Hiking Trails on Oahu

Kawailoa - April 12, 2014 It all comes down to this...maybe not. Kawailoa has been on my checklist since 2011. Dave F. had the last write up of it in 2012. The last time Kawailoa was on the HTMC schedule was September 2010, but I’m not sure if they went through with it. In summary, trail use is nonexistent. The HTMC quarterly April-June schedule is probably the best I’ve seen since I joined the club in 2011. With Kawailoa and Poamoho as the showcase, back to back no less, its a very impressive schedule. A reliable source said that Mr. Koolau Summit himself has been working on putting together an interesting schedule. Erik and I did an exploratory hike on Thursday and had a conversation that Kawailoa would bring out the veterans of the HTMC. It did not disappoint, all the ‘legends’ came out. I can sort of understand why hikers consider certain people of the HTMC legends. Take Pete Clines for example - he (along with Laredo) were the first documented hikers to do True Manamana. Pete is a...

  Ka’a’awa 5k - April 12, 2014 I believe Daniel does this fun run to support his friend who works at Ka’a’awa Elementary. I like any event that involves family. It’s a match made in heaven. Add Papa Ole’s to that and you’ve got a winna. Rains came down, but didn’t seem to bother the crowd. The valley is so beautiful, it’s hard to believe that a place like this exist. No wonder why it’s featured in many movies. We walked past the Jurassic Park sign and the big dinosaur foot print again. We appeared to walk further on the dirt road this time. I had a chance to see 2 Apes Taking and True Manamana. Always cool to see that for some reason. banner this year beautiful rainbow in the valley As my kids harassed Daniel, we approached the Aztec Monument. The monument was about 50 yards up a hill. When we got there, the steps were solid. Daniel did his human sacrifice on a small platform. I decided to climb these prop stairs. But when I pulled down on it, it ripped off. I was like shit as my k...

Mililani-Waipio - April 10, 2014 Instead of doing our weekly run today, Erik and I decided to do a short hike near my mom’s house. The hike takes you to Kipapa Gulch and on what seems like military property. I told Erik, there are about 14 tunnels which may peak his interest. On my last scout mission, I walked on the road and passed about 14 tunnels ending up in thick California grass. I bushwhacked for about 20 minutes, but decided to turn around. The road appeared to lead under H2. I appropriately named the hike: H2 trail. While walking back I noticed another trail. After eyeballing it, it appeared to lead to Costcos. My goal today was to explore that trail, hopefully that would take us to Costcos Waipio. The trail is behind the baseball field. In Milville, (that’s what the kids call Mililani) the baseball field is referred to as Noholoa, named after some apartment development nearby. Behind the park is known as Cherry Hill. The origin of that name is unknown. For years after basebal...

  Nuuanu Reservoir #4 Nuuanu Valley - April 5, 2014 I had a chance to do a family hike today. We joined Janice and her sister’s family to do Lulumahu. They also wanted to do Kaniakapupu, the summer palace of King Kamehameha III. For me, I really wanted to visit Nuuanu Reservoir #4. We had a late start 11:30am, but took our time. The hike to Lulumahu was surprisingly short ~ 45 minutes. We had the falls to ourselves for a bit, which is really rare since this hike is so popular nowadays. After the falls, we hiked straight to Nuuanu Reservoir #4. Not sure how many reservoirs are in this area, but this one is the biggest. I got a cool picture with my 14mm. Our final stop was Kaniakapupu (summer palace). I’ve been here 5x already. For me, it is all about respect when you come here. There should be no trash or even loud talking. It is a place to respect the king and queen. A fun day with the family, and free too! Hiking is a good way to save money. If you can problem solve the PHM and ge...