On Sunday, May 13 (Mother's day), I joined a group of HTM trailclearers at 8 am near the intersection of Hau'ula Homestead Road and Kamehameha Hwy in the windward O'ahu coastal village of Hau'ula to prepare the HTM Hau'ula Uka hike. The weather? A gorgeous day (mostly sunny skies, trade winds 10 to 20 mph), featuring outstanding visual clarity of the Ko'olau summit ridge.
From Kamehameha Hwy, the gang proceeded mauka on foot to the Hau'ula loop trail. At a junction on the Hau'ula loop, we split into two smaller parties, one to work counterclockwise and the other clockwise until the task got done. I went with the counterclockwise party and helped clear uluhe on the ridge above the wide open State Na Ala Hele trail (mostly touch-up work since Dayle Turner and Jay Feldman did such a nice job of creating a swath). The counterclockwise group reached the high point of the hike at 11 am and cleared a lunch spot there. Half an hour later, having finished resting, snacking and hydrating, most of the trailclearers started down the uncleared portion of the loop. Roger Breton was rumored to join us sometime during the day at some point on the ridge; therefore, rather than wait for him, Ed Gilman, Jason Sunada and I headed mauka on Hau'ula Uka Ridge (according to Al Miller, the longest ridge connecting to the Ko'olau Range). Jason took the ram-rod and set a brisk pace. Meanwhile, Ed and I paused on a few occasions to peer down at the spectacular narrow rock formations (dike rock?) rising from the floor of Kaipapa'u Gulch.
After accomplishing two steep climbs, a third more gradual climb, traversing a narrow level stretch and achieving another gradual climb, Ed and I caught up to Jason on the backside of a hump in the ridge at 12:35, a short distance beyond the place where Dayle tied three ribbons to a tree limb two years ago. We found Mr. Sunada eating lunch while reclining on the ground with his black umbrella open to provide shade. During consumption of the midday meal, Jason informed Ed and I that he would turn back because of Mother's day. Ed and I, on the other hand, felt the weather (esp. the excellent visual clarity it afforded) provided a great opportunity to complete the ridge and take the Castle and Waiahilahila/Papali trails back to Hau'ula town.
Five minutes shy of 1 pm, Mr. Gilman and I continued mauka on Hau'ula Uka. We took turns in the point position since no trail existed except for occasional faint pig trails. Like her sister ridges Papali and Waiahilahila, Hau'ula Uka contains an abundance of native flora. Although we were slowed by the vegetation, the two of us methodically worked our way toward the terminus, enduring only mild rollercoaster action. Periodically, Ed and I halted to gaze at the surrounding territory and recognized the windward section of the Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST) cut into the sheer pali in the very back of Kaipapa'u Gulch, the high waterfall located at the end of the Kaipapa'u Gulch hike, and the sheer rocky dike walls of Ma'akua Gulch.
As the ridge curved south, almost paralleling the Ko'olau summit ridge, the two of us traversed one short and one long hump. It was in this area that we spotted a nicely flowing stream below on the right (upper Kaipapa'u Stream?), and Ed snapped a photo of Ma'akua Gulch which spread out before us all the way to the ocean. Farther ahead, we commenced the final steep open ascent toward the Castle trail. During the climb, Mount Ka'ala appeared to the west above the Ko'olau summit ridge and Kanehoalani, Kaneohe Bay and the Mokulua Islands were visible to the east/southeast.
After completing the final climb, Ed and I tramped through a meadow of mostly native flora along a distinct but skinny pig path, then gained elevation away from the broad region on a finger ridge to a junction with Castle Trail, arriving there at 3:15 pm. I immediately attempted to radio HTM trailclearers and soon received a reply from Tom Yoza. He reported that Roger had emerged from the wilderness at La'ie and was enjoying refreshments with the gang in the Hau'ula Beach Park pavilion. Ed and me rejoiced at the good news, and now could concentrate on saving our own lives from the perils of Ko'olau trekking. Would the two of us surprise the pig god Kamapua'a and be eaten alive? Read on! :-)
Following a brief respite, Mr. Gilman and myself proceeded down Castle Trail. At a spot about a quarter of a mile mauka of the junction with the Waiahilahila Ridge trail, we veered east a short distance to a dropoff to stare at a beautiful waterfall that feeds Kaluanui Stream. Once again, Ed took a photo. After getting back on Castle and descending via two short switchbacks, we battled a badly overgrown, partially washed out segment of the trail. Fortunately, the condition of the contour footpath improved, and we soon reached the Waiahilahila Ridge trail (where Castle crosses over and begins gradually dropping down into Kaluanui Valley), marked by a wooden green sign constructed by Mike Algiers.
Upon acquiring the next prominent peak (the high point of Waiahilahila Ridge between Castle Trail and the ocean, and one of Al Miller's favorite O'ahu locales), the two of us stopped again to experience the superb panorama. I identified Hau'ula Uka and visually traced the route we had taken earlier in the day.
Pressing on, the Waiahilahila Ridge "freeway" (having been cleared on March 4) provided a pleasant change from the non-trail/overgrowth we had struggled through up until the Castle crossover. As a result, Ed and I made good progress. Instead of deviating from Waiahilahila onto Papali Ridge, the two of us hiked farther makai to the junction with Punaiki Ridge, traversed Punaiki's narrow dike, dropped down into Punaiki Gulch, climbed steeply out of the gulch (after all we'd endured, this was a killer!) and completed the loop back to the paved Board of Water Supply road via the State Na Ala Hele Papali Trail. Roger, waiting patiently for us to emerge from the woods at the chain across the road, then transported Ed and I to Kamehameha Hwy where the three of us talked story until 7 pm.
Notes:
Long pants are definitely a requirement for those desiring to conquer Hau'ula Uka. The upper part of my legs became like hamburger meat because I wore shorts and knee length gators instead of long pants.
It appears that upper Kaipapa'u Stream is at the same elevation as Kaluanui Stream; definately two of the highest flowing streams on O'ahu.
Ed Gilman is a real gamer! He has accomplished an incredible list of hikes recently, including Hau'ula Uka, Dodge Ridge in Makaha Valley, Moanalua Valley saddle to Haiku Stairs, Godek/Jaskulski Trail, the southeast ridge of Ohulehule, Kipapa Windward-KST-Waikane.
Join coordinator Joe "Slow Joe" Bussen on Saturday, May 19 for the HTM Hau'ula Uka hike. Realize, however, that Joe will not allow anyone to go beyond the normal lunch spot on the day of the event.
== Paka
Author: Patrick Rorie <prorie@k12.hi.us>
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