and/or chimney. Then I got distracted by the Piliwale ridge and making route on that ridge. Honestly, after some time I had begun to just let the whole dream go. I guess this is where the drive to prove a friend wrong started to diminish and I started to consider the entire section hike undoable. It wasn’t until I was camping at a bluegrass festival in the Botanical Gardens in Kaneohe that I started to look at the saddles in profile and the gears started turning in my head.

One fateful day, I called up a good friend, Matthew, to see if he would join me up Lanihuli and descend down the Kalihi saddle. If that didn’t look good then we could descend down to the Pali. I don’t think he knew what he was getting himself into, but he agreed. The following Sunday we headed up and after some time scouting we agreed to attempt bottom up approach from the Pali as soon as we could get the time.

The following weekend Matt and I decided to first attempt the Notches on Saturday. After all those months of failure, we were able to complete and get past all the obstacles I had previously failed to conquer. Having someone else there to discuss a problem with, share in the fear and the reward, can sometimes change what might seem impossible. The next day Matt had contacted a friend, Duc, and his hiking friends Rasta and Laredo…people who I have now come to both call friends and highly respect. We asked them to join us for a Pali to Lanihuli attempt. Long story short, we made it up and I got to see what hiking with a solid team was really like much different than most of my solo missions.

With the Pali saddle completed in one weekend, the passion of a full section hike was reignited, but now had become a personal obsession void of any outside influences. I still did not know what the northern sections were like or the two other saddles, but soon I would find out.

Early on in his KST hike.

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Manoa Cliff and Pu’u Ohia: A Hike Beyond Tantalus Lookout

by Coty on February 13, 2012 in Hikes with 8 Comments

If you’re looking to do a quick hike in the Honolulu area then set your sights on one of the trails that make up the Honolulu Mauka Trail System. We’ve covered the Makiki Valley Loop Trail in the past when we connected the Maunalaha and Kanealole Trails. More recently, we explored ourbackyard once again by paying a visit to the Manoa Cliff Trail and connecting it with the Pu’u Ohia Trail. The route discussed here is a quick 3.5 mile loop that can be completed in under 1 hour and 30 minutes.

The Trailhead to the Manoa Cliff Trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The initial portion of the trail is very wide open. Actually, no part of this trail is dangerously narrow. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Finding this trail is particularly easy. You will simply need to drive up Round Top Drive past Tanatalus Lookout and Pu’u Ualaaka Park. As you drive up you will pass a few hiking trailheads. The Manoa Cliff trailhead will be located on your right just before 4059 Round Top Drive. There is a parking lot on the left side of the road where the trailhead for another hike, Moleka Trail, is located.

As with many of the hikes in this area, Manoa Cliff Trail is very lush and green, and can be very muddy. Fortunately for us, on this hiking trip there was no real mud issues to deal with. Within the first 5 minutes you will cross your first bridge, be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of these bridges as you progress through the trail. A few moments later you will reach a “Connector Trail To Round Top Drive” sign, you will continue past this connector sign and descend for a bit.

The Connector Trail Sign that will lead you up to Round Top Drive. You will pass this sign on your way down Manoa Cliff Trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Hedychium gardnerianum (Kahili ginger). Thanks to Sebastian for the identification. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Joel continuing on the trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

After about 20 minutes or so we encountered a fallen tree. It looked a bit dangerous since there seemed to be just bamboo holding it up. Don’t let this obstacle deter you, though, the Honolulu Mauka Trail System is very well maintained and safe. If this tree posed a danger then the staff would have removed it by now. Just remember to bend down low as you navigate this tree or else you might konk your head!

Along the way you will encounter identified flora. Here we have Christmas Berry. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

A Fallen Tree. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

A cut tree. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Even on the ridge portions of this trail there's a ton of space. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

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Kamanaiki Ridge Trail: Views From Kalihi Valley

by Coty on September 18, 2011 in Hikes with 10 Comments

I’ve had Kamanaiki Ridge Trail on my radar now for some time. I’ve been wanting to do it mainly because the trailhead is located in Kalihi Valley. I had never heard of this trail until recently despite having grown up in Kalihi. With that in mind, this proud Farrington alumni was happy to track this trail down.

Directions: From the H1 freeway you will head west (ewa bound). You will then take the Likelike exit towards Kalihi Valley. Continue on Likelike and then turn right on Nalanieha Street. Nalanieha street will intersect with Kalihi Street. Find street parking around this area. It is a residential area so be mindful of where you decide to park. The trailhead is located at the end of Manaiki Place. The trailhead begins at the concerete stars lined with what looks like green astroturf. The stairs is nestled between two houses.

These green steps lead to a treasure of a trail in Kalihi Valley. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

It might feel a little unnerving to start walking up those steps located between the two houses, but other reports have noted that the residents of the two homes are quite friendly. The Hawaii Trails and Mountain Clubs (HTMC) is also known to regularly frequent this trail. In fact, Marvin mentioned that this was the first hike that he had completed with HTMC. With that in mind, we didin’t hesitate about heading up those inviting green steps.

The articificial green lining doesn’t last for long. After a few steps (maybe 15-20 at most), the original stone steps come into view. Trek carefully on these steps as they can be very slippery. There are approximately 150 steps and the incline is steep but manageable – take your time here and you should be fine. You will also notice that the trail is fairly well maintained (at the beginning at least) with hiking ribbons placed strategically along the trail.

The first thing you will notice once you leave the comforts of the man-made steps will be a very large water tank marked with graffiti. The trail contours around this watershed. For fun, me, Joel, and Marvin decided to climb to the top of the watershed. There wasn’t much up there other than a locked concrete shack. The climb up the water tank is about 15-20 vertical steps.

Marvin climbing up the Water tank with his fancy spikes. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Coty poses at the top of the Kamanaika water tank. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

The trail will gain elevation rather quickly. You will notice a lot of steep climbs that will test your cardiovascular endurance. The next point of interest that you will pass on the trail will be a large rocky boulder. Climb up this boulder and you will have some really nice views of Kalihi Valley and ‘Alewa Heights. This actually might be the best view from within the valley toward the residential area that you will get on this particular trail. You can also see the ocean from this view, something that the summit view doesn’t provide.

Sitting atop the aforementioned boulder, Coty overlooks his hometown of Kalihi. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

This was fun to climb. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Continue pass the big boulder, you will encounter pine groves as well as strawberry guava plants. Marvin and I indulged on a few strawberry guavas as we worked our way up the trail as they serve as nice and refreshing treats. Marvin noted that it’s ‘nice to live off of the land.” He probably just said that because he hadn’t eaten anything all day and was just hungry to having something in his tummy.

Marvin Eating Strawberry Guava. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The next point of interest will be a lookout that will provide you with some amazing views of the Ko’olau’s. From here, you can see the entirety of the Bowman Trail that we did last August. This was also a great place for me to OWL. See below for what has become a Scott’s Pilgrims tradition, Coty OWLing.

Coty just had to OWL. He does this on every hike. Marvin risked his life to snap this shot. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

From this OWLing spot, you also get a beautiful view of the Bowman Trail on the Ko'olau's. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

Once you pass the lookout point, the terrain will get pretty rough and overgrown. This is an ungraded ridge, so much of the time from this point on you will passing sections with drop off to your left and right. These drop off might not seem so apparent though, mainly because of the overgrown vegetation. Needless to say, you will need to watch your step carefully or you will go tumbling down the ridge.

For the rest of the trail, we took notice of some notable flora and worked our way up a few steep sections. Some of the steep sections came equipped with rope. For the most part, the ropes of unnecessary but feel free to use them if you feel like you need the extra assistance. We started the trail at 2pm and reached the cleared grassy summit at 4:15pm. This was with a lot of picture taking breaks and exploration (i.e. water tank climbing). The view from the top is not as spectacular as some of the east side trails (see Hawaii Loa Ridge and Mariner’s Ridge). There is no ocean view. However, you do get a wonderful view of the Ko’olau mountain range. Visible are the Bowman summit, the Kalihi Saddle, and Lanihuli. The Kamanaiki Ridge Trail definitely offers a unique view of the Ko’olau summit. At around 4:40pm we worked our back down the trail. We reached the trailhead at around 6:15pm.

Kamanaika Ridge Trail Tips:

You’ll need to park in a residential area so please be respectful of the neighborhood. Please obey parking laws or your car may get towed.
The summer months are a great time to hike this trail because the strawberry guava fruits are plentiful. Try some during your journey through the Kamanaika Ridge Trail.
There will be sections that require crawling up steep sections (and then crawling back down upon return). Gloves are a great accessory.

