Hiking

STAY TUNED for full write-up and more pics!!! One local community on the North shore of Kauai, the Waipa Foundation, focuses there efforts on restoration and sustainability in their watershed. They are using the monitoring stations and network to help them understand more about water resources and management. For example, they want to more fairly manage water allocation for taro farming in the ahupua’a and also to monitor the results of large scale wetland restoration through the removal of hau (plant) which is choking out the estuarine reach of Waipa Stream. I recently had the opportunity...

STAY TUNED for full write-up and more pics!!! True Manamana is an advanced/extreme hike, which continues from the turnover/junction from the popular Puu Manamana or Kahekili Ridge Trail. Hiking on a cloudless day with the absence of the northeast tradewinds is a mistake I'll never make on this hike again. We (Troy Takara, Jenelyn Castillo and Jeremy Kreis) started at the steep graveyard trail in Kahana, hiking to True Manamana, and down the Puu Manamana Trail took us ~9 hours round trip. To view this location on a Google Map also known as my "Adventure Map", Click Here. For more adventures...

Since the heavy Koolau rains forced us to abandon our original hike on Kalahaku; Jeremy, Reanne, Jenelyn and I opted for a drier hike on West Oahu. Puu Ohikilolo is located a little more than half-way up Ohikilolo Ridge, which terminates at the area of the Waianae Summit known as "Three corners." Already on late start coming from the windward side, we chose to ascend the steep cliffs near Makua Cave instead of starting at the foot of Ohikilolo Ridge (to more quickly access the more prominent part of the ridgeline), which by far was not best idea in recent history... The first two-thirds...

Located < 1/3 mile offshore of Kuuloa Beach Park, Chinaman's hat (Mokolii Islet) is a common place for kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders and snorkelers/swimmers to travel to either explore or just to have a fun day in the sun... With a crew 15 strong (Justin Ugalino, Clayton Childs, Jennifer Liu, Lance Fujioka, Angie Ou, Jason Lee, Patrick Liu, Jenelyn Castillo, Reanne Solomon, Troy Takara, Seth Eason, Lenie and Franco Gallardo), we did just this. We started out our day meeting at 830 at Kualoa Beach Park. Loading our kayaks at the cars, we were able to easily wheel them "one-by-one" to water...

Lahilahi Point (or Black Rock) is a well known fishing spot to locals, and there is also a popular surf site adjacent it's west side. The significance of the name is due to the rocks at the westernmost point are "black," as opposed to the rest of the rock which appears brown. Lahilahi has considerable cultural significance to Native Hawaiians and is a site that is sacred to Kāne. In addition to ancestral burials, it has rare petroglyphs and astronomical significance (ie, the recognition of the June solstice). Lahilahi is also known as "the eyes of Wai'anae," meaning, "if you have not been to Lahilahi...

Conveniently situated near/on the University of Hawaii at Manoa's campus, the UH boulders are a short ~10 minute hike off of Dole Street, at the base of Waahila Ridge (next to bus stop)... I recently had the opportunity to visit two bouldering walls (East and West) here, that have been well-known for sometime. There are several traverse and top-out problems on either. The "West Wall" is slight graded in the mauka direction, and landings can be precarious. However, there are several somewhat weather-resistant mattresses that are there for use in addition to your own crash pad(s). The landing for the "East...

Waiakeakua Stream is one of the most scenic valley hikes in Honolulu. Rumors of there being a ridge extension beyond the falls were validated, as we (Stephanie, Kay and I) continued up the ridgeline between the two stream forks of Upper Waiakeakua. We then intersected the Koolau Summit Trail, headed north towards Konahuanui and came down Manoa Middle Ridge (adjacent ridgeline) to loop back near our starting point. An amazing combination of summmit, ridge, valley, stream and waterfalls in one compact hike. There are several entrances to Waiakeakua, but the most popular is probably access...

In addition to being a Natural Area Reserve (NAR) for native species, Ka'ena point is also a spiritually important area to Native Hawaiians. A large coral stone at the point is thought to be where deceased souls depart into the spiritual world or "spirit leap," as it is the westernmost part of the island to the setting sun. As the Hawaii hiking community had recently lost a well-respected hiker and friend the weekend prior, the Lost Trailblazers wanted to extend their aloha in a their own "Lost Trailblazer kind of way" at Kaena Point. Fortunate to have access to an off-road vehicle,...

A bit fatigued from Warrior Dash (in head-to-toe fleece) the previous day, I was more in the mood for some leisure hiking today... Like a chapter right out of the Goonies movie, Maunawili Falls to the Maunawili Moss Slides was an adventurous but leisure hike. We started our trek at the familiar Maunawili Falls Trailhead, ...which is a well kept trail and is fairly wide up until you cross the stream. You can cross the stream to the left bank, where the trail continues, though you have to cross back to the right bank shortly. I've seen hikers just "rock-hop" directly to the trail...

One of the best adventures I've done on Oahu, tubing the "north fork" of Kaukonahua Stream in Wahiawa is a great way to spend a day outdoors... since all you basically have to do is stay afloat. Easier said than done??? Receiving an invite from Chenay Borja (808 Goonies) and Pete Clines, we (Nate, Elisa, August, Dave, Jenelyn and I) started our amphibious adventure on the Wahiawa Hills Trailhead, at the top of California Avenue in Wahiawa. Within minutes from the trailhead, we were descending into the valley through forest of giant Paper Bark trees... Near the valley floor,...