Friday, July 05, 2013

Stroller Hiking: Koko Head - June 1, 2013

Stroller hiking.  Taking a stroller...hiking.  Started easy and hit up Koko Head, then the Makapu`u Lighthouse then Kamehame Ridge.
Koko Head
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Started early in the morning and Sommer and I pushed and pulled Hōkūle`a and her stroller up the 650+ foot extinct volcanic crater in Hawaii Kai (actually, three craters).

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Checked out some of the structures at the top of the ridge.

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Hōkūle`a loved it.

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Monday, May 13, 2013

Kulanui (Mariners)Ridge and Kamehame Ridge - March 30, 2013

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With Baby at home, hiking has taken a backseat for a while. My brother Robert came down for a visit from Hilo so Kai, Robert and I headed up Kaluanui Ridge. We had planned on heading down the Ko`olau Summit Trail to Kamehame, but some injuries cancelled those plans. The post-dawn view from the Kaluanui summit was great, as always.

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Pu`u O Kona was clouded over.

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The clouds gave the Ko`olau a "Lord of the Rings" feel.

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Leaving the Kaluanui ridge trail we notice some new additions to the trailhead.

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Instead of hiking along the KST to Kamehame, we just drove over to the ridge and made our way up the road to the summit. Got a good view of the puka.

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Made it past the Hawaii Leadership Academy.

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And walked up to the summit.

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You could see people at the top of the Koko Crater tracks.

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We also saw some hikers on the ridge just Ewa from Kamehame.

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We checked out the "Kamehame Stairs".

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The view from the top was amazing, of course.
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Two easy hikes in one day! More photos:

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

March 12, 2013 Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4)

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Tuesday night I wanted to catch a glimpse of Comet Pan-STARRS as it made it's appearance in the night sky, just after sunset. I took Hōkūle`a with me and we headed up in the hills above Honolulu, to the trail head for the Kalawahine trail up on Tantalus (Pu`u `Ōhi`a).  Hōkū and I enjoyed the sunset and the crescent moon while I set up to try and catch the comet. The view from Tantalus is amazing!

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Looking west towards the airport and Kapolei.

We stayed for about 45 minutes straining to see the dash of light in the sky. It was cold (65° F!!!), and I didn't see any comets, just the city lights and the sliver of a crescent moon. But... When I got home and went through some of the photos...there she was! The Pan-STARRS comet!
I'm grateful that I was able to witness this once in a lifetime sighting. Comet Pan-STARRS will not be around for another 106,000 years!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

January 12, 2013 - Makapu`u Sunrise

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With Sommer being pregnant and Hōkūle`a being in the NICU for so long, I haven't had much time or energy to go hiking.  Sommer and I headed out for an easy "hike" up to the Makapu`u Lighthouse lookout for a beautiful sunrise!  Last time I hiked up to Makapu`u Lighthouse for a sunrise I was all by myself without anyone else at the lookout.  This time it was much different.  There was about 30 people at the lookout all waiting for the sun to shine.

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The sunrise was still as beautiful from the lookout.

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I love sunrise hikes because when you're done you still have the rest of the day to do what ever you want!  Thanks again to Sommer for coming along with me!

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Rest of the pictures here:

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Haiku Stairs Sunrise - August 4, 2012 (Coming Soon)

UPDATE:  Haiku Stairs is closed.  Access to the Stairs requires permission from numerous public and/or private entities that currently do not offer access, including the Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu, and the State of Hawai`i.  Please support the efforts of groups like the Friends of Haiku Stairs to educate and pressure the State and City & County to re-open this historic and breathtaking treasure of Hawai`i.

Coming Soon:
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Mariner's Ridge Sunrise - July 14, 2012 (Coming Soon)

Coming Soon

July 14, 2012 (196/366)

Kamehame Ridge Sunrise - July 9, 2012

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Brinton called me Sunday night asking for a good sunrise "hike" for the Honolulu Hawaii Stake, LDS Missionaries to do in the morning.  I recommended Kamehame Ridge in Hawaii Kai as an easy hike with an awesome payoff in terms of view and sunrise.  Since Sommer had a 10 am doctor's appointment the next morning, I offered to guide Brinton and the missionaries for the sunrise hike.

We arrived at the lookout just as the sun started to peak above the horizon.

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The missionaries lined up to take pictures with each other.

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The sunrise did not disappoint.

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Rest of the pictures here: