Pu`u `Ōhi`a - January 16, 2012

Another very short hike. With sunlight quickly fading I needed to get out of the house and up in the hills before the end of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I initially thought of heading to Manoa Falls and maybe a quick trip up Aihualama trail. I only had my moped and no where looked safe at the back of Manoa valley to park and lock my moped (and I didn't want to pay $5 to park). So I headed up Tantalus and decided to try the DLNR access road at the Kalawahine trailhead that goes heads up to Pu`u `Ōhi`a.

I didn't realize that the access road was a driveway. Right before the locked DLNR access gate is a gated driveway to a home tucked far away from the road.

At the DLNR gate take the pathway to the right of the gate.

Creepy face staring at me.

From the gate the road turns steeply toward Pu`u `Ōhi`a.

The Kona winds cause Pu`u `Ōhi`a to be bathed in low lying clouds.

The view from the top of Pu`u `Ōhi`a was socked in.

Trying and failing to get a self shot.

The low lying clouds left beads of dew on everything!

After hanging out at the top of Pu`u `Ōhi`a I made my way down the damp and slippery road back to the Kalawahine trail head. Luckily my bike was still there!

Rest of the pictures here:

Kulana`ahane - January 14, 2012

The Saturday before Sommer's birthday she told me she wanted to go hiking! Not wanting to waste an opportunity to hike with my usually reluctant wife, we headed up Moanalua Valley along Kamananui Valley Road and then off on the Kulana`ahane trail.

Along the 2.5 mile road to the trail head we ran into some hunters.

Their stinky dogs followed us all nearly the entire top half of Kamananui Road.

Kamananui is a long and relatively boring road that winds its way up Moanalua Valley. The road crosses Moanalua stream a few times, but is relatively un-scenic.

The one highlight of Kamananui is Pohaku Ka Luahine at the petroglyph rock about a mile into the valley.

At the start of the Kulana`ahane trail you cross the usually dry Moanalua stream bed and make you way gently up the north end of the valley.

The trail winds its way through some idyllic scenes of stream crossings, natural pools and under the cover of thick and short hau canopies, so thick it nearly chokes out any sunlight.

The last part of the trail is a short scramble up to a saddle at the Ko`olau ridge between Moanalua and Haiku valleys.

The view from the summit is amazing of course and offers the full expanse of Haiku Valley at one end and Moanalua Valley on the other.

At the summit, Sommer took a little nap while I followed a trio of climbers attempting to make the scramble from the top of Kulana`ahane up to the terminus of Haiku Stairs.

After enjoying the beauty of the Ko`olau summit, Sommer and I started our way back down to reality.

Another thanks to my wife for accompanying me for all 9 miles of the Kulana`ahane trail!

Rest of the set here.

Pu`u Pia - January 2, 2012

Another short hike this week. Sommer was out watching movies with her friend Rachelle and I only had a few hours to hike. I headed deep into Manoa Valley and up the short hike to Pu`u Pia.

The trail starts on Alani Lane, just off Alani Drive in Manoa.

The trail is short, it takes less than an our to top out. Usually the trail is very muddy (seeing as how it's at the back of Manoa valley) but the trail was relatively dry today.

As the trail nears the summit it turns from a muddy track into a pleasant grassy stroll.

The summit offers beautiful views of the Ko`olau ridge at the back of Manoa Valley.

Along the way a interesting koa tree rises just off the trail.

The view out of Manoa Valley was shrouded in vog and the glare of the setting sun.

After a few minutes on the summit I headed quickly down the trail, spending just an hour-and-a-half from start to finish.

Rest of the pictures: