Nualolo Cliff, Kauai (revisited)

by welikehike

If you're gonna do a loop trail for the second time, do it in reverse!  That's what I did at Nualolo Cliff trail in Kauai, one of the best day hikes in Hawaii.  It felt like I was hiking it for the first time and the lighting was so much better with the reverse route.  The sky was clear, no rain and wet terrain to worry about, but it was hot hot hot.  Traversing up the steep hills was truly a test, and luckily, I didn't suffer from cramps this time around.  It's too bad we didn't find anyone to transport us to the trailhead.  We had to walk the extra mile on asphalt pavement.  After the hike, we drove up to Kalalau Lookout and Waimea Canyon Lookout and got me some money shots.

 View along Nualolo Cliff (photo by F. Langit)

View at end of Nualolo Trail (photo by F. Langit)

 Waimea Canyon Lookout (photo by F. Langit)

Kalalau Valley Lookout (photo by F. Langit)

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Oneawa Hills

by welikehike

I thought this trail was going to be an easy 4-mile walk in the park, but with the sun beating hard on us, I found my hydration pack running low on water.  The trail started at the historical Friendship Garden along Kokokahi Place in the windward side of Oahu.  It follows the stone steps built before my time and eventually leads to a switchback section with various plants along the side.  It immediately takes you up to the ridge on several steep sections involving some light rope climbing.  The views at the top were beautiful with scattered clouds in the sky.  But beauty came at a cost for it was hot as hell without the expected overcast.  As we got to the ridge, it became a roller coaster ride from then on, I think there were about three to four dips along the ridge.  Along the way were views of the hidden Kapaa quarry, a sight rarely seen by many residents and tourists.  Even though it was an industrial area, the calm turquoise water looked so inviting.  As we made our climb to the final hilltop, there were some narrow sections which contributed to the enjoyment of this intermediate trail.  From the top, we made our steep descent on the right side of the ridge to check out Kaw'ewa'e heiau nestled at the base of the hill.  The second part of the trail loop was a bit cooler with shade from the tree canopies above.  But as soon as we began scrambling back up the hill, we got tortured by the heat once again.  The last downhill stretch was a cinch and the faster half of the group glided their way through.

Laie

by welikehike

In a previous hike, we went to Laie Falls, but today our target was to finish the trail up to the summit.  The trail portion from the start to the falls was pretty decent, but beyond that was very muddy with no impressive views.  At the end, we were able to see both sides of the island (Central Oahu and Laie); however, the mountain ridges were not as majestic as the ridges in Kaneohe.  Small hills dominated the landscape and I wasn't able to get any money shots today with my camera.  We did explore further beyond the first waterfall and found about four other falls.  The third waterfall was actually higher than the first.  And, we had to climb down a near vertical cliff with the help of a rope to get to the base of the third waterfall.

Likeke

by welikehike

I’ve done this trail up to the waterfall several times before, but the goal this time around was to complete the entire trail up to the closed parking lot along Likelike Highway. The trail name is often mistaken for ‘Likelike’ but it is ‘Likeke’, named after Richard “Dick” Davis, the legendary “mountain goat” who built the trail with the help of others. We labeled it the ‘Tunnel to Tunnel’ hike since it started near the Pali tunnel and ended at the Wilson Tunnel.

This trail can be a bit confusing without the help of an experienced guide or guide book. But even with Ball’s book, there are some junctions that left us guessing. The best advice we got for this hike is to follow the main trail that runs parallel to the base of the Ko’olau mountains. Avoid any side trails that may lead you to the mauka or makai direction. There is a junction that is worth mentioning in this blog and it was not clarified in the book. When we arrived at this point near the end of the trail, we had to make a choice between taking a graded trail to the left or a descending trail to the right. We decided to go right. After 15 minutes of hiking and getting bit by mosquitos, we found ourselves going down towards the direction of Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens. Even though there were many ribbons, our instincts told us we were going the wrong way. Luckily, we followed our instincts. We retraced our steps and took the trail on the left. After only a few minutes, we arrived at the closed parking lot near the Wilson Tunnel. Right before we got to the asphalt surface of the abandoned lot, it was disheartening to see the disgusting sight of beer bottles a few feet away. They were all over the place and we couldn’t avoid stepping on them. This was the downside of the trail, to come so far and to see a total mess at the end.