Explorers: Marvin Chandra, Coty Gonzales, and Joel Sabugo.

Joel and Marvin look out into the Ko'olau's from the summit of Kamanaika Ridge. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

This is where Coty had his mid-hike snack break on the summit of the Kamanaika Ridge trail. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

And Joel decided to one up Coty by climbing Exploration Hawaii's new favorite tree. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

Marvin opted to simply stand. He attempted to do an "M" pose but ultimately failed. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Red 'Ōhi'a Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and white flower from a Strawberry Guava (Psidium cattleianum) plant. Photo by Coty Gonzales

Our best guess for this is Fiddlewood (Citharexylum spinosum). This is an invasive plant. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Marvin claims this is Octopus Tree (Schefflera actinophylla). Photo by Marvin Chandra.

I believe this is ʻieʻie (Freycinetia arborea). Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Joel spotted this millipede while on the trail. Marvin wasn't that impressed. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Mt. Olympus to Konahuanui: An Alternate Route to the Highest Point on the Ko’olaus

by Marvin on September 16, 2011 in Hikes with 8 Comments

View of Diamond head, Honolulu, HNL Airport and the Waianae mountain range from a clear day at the Konahuanui summit

At 3,150 feet tall, the first summit of Konahuanui is the highest point on Ko’olau mountain range in Oahu. While a traditional route starts in the Manoa Tantalus trail, an alternate way to reach the summit is to go through one of HTMCs super hikes via Mt. Olympus (Wa’ahila Ridge). This is a time consuming trail that requires going through some overgrown sections and will at times stress your fear of heights. You will also need need to be ready to for a muddy experience despite which time of year it is. While on the junction ridge between Olympus and Konahuanui, you will be rewarded with excellent views of both sides of the island. You will also find some flora on the ridge you may have not seen during the traditional sections of either trails.

Directions:

Refer to the Manoa Middle post to gain access to Mt. Olympus.

Once you are done with the rock climbing section on Manoa Middle, keep straight until you hit a junction with a couple ribbons. If you go left, you will end up on the Pu’u Pia trail, and eventually near where you started the Mt. Olympus trail head if you used the Manoa Middle directions. If you go left, you can also detour into Waiakeakua Falls. Instead of going left on the ridge intersection, keep right and continue on the ridge until you arrive at the Konahuanui summit.

Plenty of nice Huluhulu (moss) on the ridge section

The ridge section will provide many different flora to observe. The flora may not rival Mánana in terms of beauty, but it certainly has a lot of diversity. The ridge can be narrow at times but it is never too dangerous. In fact, it is very wide for the majority of the trek. The trail will be obvious and there are no confusing junctions until you reach the summit. Be prepared for a couple long and steep climbing sections before you hit the summit. Use the surrounding trees for support as you go up muddy hills.

Standout plant on the side of the mountain

The ridge section will be overgrown and it will slow down your journey. Although the junction between Olympus and Konahuanui is only about 1.6 miles, it will take close to 3 hours to finish this section. The whole trip may take between 8 and 10 hours to complete. Once you reach the Konahuanui summit, you may descend back to Manoa via a scenic but strenuous ridge trail or take the contour option. As you are going down the Konahuanui trail, you will shortly find a section that is covered with multiple ribbons. Going up and left will take you on the ridge while staying low and taking the right part will put you on the contour trail.

Whether you take the ridge or contour route, you will eventually end up at Pauoa Flats lookout (there will be a bench here). From here, you can head down the Pauoa Flats until it junctions into the Aihualama trail. This will lead you into the very popular Manoa Falls trail which you can use to exit the trail system. Manoa Falls is a couple miles away from the Mt. Olympus trail head, you may take the bus to the other trail head or stage 2 cars at both ends.

Bring plenty of water for this long trek and consider pants for there will be thorny sections. You will find the Manoa Middle section to be mostly clear and easy to traverse due to an excellent trail clearing that happened earlier in the year. One of the commentors from the Manoa Middle informed us:

“Manoa Middle took 13 full days to clear, from walls of dense uluhe. Many more man hours were put in by others to maintain and open up the MM trail itself, including the KST section between Awaawaloa and Manoa Middle.”

Many overgrown sections in the junction will slow you down

On a clear day, you will have amazing views of both sides of the island. Sometimes simultaneously while on the ridge!

