Showing posts with label ridge hiking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ridge hiking. Show all posts

Monday, April 20, 2020

Aloha, My Hiking Cousin, Darrell

Pali Puka Lookout

Cousin Darrell, rest in Aloha.
When I hiked on Oahu,
my cousin Darrell hiked with me to keep me company and look out for me. 
I will miss him and will always remember his quiet confidence.

At the base of Mount Olympus summit


Hanauma Bay Rock Bridge

Peacock Flats hike

Aiea Loop Hike

Descending Pali Puka
(Pali Highway in background)

Mount Olomana 
Mount  Kaala

Lulumahu Falls - testing his underwater SmartPhone

Hike up to the Haiku Stairs via Moanalua Middle Ridge

Haiku Stairs Descent (video)

Here's a list of all the hikes that cousin Darrell and I did. We also had great company with us as well - mahalo to Neil for joining us on these fun hikes.

2014
Manoa Falls
Aiea Loop
Awawaloa (Mt. Olympus, 2,486 ft)
Peacock Flats

2013
Crepes and Lulumahu Falls
Mt. Olomana (1,643 ft) 
Mt. Ka'ala (4,025 ft)
Pali Puka (1,670 ft)
Koko Head/Hanauma Bay Rock Bridge (642 ft) - Views of Hanauma Bay, Portlock, Hawaii Kai, Maunalua Bay, Diamond Head/Koko Crater and Koko Head
Kuli'ou'ou Ridge (2,064 ft) - Views of the back of Diamond Head/Koko Crater and Koko Head and Kuli'ou'ou Valley
Haiku Stairs (2,800 ft) & Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe (2,820 ft) - Extreme ridge hiking  (3 videos)



Monday, January 7, 2013

Haiku Stairs & Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe – O’ahu, Hawaii

Haiku Stairs (2,800ft)
aka Stairway To Heaven
Elevation Gain: 2,560ft

Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe (2,820ft)
Elevation Gain: (2,580ft)

Trails: Kamananui Valley Rd, Kulana’ahane Trail
Distance: 8.5 miles
Duration: 6.5 hours (includes stops for breaks along the trail and at summits)
Difficulty: Easy to Very Strenuous
Danger: High (exposed/narrow ridges with steep drop-offs, steep staircase, high winds)

The beauty of lush, tropical ridges and the Haiku Stairs summit in clouds coupled with high winds made this hike both beautiful and amazing! Not only did this hike peak my curiosity, it commanded my respect. A truly unforgettable hike! Shoots, an unforgettable walk from Honolulu to Kaneohe!

My cousin and I joined up with 3 others to hike! Our original plans were to hike all 3 peaks of Olomana but the night before I checked weather reports for rain and it looked like it would be way too slippery for Olomana. We were invited to hike to Haiku Stairs via the Moanalua Middle Ridge from the Moanalua Valley Park. So my cousin and I decided to go for it! 

The Kamananui Valley Road trail is a classic stream hike that took us over several Moanalua Stream crossings. This portion of the hike was easy to navigate as it winds through the lush valley. Shortly before taking the Kulana’ahane trail, we met up with the Hiking Oahu Trailblazers (H.O.T.). My Kahtoola Microspikes got a lot of attention. I didn't realize that I was the only one wearing spikes. Several of the hikers in the HOT group asked me about them. 

From the get-go the Kulana’ahane Trail gains elevation quickly and doesn’t let up. The trail along the lower ridge is overgrown in some spots. Some sections of the trail were board and other sections were narrow with very little or no foliage to offer the hiker a sense of security or grip. As we continued our traverse upwards, there were many long, steep climbs where ropes had been installed. I was so glad for the ropes as the trail got slicker as we gained elevation. I was also glad that I wore my Microspikes!

The higher we hiked the wetter it got and we continued to
slop our way up muddy trails that were just a foot or two wide!
More butt sliding, this time downward (video)
 
 
 
We finally summited Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe (Kahoe’s fire)! There is a small wooden sign as well as 3 benchmarks to distinguish the summit. We continued on and the winds grew stronger and we were in the clouds more often! :)


Video of the views from the last ascent before reaching the top.
The winds here had to be 25-30 mph!
(Still shots really couldn't capture the magnitude of the winds like a video can!) 
 
 
After 5.5 hours, we reached the CCL (Communications Control Link) building.
Now for the fun part, descending Haiku Stairs.....all 3,922 steps!

Haiku Stairs descent (video)
 
 
Warning: Haiku Stairs is officially closed and it is illegal to access the stairs.
If you attempt this hike, you do so at your own risk. 

YouTube Channel - Hawaii Girl Adventures

Check out my YouTube channel at:  Hawaii Girl Adventures I will eventually be phasing out blog posts and be posting videos of my climbing, h...