But other than that, the trail offered some scenic views that made our efforts worthwhile. My favorite spot was the lookout where you can sit on a man-made bench constructed of branches from the strawberry guava tree. You can see most of Kaneohe Bay and behind is the beautiful Ko’olau Mountains. Deep in the trail, we were surrounded by native Hawaiian plants and we were fortunate to see some waterfalls flowing down the sheer cliffs. It was an extremely hot and muggy day. There were certain spots that felt like we were walking through a sauna. It was uncomfortable, but some of us took pleasure in the idea of this cleansing process, it felt like we were sweating out all the toxins from our body.

Ma'akua Gulch

by welikehike

Plans of hiking Ma'akua Gulch has been lingering for some time, but doubts have hindered any previous attempts. It is said to be more dangerous than the neighboring Sacred Falls that killed eight people and injured fifty others due to a landslide in May 1999. The potential of getting caught in an inescapable predicament is greater in Ma'akua Gulch since it is much narrower and longer. Doing this hike during or after heavy rains would be suicide! However, six of us were willing to take the risk to bear witness to spectacular views of the narrow gulch and to step right in the middle of it.

We met at Hau'ula Beach Park and walked up the road leading to the trailhead which also leads to a network of other trails such as Ma'akua Ridge and Hau'ula Loop Trail. We followed the paved road leading to the water pump station. At this point, we thought it was a dead end since the pump station sat right in the middle of the road. We retraced our steps back until we reached a signed junction. I pulled out my Stuart Ball book, and after carefully reading the directions, I realized we were going the right way from the start. So, we walked back up to the pump station and went around the fence to the right where we walked on a concrete retaining wall. As we passed the pump station, we could see the trail leading to a wooded area. The pink ribbons were removed as it was scattered on the ground at the beginning of the dirt trail. The only guide we had was the stream itself which we hoped would lead us to the narrow gulch. The dirt trail was relatively flat and easy to walk on, but it wasn't until we reached the stream bed where we found it technically challenging. Hopping from one boulder to another was a daunting task and it would be like this for the rest of the trail. Unstable, wet, and slippery rocks can easily make one slip and fall. I found myself using my arms frequently to keep my balance or to push my way up. My mind and body had to stay alert at all times especially when trying to keep up with the rest. As we entered the gulch, the dry stream began to flow with cool water as it meandered around fallen rocks from previous landslides. Walking in the gulch gave me an eerie feeling. The awe-inspiring scale of the towering cliffs on both sides was a sight to behold but some of this satisfaction was reserved with fear. At one point, we heard a thundering roar which could only mean that rocks were falling nearby. I couldn't help but to look up from time to time.

Without hesitation, we continued onwards until we reached the first waterfall characterized by a huge boulder above. We had to submerge ourselves to get across the damn freezing swimming hole where a thick rope hung at the base of the waterfall. At first, it was difficult to climb the slippery wall face with barely any footholds to place my toes on. Taking off my waterproof Keens sandals and climbing barefoot proved to be the way to go. As I climbed near to the top of the waterfall, I had to duck into a void space beneath the huge boulder where a gush of water was still flowing. The route led to an opening above and I pulled myself out with the assistance of a rope. From the top of the first waterfall, it took us a few yards up to see the next waterfall which was much higher. After a few minutes of taking pictures, we decided to turn back. Fortunately, we all made it out safely without any injuries or scratches.