View from Konahuanui summit of Northern section of the island, featuring Olomana and the ridge just traversed (right)

Explorers: Marvin Chandra (I also went to the summit with Ahnate Lim a couple months ago via the traditional route)

All photos by: Marvin Chandra

Mariner’s Ridge: The Easiest Route To The Ko’olau’s

by Coty on September 9, 2011 in Hikes with 7 Comments

If you’ve completed the Koko Head Stairs Trail and are itching to get your hike on even more, then I’d suggest doing the Kaluanui Ridge hike, or, as it is better known, Mariner’s Ridge. This particular trail is located in Hawaii Kai near the southeastern tip of Oahu. The Mariner’s Ridge Hike is a good next step hike and will offer you a better idea of what hiking in Hawaii is all about compared to Koko Head Stairs. The first thing to note is that this hike is very doable and because of this it can at times be very busy. As you trek this trail you will notice people of all ages and athletic ability. Some will be using hiking sticks, while others will be running their way up. It should take no more than an hour to reach the summit of Mariner’s Ridge, even with a considerable amount of breaks.

For the most part, the trail is quite flat with a steady incline. The trail is a bit dry so you won’t have to worry too much about mud. You will find the occasional large boulder that you’ll need to step over, but nothing too strenuous. There is no rock climbing involved and no rope to assist (it’s not needed). Once you’ve reached an area of the trail with a large dirt and rock wall and cascading roots and greenery (see photo below), you’ve reached the end. Continue a few more feet and you will have gotten to the summit of Mariner’s Ridge. In front of you will be a grand view of the Windward side of Oahu. Congratulation, you’ve made it to the top of the Ko’olau’s (the easy way).

Directions:

Take the H-1 freeway eastbound. Continue on H-1 and it will become Kalanianaole Highway. Turn left on Keahole Street. Keahole will eventually merge with Hawaii Kai Drive. Continue on Hawaii Kai Drive. After you pass the Hawaii Kai post office, you will turn left onto Kaluanui Road. Follow Kaluanui Road until you cannot drive any further. The end of the road marks the start of the Mariner’s Ridge Trail.

Mariner’s Ridge Trail Tips:

You will need to park in residential area so please be respectful of your surroundings.
Don’t park within five feet of driveways, you may get towed.
A single bottle of water will probably be enough for this hike. You don’t need to go overboard with the water here.
For the more adventurous, try going down the rock face towards the left of the summit. It will get your adrenaline pumping after the meager trek up.

Explorers: Coty Gonzales and Michelle Sagucio.

Coty doing his ceremonial OWLing pose. Photo by Michelle Sagucio.

This is what the trail will look like at the start. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

A well defined trail will lead you to the summit of Mariner's Ridge. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

I found this large tree along the trail. Photo by Michelle Sagucio.

Watch your step because there are a lot of overgrown roots. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

An Aloha Rock. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

When you see this large wall of rock and dirt to your left overgrown with root then you've reached the end of the trail - the summit awaits you a few feet away. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Hawaii Loa Ridge: A Nice Intermediate Hike

by Coty on August 28, 2011 in Hikes with 7 Comments

I first completed Hawaii Loa Ridge many years ago, back in 2004. I remember the trail as being a very brutal one with steep inclines and challenging rope climbs. Of course, that was way back in 2004 and Hawaii Loa was my first big hike.

I revisited this hike a few days ago with Joel, one of the friends that I originally did this hike with. The rest of the people that originally hiked this trail with us have long moved away from the islands. Needless to say, the memories of the previous hike flowed like one of the many waterfalls that we’ve since visited. I remember our group taking multiple breaks on the way up to the summit of Hawaii Loa Ridge. I remember vowing never to do this hike ever again. And I vividly remember one of my friends being so grumpy towards the end – I wasn’t even sure if she was going to make it up (we miss you Annette!).

Seven years later, I’m back on Hawaii Loa Ridge. Was it as brutal as the first time I did it? Not at all. Joel and I pretty much blazed our way up the trail, only stopping once about halfway. It took us 1 hour and 44 minutes to reach the top of Hawaii Loa Ridge. The first time we did it, it took about 2 hours and 45 minutes (over 5 hours round trip).

The trail will start off very dry, however, the deeper that you go into the ridge, the more muddy the terrain will become. There are no narrow ridges to walk on this trail, so it’s a good one to do if you’re not a fan big drop offs. Overall, Hawaii Loa Ridge offers a relatively safe upwards climb towards the Ko’olau Summit Trail. I counted about 5-6 steep climbing sections (nothing too hairy though, just take your time as you navigate your way up).

