Hike Club #11: Kamiloiki

Also known as Makahuena, the Kamiloiki Ridge trail starts in Hawaii Kai at the Pahua Heiau.  I’ve driven almost right past this heiau before without knowing it was there – it sits on a cul de sac in a residential neighborhood.  The trail is about 2.5 miles and ends with a great view over Waimanalo and Kailua.  For most of the way, the trail follows the crest of a ridge with a dropoff on each side.  Great view but brutal sun.  We probably didn’t pick the best day for this trail.  We were very grateful for the shade of the ironwoods near the end, despite some scratchy underbrush.  I would definitely recommend this hike, but bring an extra bottle of water!

Hike Club #10: Maunawili Falls

Maunawili is a classic and popular Oahu hike and was very crowded indeed on this Sunday. It isn’t long, but was a little more of a workout than I remembered it as being, and was very wet for August (usually the driest part of the year). There are multiple stream crossings and plenty of ankle-deep mud, but the little waterfall at the end is pretty and the trail is lined with abundant sweet-smelling ginger.

Hike Club #9: Puu Pia

It was an easy one for this week – everyone had places to go and things to do.

Puu Pia’s trailhead in up East Manoa Road, well into the valley. This is a short (only about a mile one way) and lush hike with a gentle climb to a view down the valley to the ocean and Waikiki.

Splinter Cell 2: July 21 – Grand Canyon West!

A subset of our hikers missed out on our usual Oahu hike for the second time in a row in July, but they had a very good reason… OK, I’m going to stop writing in the third person now, and just say that I missed y’all, but I was really freakin excited to see the Grand Canyon for the first time ever!

The Grand Canyon WEST is a new attraction being developed by the Hualapai nation only about 3 hours from Las Vegas. It really is new – the road is pretty much unmarked and very remote and the last few miles are dirt. There are a few buildings, like the Visitor Center, and the much-touted Skywalk, but many things are under construction, including a restaurant and hotel. Things are pretty informal at this point and there are no guardrails in sight, although there were burly Hualapais in a few area to keep us from doing anything foolhardy.

Despite the unfinished and informal feel, the place is not cheap. You can count on paying about $75 a person to be bussed to the several overlooks, fed, and allowed onto the Skywalk. The day we were there, it began to rain just as we got to the Skywalk and they weren’t allowing anyone out. They seem to have done something to the Skywalk involving surrounding it with a lot of wood and an entrance building, the overall effect of which was to make it look very unremarkable. In any event, we were able to visit several sites with unbelievable canyon views. At the site where a buffet lunch was provided, picnic tables lined the very edge of the canyon, some of them vertiginously tilted down toward the rim. We watched as ominous clouds and a wall of rain moved across the canyon. Jagged bolts of lightning charged the air with static and made hair literally stand on end. Startled groups of ravens took flight against this spectacular backdrop. At a small outdoor market, I bought an exquisite fetish with a central corn figurine surrounded by tiny carved animals, all residents of the canyon area, and meant to bring happiness, fulfilment and love.

The rain began to come down in sheets and didn’t let up. It all felt a bit dangerous and forbidden to be there in such conditions. I feel a little guilty that we wound up paying nothing – the Hualapais were refunding admission because everyone got “rained out.”

Hike Club Splinter Cell – Kauai July 7-15

1. Alakai Trail – This is the famous “boardwalk” through an eerie and beautiful misty bog. There are actually two boardwalk trails that form an X, the Pihea Trail and the Alakai Trail. Most people start this hike at the paved parking lot at the far end of the road that passes the Kokee information center, but this means a boring and slippery 2 miles to get to the Pihea board walk. We took an alternate route, but you need a 4WD car. You take the dirt road right across from the information center at Kokee to the start of the Alakai trail. From there to Kilohana (with a stunning view over Hanalei) is 3.5 miles. Most of it is flat and easy. You can add a loop onto the Pihea trail on the way back for a total of a little over 9 miles. If I could only do one hike on Kauai, this would be it.

2. Awaawapuhi Trail – This one also starts near Kokee Lodge. It actually goes down from the trailhead for about 3 miles and winds up at an overlook ABOVE the Kalalau valley. The climb on the way back is slow and steady – not bad but a decent workout. Totally worth it for the view.

3. Okolehau Trail – The trailhead is near Hanalei. It starts on an old road and climbs steadily for about a mile to a pretty overlook. From there it turns into a proper trail, kind of rooty and muddy in spots. Near the top (about 2.5 miles) it gets overgrown. At one point you will see a rope ladder to your right, but if you ignore this and bushwack off to the left you’ll get to the End of Trail sign for Okolehau with a killer view over the north and east of Kauai.

All three trails were fun and showcased different aspects of Kauai’s diverse scenery. And the hiking days were even better topped off with fabulous food from Blossoming Lotus, Beach House, or just from the farmer’s market. Yum. Kauai is a magic place.