Aihualama-Ohi'a (via Manoa Falls)

by welikehike

This hike combines Manoa Falls, Aihualama, Pauoa Flats, Manoa Cliffs, and finally, Puu Ohi'a Trail for a total of 8 miles round trip. This was suppose to be an easy hike to recover from the merciless 12-mile Dupont trail done last week, but this trail gave us a moderate workout. We started off hiking the busy and tourist-infested Manoa Falls trail and we turned left to the Aihualama trail right before the falls. We met up with some old folks who kept us company at the switchbacks and later ditched them when we had the chance. Finally, we had some peace and quiet but the air started to get a bit chilly as we elevated ourselves to higher ground. We had to keep on moving to keep our bodies warm and muscles loose.

We were in a complex network of trails and we regretfully took some wrong turns as we retraced our steps to the right path. We turned into Kalawahine Trail when we were suppose to continue on Pauoa Flats; we turned right on Manoa Cliffs Trail when we were suppose to go straight (Stuart Ball's said to turn left. This is may be misleading because the trail options are either straight into the gate or right.); we turned left into Puu Ohi'a trail instead of taking the left fork up the paved road. I mentioned this so you don't have the make the same mistakes we did.

We walked through many bamboo forests, and at times, we were alerted by the sounds it made. At first, it sounded like a land slide comin' our way but it was merely the wind and the bamboo rubbing against each other. The view at Puu Ohi'a was actually amazing. I wasn't expecting much, but I have to say, it's a sight worth hiking for. At a distance, you will see Diamondhead Crater to the south with Nuuanu Valley to the north, and adjacent ridges along the Ko'olau mountain range. I did not like the paved roads near the end of the trail. I could not stop thinking that there is probably a vehicle route that is accessible near the peak. And having to hike all the way up here would feel like a waste. However, we did meet up with a couple that told us about an easier route to the peak of Puu Ohi'a. We were a bit disappointed to hear that, but at least we can say that we conquered this trail route, and we can officially cross it off our list.

Dupont

by welikehike

This trail kicked my ass, mainly due to me being out of shape, but everyone who did it can attest that it's no walk in the park with a 4,100-foot elevation gain within a 5.5-mile stretch (11 miles round trip). There were a few tricky sections that involved the use of a rope or cable, but no extreme conditions to test your nerves.

The trail starts at a private road near Waialua High School. Along this road, there are many gates and warning signs like "Private Property", "No Trespassing", and "No Hiking". It's amazing how many hikers manage to get by without heeding to the signs. The state owns the ridge part of the trail but everything near the trailhead belongs to private owners such as Dole, Waialua Ranch, and Kamananui Orchard. If you do plan to do this hike, make sure you contact Kamananui Orchard (Randy: 808-778-6014).

For the beginning part of the trail leading to the summit plateau of Ka'ala, we hiked under the hot scorching sun on a dirt road. We took a detour to a scenic lookout on the hilltop which eventually led us back to the main trail. Once we arrived at the Mokule'ia Forest Reserve boundary, the dirt road ended and the trail narrowed. There is a section that was overgrown with tall grass with heights soaring above me, and sometimes, it became difficult to make out the trail. The only cuts I had this day was from the annoying grassy section, I had nasty scratch marks all over my arms. After this point, the trail got more serious as keeps going up and up with steeper inclines. My leg muscles were getting tighter at every step and I could feel a cramp on my left calf muscle. Later, I felt the tightness on my quads and hamstrings. We were on our last hill, and my legs were done! My legs would cramp up and it would force us to take longer breaks. It was mid-afternoon, and at this pace, we began to worry about the return trip. When we arrived at the concrete steps, I thought my cramps were gone so I picked up the pace. But the pain hit me on my right calf and it was a real bad one. I called out for my hiking buddy for her assistance. I lied on the muddy steps with my right leg lifted up. I wanted her to bend my foot back to stretch my calf, I asked her to place my backpack between my foot and her body so she wouldn't get dirty. Instead, she hung my backpack on my foot. We were both confused, "what is she doing?", "what does he want me to do?" After all the pain, we got to the end of the trail. My hiking buddy proceeded up the paved road and I trailed behind her. Around the corner, she came running down with fear. She thought she was being chased by the guards since she hopped over the fence to take a picture. I turned around and I limped right behind her, I could barely run.

On the return trip, it took us half the time and it was much easier.

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