Flora on Hawaii Loa Ridge. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Coty doing some yoga. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

The trail path on Hawaii Loa is very straightforward. You can't get lost on this one! Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Tall Trees. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

We found this locked toolbox about midway through the trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Throughout our way to the top, I kept telling Joel that “we better get a view this time.” The last time we did this trail, we were totally engulfed by the clouds and had absolutely no view of the Windward side of the island. This made for a horrible reward after completing the upward climb to the top of the ridge. Speaking of the climb, if you are able to complete the Koko Head Crater Steps Trail, then you should have no problem doing the last part of the Hawaii Loa Ridge Trail. The last quarter of the hike will involve you climbing up a few Koko Head like steps. The main difference is that these steps are much more muddy and therefore there is a greater chance of you slipping. There will be some rope installations to also help you navigate your way up.

I was initially disappointed when we reached the top of the trail. We were once again engulfed by the clouds! There was absolutely no view! Fortunately for us, this lasted for just 10 minutes or so. After that time, the clouds cleared up and were rewarded with excellent views of the Windward side of Oahu. Even better, two people that we had passed earlier on the trail reached the top and proceeded to gift us with some homemade oatmeal cookies and even some Toblerone chocolate bars! Both were excellent treats after a great cardio workout. We talked story with our new friends for a little while, took some pictures of the little green army men, and most of all we soaked in the view. Once our friends left us, we proceeded to enjoy our lunch, fried chicken bentos from 7-11, on the edge of the ridge! Anything will taste gourmet after a strenuous workout. In total, we spent an hour relaxing on the Hawaii Loa Ridge summit. That was an excellent hour.

The trek down the mountain can be a little tricky, especially navigating the slippery and muddy steps. The rope will be helpful in working your way down. We took our time walking down and it took us a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach my car. I’d rank this hike as an intermediate one and a nice next hike if you’ve already completed the Mariner’s Ridge hike.

Directions: Get on to H1 freeway east bound towards Hawaii Kai. The freeway will eventually end and turn into Kalaniana’ole Highway. You will then bear right at Kawaiku’i Beach Park and make a slight left loop onto Pu’u ‘Ikena Drive. You will then be at a stop light, cross across Kalaniana’ole Highway and make your way into the Hawaii Loa Ridge gated community. Stop at the guard station to check in. From there you continue to drive up on Pu’u ‘Ikena Drive until you reach a park. you will see a board of Water Supply tank on the right side of the park. Park on the right side of the tank.

Hawaii Loa Ridge Trail Tips:

The trailhead to Hawaii Loa Ridge is located within the Hawaii Loa gated community. In order to gain access, you will need to stop at the guard shack and present a local ID (the driver’s license will suffice). So be sure that at least the driver has his/her ID. Everyone in the car will then have to sign off on a liability form.
There are only about 10 stalls for parking for those wishing to do this trail. You will be turned away at the guard shack if all 10 stalls are talen Get there at least before 10am to have an increased chance at scoring a parking stall.
Vibram FiveFingers would probably work well throughout the dry half of this trail. However, you’ll wish you had a good pair of hiking shoes once things get a bit muddier.
The Hawaii Loa Ridge trail offers one of the fastest and easiest routes up to the Ko’olau Summit Trail. Once at the summit of Hawaii Loa Ridge, you will be provided with two optional trails, one to the left towards Wiliwilinui and another trail which will lead you to the Kuliouou and Makapu’u. Both trails are narrow ridge trails and are for advanced hikers only.

Explorers: Coty Gonzales and Joel Sabugo.

Joel climbing the steps of Hawaii Loa. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

When we reached the top we were greeted by some little green Army men. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Happy to have reached the top. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Hawaii Loa Ridge. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Windward side in the background. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Hawaii Loa Ridge. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Joel enjoying his Fried Chicken Bento on the edge of the ridge. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

East Oahu in the background. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Back at the start of the Hawaii Loa trailhead. Photo by Joel Sabugo.

