All posts tagged Ridge

Maakua Ridge (Papali) Trail: A Quick Loop Trail North of Punaluu

by Coty on February 10, 2013 in Hikes with 2 Comments

The last time I was in this area was over a year ago when I did the Hauula Loop Trail with Joel and Marvin. Since then, I’ve done many trails throughout the island, but never had the chance to return to do the second half of what Stuart Ball calls the Hauula-Papali Loop Trail. I finally found the time to finish the larger portion of Ball’s double loop, but unlike last time, I would be doing the hike solo.

Hauula, which means “red hau,” is a small community in the Koʻolauloa District of Oahu. The trail is located in a seemingly rural neighborhood, compared to the more popular east side trails. With that said, be careful in regards to where you choose to park. The risk for theft is considered to be high in this area, however, I myself have not had any issues. Park with consideration and make sure you don’t upset anyone. There are also a lot of loose dogs that run around the neighborhood.

Trailhead. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Trailhead. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The initial dry stream crossing. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

The initial dry stream crossing. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Some kind of old irrigation or water system? Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Some kind of old irrigation or water system? Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Looking over Hauula town. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Looking over Hauula town. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Another view from the lookout point. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

Another view from the lookout point. Photo by Coty Gonzales.

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Iliahi Ridge: Search for Sandalwood in Manana Valley

by Marvin on March 2, 2012 in Hikes with 6 Comments

Maggie holding a Naupaka, a half flower

Manana Ridge is home to many endemic species, including iliahi (sandalwood). A few weeks ago, I joined Maggie McCain to hike a ridge that parallels Manana in search for Sandalwood. As a Geography Master’s student, one of her projects involves sampling soil and iliahi was her current interest. I mentioned going to Manana to Josh, who is an expert in Hawaii botany, when we did Piei Makai and he suggested we go to Iliahi ridge instead, as that ridge is best known for sandalwood and thus its name.

On Iliahi Ridge

Iliahi ridge starts right at the beginning of the Manana trail at the end of Komo Mai Dr. Follow the main trail and watch out for green power poles on your left. Iliahi starts under the second one. The second one will be on the trail while it is still paved, if you pass the paved road and are walking on dirt, you have gone too far.

Perhaps a pepeiao

Go under the power poles and you will see an obvious trail going to the right. Follow this until you get to an opening that will show you Iliahi ridge as well as Manana valley. Go a bit left here and you will see a trail leading down.

Lilikoi

The initial descent into the valley may be the most difficult part as it can be slippery even when not too muddy. A walking stick would be helpful, especially as the numerous guava plants make for excellent aids.

Kopiko (Psychotria mariniana) Thanks Sebastian (http://studiamirabilium.com/)

You will soon start going up towards iliahi ridge. The trail will still be a little slippery but going up is much easier. There will be some boulders that you will need to climb over but they are not too difficult to overcome.

Sandalwood (iliahi)

At the beginning of the ascent, we saw many strawberry guava trees and a few lilikois as we made our way up. There were also many pukiawes and naupakas. We would eventually find an opening on the trail to the left that allowed us to see much of the Leeward mountain range.

Pukiawe, they’re pokey

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Kea’au to Ohikilolo: Unexpected Overnight Hike Along Ohikilolo, Makaha and Makua Valleys

by Marvin on February 22, 2012 in Hikes with 6 Comments

View of upper Makaha valley from the summit of Ohikilolo

Will and I planned to do Ohikilolo (“scrambled brains”) on President’s Day soon after MLK day and what we expected to be an 8-10 hour hike turned into a near 24 hour hike due to many missteps and lack of proper prepping. We intended to have a big group for the hike, but because the Great Aloha Run was on the same day and many people were put off by the 8-10 hour “estimated” duration, we ended up with a group of just four people. Joining us would be Kelly A. Quin and Francis Jimenez.

On Monday morning, Will would pick me up in Manoa and Kelly would pick up Francis in Hawaii Kai and we would all end up at the beach park just north of Makua Cave near the guard shack leading into Makua valley around 7:40 AM, we would start walking south towards Kea’au ridge, passing Ohikilolo Ranch, and then enter a gate with a no trespassing sign on it (which was wide open when we went). Our first goal was to find Kea’au Middle ridge which would take us straight to Kea’au summit and we believed this would be easy to find and summiting Kea’au should only take 2-3 hours based on other people’s account.

Although, instead of following a Jeep road that leads straight to the ridge, we followed the paved road until we found a statue of Virgin Mary and climbed a fence behind it (because there was a no entry sign on it). We would soon end up at a water tank and find ourselves on the bottom of Kea’au ridge after going under a fence by the water tank. From here, we followed some ribbons around the ridge for an hour or so. We could see a river bank leading up to Middle ridge and we were nowhere near it while on Kea’au ridge. Eventually, we found a marked path down into the valley again and soon would end up at the very end of the Jeep road where one hunter had his truck parked. We ended up contouring the whole Jeep road. Before entering the hunting area, we saw a helicopter stop near the Ohikilolo summit and we would soon find what they had dropped.

