All posts tagged Olomana

Lanipo Trail: A Rollercoaster of a Trail up Mau’umae Ridge

by Coty on August 7, 2012 in Hikes with No comments

Lanipo has been a long time coming. This particular hike, also known as Mauumae Ridge, has been on my hiking radar for a few months now. It has a reputation for being one of the more difficult (state maintained) east-side trails.

“This onset of the unshaded ridge is probably what makes Mau’umae one of the most hellish trails on the island; the trek back on the unshaded section of the ridge was a scorcher, and it was so bad that I almost fainted.” Kaleo Lancaster

“The shape of this ridge goes up then down then up then down then … well you get the picture. Combine this with the mud and you’ve got a hike that’s sort of an endurance challenge. Try as we might, we all ended up on our asses several times, our knees were sore and shaky, and when the sun burned through the clouds it felt like we were hiking in an oven.” David C.

For the most part, I agree with Kaleo and David. The constant rollercoaster of hills and false summits is what makes Lanipo somewhat of an excruciating experience. You gain elevation only to lose it shortly thereafter and this process repeats itself until you’re left wondering “what the heck did I get myself into?”

Ahnate at the start of the hike. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

A handful of strawberry guava. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Ahnate leading the way. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Coty looking around. Photo by Gentaro Shishimi.

Branches and Honolulu. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

If it’s views that you’re after then it’s difficult for me not to recommend Lanipo. From the start, you are treated to magnificent views of downtown Honolulu, Palolo, and Manoa. And when I say from the start, I literally mean from the start. Unlike other ridge hikes that require you to meander through valley before reaching the ridge crest, Lanipo forgoes this and instead offers a true ridge walking experience shortly after passing the trailhead sign.

Once you’ve taken in the initial sights, be prepared to lose significant elevation. The trail will descend down into a saddle. Some other blogs have reported this initial descent as very steep, however, I found it to be more gradual than anything else. I didn’t find it very difficult at all and was a bit let down. I was expecting a hair raising descent of sorts, but got none of that. The end of the saddle will lead you to a clearing with a nice lookout bench. Based on observation, it seems like many people hike out to this point and then turn around. It does make for an excellent rest section if you do decided to trudge forward.

Diamond Head not too far away. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

A very large blooming Ohia Lehua. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Can you spot Ahnate, Joel, and Gentaro? Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The bench lookout spot early on in the hike. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Continue reading →

Maunawili Falls: A Classic Waterfall Hike Tucked Behind Mount Olomana

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

It’s been years since I last did Maunawili Falls Trail. To be exact, it’s been 6 long years. This was one of those of hikes that I never forgot because I did it on a random summer day with a close group of college friends. One of them was even convinced to skip out on lab after being promised that he would be back in time for an important lab meeting. He was assured that the hike would last only 30 minutes. Of course, it didn’t last 30 minutes. And of course, he missed out on his lab meeting. Since then, two of us have completed PhD’s (myself and the friend that assured the other friend that the hike would last just 30 minutes), one of us is on the brink of completing a PhD (the one that got suckered into thinking it was a 30 minute hike), and one will soon be a licensed pharmacist. A lot happened over the last 6 years.

The Maunwili Falls trailhead is located in the Maunawili residential district that is situated mauka of Kalanianaʻole Highway. It’s found between Castle Junction and Caste Hospital. In fact, it’s just a few minutes drive from Kailua and the splendid Lanikai Beach. Looming before Maunawili is the treacherous three peaks of Olomana. The trailhead is actually tucked to the side of residential homes. My kind of neighborhood.

The first thing that I noticed was that the trail had much more traffic than I remembered. I passed more than a few groups exiting the trail as I made my way toward the falls. The trail was a bit muddy, but that’s to be expected since it had been raining a few days prior. There’s a relatively easy stream crossing that you will need to do. Eventually, you will work your way up and out to the open valley. The signage is missing, but, you will turn left here. Continue on the trail until you reach an intersection with a bench. Here, you can either go straight or descend left. If you go straight you will continue on to the Maunawili Demonstration Trail (a completely separate trail). You want to instead descend left and then down the plastic steps.

The path goes between what looks like a stone wall. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The trail itself is fairly wide and clear. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

This looked like an old drainage system to me. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Continue reading →

Mount Olomana Part II: Unfinished Business To Ahiki

by Coty on March 21, 2012 in Hikes with 4 Comments

Exactly one month after visiting Mount Olomana, Joel and I decided to return. It was the day after Christmas, and this time, it was just me, Joel, and our good friend Ryan. Although Ryan is no stranger to Hawaii trails I wouldn’t consider him an expert hiker. I’m mentioning this because I wanted to show that this trail can be completed by high level novice and low level intermediate hikers (with a tolerance for heights and good stamina). He has completed Hawaii Loa Ridge, Kaiwa Ridge and a few other hiking trails in the past. However, Mount Olomana was by far the most difficult trail that he has attempted. No matter, we were all pumped for the challenge and both me and Joel were excited to finally cross Olomana third peak (Ahiki) off our list of things to do in life.

Joel and Ryan at the trailhead. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The journey up to Peak 1 and 2 were relatively uneventful. The views were just as spectacular the first time around as it was the second time around. Ryan was able to hang with us the entire way up. He tackled the 15 foot rockface and reached the top of it without incident. After reaching Peak 1, we spent maybe 15-20 minutes taking in the views and snapping photos. The weather was excellent on this day and the breeze was very welcoming.

With Peak 1 conquered, we set our sights on Peak 2, Paku’i. Again, the journey from Olomana to Paku’i was uneventful and it went exactly as planned. Ryan navigated this portion quite easily. Once at Peak 2, we looked back and admired Olomana and looked forward at the menacing Ahiki. At this point, I think we all had some reservations about continuing. I asked the crew whether they wanted to continue on. They all said yes. We were all in.

This was one of my favorite shots from the hike. My Merrell Barefoots worked pretty well on this hike. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Ryan descending Peak 2, Pakui. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Joel going down. The rope is in his way. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

So this is the point in Part 1 of the Olomana series that I stopped describing the trail. Remember, Joel and I both stopped at Peak 2 the first time around. Not this time. We all looked at the the descent down Peak 2. From Peak 2, there is a rope that will lead you down the saddle that connects Peak 2 and Peak 3. As you start your descent, you cannot see the bottom of the rope, however, note that it is a long and steep drop down.

Joel descended Peak 2 first. After the first 5 feet or so of the descent, he was gone from our sight and all we could hear was his voice. Ryan went next and then I followed. I decided to descent Peak 2 with no rope. Let me explain. I have this thing about trusting rope. A lot of people use the ropes on these trails and because of this I simply don’t trust their integrity. I’d rather rely on my balancing skills than a shoddy rope.

I started my descent and it was scary. However, I soon could see both Ryan and Joel. Joel made it safely down, while Ryan was still making his way to the bottom of the saddle. The first third of the way down was relatively easy to do without rope. However, one-third of the way down the rock became increasingly crumbly and slippery, like loose gravel. Hand holds are minimal, with only loose shrub to hold on to. I worked my way down slowly while staying close to the rope. I never needed it but I stayed close to it, you know, just in case. Eventually, I reached the bottom and met up with both Ryan and Joel. Descending Peak 2 was hard and very sketchy, but quite fun. You need good nerves here. If you panic, there’s a good chance that you could slip and fall.

This structure is seen en route to Peak 3. It looks like a middle finger! Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Ryan poses in the Olomana "Keyhole." Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Working our way up to the third peak, Ahiki. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Continue reading →

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.