Mánana: An Essential Hiking Experience in the Heart of Oahu

by Marvin on August 27, 2011 in Hikes with 5 Comments

Rare view from the summit

Mánana starts at the end of Pearl City and offers one of the best views on the island after a long trek through a diverse group of plant life. Featured in the center of the island, Mánana is a 12 mile loop with many climbs and an excellent ridge section that leads to its summit. August and September may be the best times of the year to complete the trail as that is when the strawberry guava will be in season. On my last trip just a week ago, I saw well over 200 ripe fruits near the trail head alone. Although this is long trail, you will be walking in the shade the majority of the time. Once you get to the open ridge section, you will very likely be surrounded by clouds and it is also often very windy. Although the clouds make the journey easier, it makes the view seen here extrememly rare. The summit is often completely surrounded in clouds. But, on rare day or moment it is clear, you will be provided with an excellent view of the windward side of the island that stretches to Makapu’u, the Eastern most point on the island.

Directions:

Bus: From Honolulu, take the A bus headed towards Waipahu. Exit at Waimano Home Rd. stop and transfer to the #53 bus headed North on Waimano Home Rd. Exit at Komo Mai and ‘Auhuhu street and walk to the end of Komo Mai street.

Driving: (From Stuart Ball’s Hiker’s Guide to Oahu) At Punchbowl St. get on Lunalilo Fwy (H-1) heading ‘ewa (west). Near Middle St. keep left on Rte 78 west (exit 19B, Moanalua Rd.) to ‘Aiea. By Aloha Stadium bear right to rejoin H-1 to Pearl City. Leave the freeway at exit 10, marked Pearl City–Waimalu. Turn right on Moanalua Rd. at the end of the off-ramp. As Moanalua Rd. ends, turn right on Waimano Home Rd. At the third traffic light and just before the road narrows to two lanes, turn left on Komo Mai Dr. The road descends into Waimano Valley and then climbs the next ridge. Drive through Pacific Palisades subdivision to the end of the road. Park on the street just before the turnaround circle.

Trail is simply beautiful

The trail starts on concrete and there may be many bikers and dog walkers in this section. You will have many lookout points near the beginning of the trail that offers views of neighboring ridges. Keep left to continue the trail or you may go right for a short trip to a swimming hole. Although this side trip is only .75 miles long, you will descend a steep rooted hill. Climbing back up is fairly strenuous. About half a mile after the concrete section, the trail becomes narrower and you will not have many chances to deviate. Simply follow the remainder of the trail.

Prepare to climb. There will be many hills that you will have to go up and down on. There are around 10 ropes on the trail, but they are not essential to reach your goals. There will always be many plants and sometimes rocks that will help you climb. You will never be climbing while near an edge of the trail so danger is very low. Be prepared to climb both ways as well. The trip back on the trail requires you to climb all the hills you descended on your way to the summit. The trip to summit will take between 4 and 5 hours while the trip back can take over 3.5 hours. Start the trail early and keep a flashlight in your bag just in case you are on the trail when it gets dark.

Branches are also covered in interesting plant life

The trail can be divided into 3 different parts in increasing difficulty. There’s an easy stroll to the picnic table that is about 1.5 miles long. The next 2 or so miles increases the steepness of the hills and muddy sections will be introduced. It is never frustratingly muddy, but be prepared to have mud up to your ankles at certain points. The last part of the trail is a walk on the ridge. You will be out in the open and it may be very windy to the point where it is impossible to breathe if you are facing the wind. There will be more overgrown sections on the ridge and at times you will have to duck under branches. You may be walking in the clouds during your whole trip on the ridge.

More examples of diversity on the trail

There will be many opportunities to see a variety of plant life and select number of birds. Unless time is an issue, take opportunities to look around the trail to discover many hidden treasures.

There will be many standout branch formations

The length and steepness of certain points of the trail qualifies this as an advanced trail. But there is never any danger and the steep sections are not tiring on a steady pace. You will be well rewarded for taking your time on this trail and also if you finish. The view from the summit is often hidden in clouds, but some patience will give you glimpses of the windward side of Oahu. On an extremely rare day, you will enjoy more than just moments of excellent views. Despite the high liklihood of clouds at the summit, this trail remains the author’s favorite hike on the island in his short hiking career.

