Koko Crater Stairs

 Koko Crater - June 19, 2011    

An Elliptical machine cost around $500. Walking for 30 minutes on an Elliptical machine will burn you 350 calories. Not a bad workout.  

Koko Head stairs is a man made Elliptical machine times two. It takes the average person 30 minutes to get to the summit. You burn over 500 calories going up. Your heart beats so fast, it feels that its going to jump out of your body.  

Which is a better 30 minute workout? 

The first time I did this hike was a few years ago. I remember having to stop frequently and breathing extremely hard. It took me a little over 30 minutes to get to the top. I also remember getting sick the next day because of physical and heat exhaustion.  

Now its June 19, 2011. My resume includes; many intermediate hikes, a marathon, two half marathons, and a consistent dose of exercising over the past two years. The only downfall is my drinking. For some reason, I've been drinking a lot of beer and wine over the past two years.  

Today was Father's Day and a hike was my Father's Day present to myself. I also had to be at my dads by 11a. So I decided to head to Hawaii Kai and tackle Koko Crater. It was 8:30 am. 

On the way there, you can see the imposing mountain of Koko Crater (aka Pu'u Ma'i). You can also see the thin strip of stairs leading to the summit. It looks steep and intimidating from the road. The exact amount of stairs is 1048.

People interchangeably call it stairs or tracks. The more appropriate description is tracks. The army created the tracks to move a cable car up and down the mountain. For me, I interchangeably call it stairs or tracks.

I assume most people take the stairs to the summit, but I've seen websites where hiker's scramble to the summit. I also think that there is another trail to the summit.  

The stairs was packed with people. I guess a lot of people do Koko Crater early in the morning. Last time, there were also a lot of people. This morning there were at least 75-100 people on the trail. It was crazy!

even kids can do it, with adult support

I started the trail with these other guys. They were hiking solo as well. From the looks of it they were in the military. The looked in good shape. We kept the same pace as each other. Going up reminded me of last time. You start huffing and puffing 5 minutes into the hike. These stairs are not your typical steps, they are wide, its like your doing lunges. Now, everyone seems to try Koko Crater, and everyone seems to finish Koko Head. I guess the question to a true hiker would be, Would you do it again and again?  

Near the half way point, there is a wooden bridge. There are gaps between the bridge and the drop off is around 10 feet or so. People who are scared of heights, seem to develop vertigo and either go under the bridge or crawl on the bridge. Going up isn't too bad. You just have to focus a little and of course don't think of falling. Going down will prove to be more difficult. Just be in rhythm or at least keep your equilibrium balanced and you'll be find.

About 3/4 up, the stairs starts to steepen and this is where your ass and hamstrings start to burn. I took a few short breaks admiring the views of the Portlock community and Honolulu. Nearing the top, I realize that I was in much better condition than last time. My legs weren't sore and my stamina was good.  

I reached the top in 25 minutes. The guys I walked with finished a few minutes before me. I walked up to the summit and looked into Koko Crater. It was nice. I seen a faint trail to the right and think this is how to get around the rim of Koko Crater. It looks dangerous, maybe one day I'll do it.  

On the way down, I started to book it. Everyone else was doing it, so what the hell. I got down pretty quick, 17 minutes. Because its semi-step, people walk down sideways, but that is not needed. I did struggle when I got to the bridge. Since it was on an angle, you had to walk leaning back. If your momentum carried you forward, you might fall over. Total hiking time was about 45 minutes. The key to climbing Koko Head is your pacing. If your breathing is controlled, then it shouldn't be a problem.

I wasn't hungry, so I decided to get a drink. I went down the road to Zippy's in the Koko Marina Shopping Center and bought an Orange Bang to recoup the calories. I got home before everyone woke up. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!