We then entered the public hunting area and continued towards the back towards Middle ridge. We didn’t see too many ribbons in this area but we continued up whenever given a junction and soon found the correct ridge. I had some waypoints saved on my GPS unit that made finding the ridge easier. It took us almost 3 hours just to find Middle ridge.

Our first up close views of the side of Ohikilolo ridge from Kea'au Middle ridge

Once on Middle ridge, however, it was a clear path to the top. The ridge starts out steep and shaded and then levels out while becoming more exposed. The exposed areas give you great views of Ohikilolo valley behind you and the sides of Ohikilolo ridge to your left. There aren’t any major obstacles as you go up the ridge but a fall on the exposed areas would most likely be fatal if you happened to slip.

Making our way up Kea'au Middle to Kea'au summit

After the exposed area, the ridge becomes steeper and some scrambling is required. There will be a few ropes before you reach Kea’au summit. Near the top, we also found a birthday balloon featuring Tinkerbell which we believe flew all the way over here (around 2500 ft at this point).

Ohikilolo valley from just before reaching Kea'au summit

The Kea’au summit offers an excellent unobstructed view of upper Makaha valley. Making a right here would lead you down the Kea’au ridge while making a left leads to the connector behind Kea’au and Ohikilolo ridges

The crossover between the 2 ridges

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Aiea Ridge to Red Hill: A Ko’olau Odyssey over the H-3 in Central Oahu

by Marvin on February 4, 2012 in Hikes with 7 Comments

View just a bit east of Aiea summit

I met Troy and Nate when I first did Laie a few months ago as they were on their way to Malaekahana. I would find Troy again on Facebook to discuss future hikes and we landed on a Ko’olau crossover. We decided to do Aiea to Red Hill. As I had previously done Red Hill using the Godek Trail, and Nate had done all of Aiea before, this seemed like a perfect crossover for us. This hike would take us to the Aiea summit, the hidden stairs, Halawa summit, Red Hill summit and down into Moanalua Valley using the Godek-Jaskulski trail.

View from the bottom of the saddle not too far from Aiea summit

We first all met at Moanalua Park, where we left Nate’s truck, and then we all went to Aiea in Troy’s car.

Directions for Aiea:

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. While descending Red Hill, take the exit marked Hālawa-Stadium. At the end of the long off-ramp continue straight on Ulunē St. At the road end turn right on ‘Aiea Heights Dr. Pass ‘Aiea High School on the left. Climb gradually through ‘Aiea Heights subdivision. Reach the entrance to Keaīwa Heiau State Recreation Area. Drive past the heiau and the camping area to the upper lot and park there (elevation 1,080 feet). At the trailhead are rest rooms and drinking water.

Bus: Route 11 to ‘Aiea Heights Dr. and Ka‘amilo St. Walk 2.0 miles along ‘Aiea Heights Dr. and through the recreation area to the trailhead. Route 74 goes farther up ‘Aiea Heights Dr., but it only runs on weekday mornings and afternoons.

Ball, Stuart M., Jr. (2000-09-01). The Hikers Guide to the O’ahu, Rev. Ed. (Kindle Locations 1768-1779). Latitude 20. Kindle Edition.

One thing to note is that Aiea Park closes around 8 PM, maybe earlier. If you do plan on a long crossover, you may want to park further down the street unless you don’t mind leaving your car in the park overnight (which Troy would end up doing).

From the parking lot, the trail for both Aiea loop and Ridge starts left of the restrooms. The trail is wide open and easy to follow. The hike to the ridge is long and gradual and, while it is 6 miles long, is fairly easy. As you continue on the trail, you may find some ribbons on the left, this would be the start of the Kalauao trail. Further on, you will see some ribbons on the right side, this creates a loop back to the beginning by bisecting the whole Aiea Loop.

After about 1.5 miles of walking from the beginning, the trail will junction. If you continue right, you will continue the Aiea loop trail. Go left to continue the ridge hike. After making a left, you will be near the edge of the ridge. Turn left and you will see another junction shortly. Take a right here and continue all the way to the Aiea Ridge summit.

Troy and the Hidden Stairs

At the Aiea Ridge summit, find ribbons on the left side that will take you to the Ko’olau summit trail. Make a right here and you will be on your way to Red Hill. Shortly after you start the summit hike, you will find a fenced area. Stay on the left side of this area as going right will take you to the Leeward side and away from your destination. If you have clear weather, the crossover will be obvious. If you are socked in, however, the best way to stay on the trail would be to stay on the Windward side as much as possible. If you are on the Leeward side for too long, it may be time to backtrack and reassess.

It took us 3 hours to summit Aiea and just under 2.5 hours to get to the hidden stairs. The sections between these 2 areas have some overgrown areas and will slow down progress. Although there is nothing too difficult except for excessive mud. You will never be too close to the edge to worry about falling off. There will also be plenty of plants that you can use for support as you climb.

Orange Lehua (Alani)

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Hawaii Loa II: Super Fun Amazing MLK Multinational Friendship Edition

by Marvin on January 26, 2012 in Hikes with 1 Comment

The world renowned crew poses with leis

A diverse group of people summited Hawaii Loa on Martin Luther King Day, 2012. In the above picture, from left to right, you have the newest member of Hyde Manor (where Marvin, Andy and our cat, Killer, reside), Jackie, who was born in Germany. Next you have Andy, a typical, nothing special, white American. Then you have 2 very shady Filipinos, Coty and Joel, who would complete this trail for the 3rd time. Then there’s the Thai guy, Ahnate. And a possible recurring character in EH Tales©, Gentaro, from Japan. This picture was taken by an awesome Indian dude, Marvin. Hawaii would see a melting pot at one of its summits like never before.

Jackie received an insanely impressive gift for her 1 month anniversary

The day started with a great surprise in front of Hyde Manor. Phil, Jackie’s boyfriend for 1 month, surprised us all by laying down a series of leis in front of our house before any of us woke up for their anniversary. All the leis were shaped into hearts with about 10 leis bundled together at the doorstep for a giant heart. Although this makes gifts from other guys less impressive, he dug himself into a hole as now he will need to continually 1-up himself for future milestones.

Joel gets very excited at the sight of stairs

Directions and access information can be obtained in the original Hawaii Loa post. As we showed our IDs to the front gate security, we were told we could only drive up to the trail as were presumably too poor-looking to do anything else in this neighborhood.

If you see this, you’re on the right trail

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Manoa Middle: An old trail refound

by Marvin on August 22, 2011 in Hikes with 6 Comments

View of Honolulu on the left and northern Oahu on the right

Manoa is home to many trails and trails on other parts of the island can easily be connected while walking on the spine of the Ko’olau Mountain Range. Manoa Middle is a short trail that was cleared possibly over a hundred years ago but had been lost for many years. Less than a year ago, a small group of hikers rediscovered this trail and spent over a week clearing it. It is currently easily accessible and well maintained. To reach Manoa Middle, one method is to start the Mt. Olympus trail and junction into Manoa Middle before reaching the summit of Mt. Olympus.

Directions:

Bus: Take the #6 headed towards Woodlawn Ave. and stop at Alani Dr. and Woodlawn Ave.

Driving: Head towards the back for Manoa by going to the end of East Manoa Road. At the end, make a left on Alani Dr. and go to the end of the street. There will be plentiful parking opportunities in the neighborhood.

Once at the end of Alani Dr., keep walking into the small section with houses. At the end of the road, you will find a sign indicating a state trail is about to begin. Soon after you are on this trail, you will see a sign for the Pu’u Pia trail, turn right into this trail. After a mile or so into the trail, you will approach a cliff that forks the trail. On the left, you will see a sign to not continue because of dangerous conditions. Continue in this direction.

 

Traveling along Mt. Olympus ridge

Traveling along the Mt. Olympus ridge

Continue along this straightforward path. Often, you will be surrounded by clouds the deeper you go. But, on a clear day, you will be provided with excellent views of Honolulu, especially Manoa. At a certain point on the Mt. Olympus trail, you will have to scramble up a steep muddy wall in order to reach the summit. Instead of climbing, find a trail that contours the scramble on the left side. A short walk through a slightly overgrown path will lead you into an open, but narrow, area that provides views of both sides of the island. Continue going along East on this ridge. You will now spend most of the hike on a narrow ridge.

Making our way along the side of the mountain

Shortly into the Manoa Middle trail, you will be confronted with a rock climbing section. This can be a quite scary if you have a fear of heights. But don’t worry, the rocks are sturdy and there are plenty of footholds and good areas to grip as you walk towards the end of this section. The last portion is made easier with a rope that is already attached.

Start of rock climbing section

 

Narrow, steep and windy!

 

A look behind us after finishing climbing section

 

Once the climb is finished, continue along the ridge until you reach a turning point.  This is a great spot for a snack break before you begin the steep decline back to Alina Drive. On your way down, hang on to the branches as you make your way down. There will be many slippery sections so take caution. Often, controlled sliding will get you to your destination quicker than climbing down traditionally. Mt. Olympus is an intermediate trail while Manoa Middle is slightly more difficult and also has a higher scare factor due to its narrow ridges. Together, this hike can takeover 6 hours and the steep climbs up and down will tax your legs. The rock climbing section does not require any climbing experience but this hike should be avoided altogether if you have a high fear of heights.

Kaleo Lancaster recently made a video of this hike (going in the opposite direction) that provides information in how the rock climbing section looks like.


All photos by: Marvin Chandra

Explorers: Marvin Chandra and 4 members of the O’ahu Hikers and Adventurers Meetup group.