Explorers: Marvin Chandra

All photos by: Marvin Chandra

Bowman Trail to Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven)

by Coty on August 12, 2011 in Hikes with 11 Comments

The old saying is that “The Bowman Trail doesn’t build character, Bowman reveals it.” And that was just the 1st HALF of the hike that we did last Saturday (8/6/2011). From the Bowman summit we then we did the Bowman Terminus Trail – basically RIDGE hiking and climbing on a semi-unmarked trail to the top of Haiku stairs. It was insane, dangerous, scary and extremely stupid. After that, trekking down the near vertical Stairway to Heaven was a peace of joyous cake. NOTE: Only a handful of people have completed and documented this hike. So as Marvin likes to say, we earned some bragging rights by completing the Bowman to Bowman Terminus to Haiku Stairs Trail.

This old concrete building that Ahnate is inspecting marks the start of the Bowman Trail. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The day started pretty early and was very eventful from the get-go. Since this hike is about 10 miles long, it is useful to use two cars (one to be left at the end of the trail in Haiku Village and one to be used to drive to the start of the trail in Kalihi). With this in mind, the Oahu Adventure Dudes (group name pending, hah!) met up at Yogurtland in Manoa at 7am sharp. On the way to Yogurtland, one of the cars ran over a screw which resulted in a flat tire. Luckily, one of the explorers sprung right into action and changed the tire – thanks Jeremy!

With the tire fixed, we made our way to Haiku Village in Kaneohe. This would be the end point of the trail and so we decided to leave one of the cars here. If you do decide to do this, please be mindful of the community. There have been a lot of complaints about Stairway to Heaven hikers in the Haiku Village area. The residents have been known to call the Honolulu Police Department and even smear animal poop on fences and even cars. Yikes! Tip: Park far from the trail and be quite!

We then drove off to the start of the trail, which is located at Kalihi Elementary. After you park on Na’ai Street, walk toward the back of the basketball courts. There you will find the trailhead. Look for a ribbon – the day we were there, a pink ribbon was present and marked the start of the trail. The initial ascent is tough and quite vertical – no ropes here. Once to the top of the initial accent you will reach Radar Hill Road – follow this road until you reach an old concrete building – the official start of the Bowman trail begins to the left of this old concrete building.

The trail is pretty straightforward from here. Keep on following in the ribbon markers until you reach the Bowman Summit. Before you reach the Bowman summit, you will be greeted with two tricky rope climbing sections of the trail. This is were gloves come in mighty handy. You’ll also encounter a ton of Ohia trees after you ascent the second tricky rope climb section. It took us approximately 5 hours to reach the summit of the Bowman Trail. At this point, you will get a lovely view of Kaneohe Bay. It really does feel like you’re on top of the world. This is a great place to relax and enjoy your lunch – which for us was cliff bars!

Hanging out on a cliff just before the deadly rope climb to the summit of the Bowman Trail. Photo by Ahnate Lim.

View from the summit of the Bowman Trail. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

At this point, we’ve completed just a third of the hike. The next portion involved getting to the top of Haiku Stairs, better known as Stairway to Heaven. This third of the hike is known as the Bowman Terminus Trail and will lead you straight to Stairway To Heaven (the last third of the hike). I was led to believe this part of the hike would be a piece of cake. However, for me at least, this was the scariest part of the entire hike! I’m not kidding when I say that there are portions of the ridge that are just a foots width. Add in ferocious winds and you’ve got yourself an adventure.

Making our way on the ridge (Bowman Terminus Trail). When you click on the larger version you can see Coty, Joel, and Ahnate to the right. Photo by Marvin Chandra.

A bunch of these Army Men were found along the trail! Photo by Coty Gonzales.

There are four main landmarks that yo will reach when doing the Terminus hike – two powerlines and two radar dishes. A large chunk of the Terminus Trail I spend on my hands and knees and wondering what the heck I was doing at 2000+ feet elevation. It was thrilling to say the least. Once you reach the last radar dish you’ve reached the top of Haiku Stairs. You are officially in Heaven. At this point, me and the rest of the Oahu Adventure Dudes took time to enjoy the view and snap a ton of photos. Take everything in as you walk from Heaven back to Earth – it is all amazing. In total, it took about 11.5 hours to reach the end (or trailhead) of Stairway To Heaven. Having completed this hike was an amazing accomplishment.

For some other encounters, please check out the 808 Goonies and the Not So Great Hiking Blog’s explorations of the Bowman to Haiku Stairs Trail. Also below, you’ll find DGCPinoy’s Go Pro perspective of the Bowman to Haiku Trail.

Explorers: Jeremy Armstrong, Marvin Chandra, Coty Gonzales, Ahnate Lim, and Joel Sabugo.