A Wailau Trailclearing Adventure: Clearing Molokai's Historic Wailau Trail

Posted to OHE on August 13, 2001 • By Patrick Rorie

Borrowing a phrase from Mike Uslan, Thomas Yoza described what he found on the floor of Wailau Valley as TRUE HORROR!!!

Mark Short, Gene Robinson, Keith Palmer, Dave Waller, Thomas Yoza, and myself departed Molokai late yesterday afternoon after spending a few days in Wailau Valley clearing portions of the magnificent Wailau Trail.

Thursday, August 9: Backpacking "Over the Top"

Mark, Gene, and Tom arrived on Molokaʻi and backpacked "over the top" from the ʻIliʻiliʻōpae Heiau down to the floor of Wailau. While descending the steep windward pali, Tom became separated from Mark and Gene. All three used blue ribbons tied periodically to tree limbs as a guide, but the ribbons ended near the start of the Kekumu ʻili, leaving the trio to navigate on their own.

Mark and Gene veered east, dropping down to Waiakeakua Stream and following the rapidly flowing waterway to the lower Kekumu campsite for the night. By the time Tom reached the area near the Kekumu ʻili, it was already 6:00 PM, so he found a spot relatively free of mud and erected a tarp for shelter.

Friday, August 10: Arriving via Hālawa Valley Boat Access

Dave, Keith, and I arrived on Molokaʻi and were driven to Hālawa Valley on the island's east end. From there, we caught a thrilling boat ride to Wailau Beach on Molokaʻi's north coast.

Continuing on foot at 10:10 AM, our threesome headed south on the Wailau Trail to rendezvous with our comrades in the back of the valley—a distance of about 4.5 miles. En route to the Waiākeakua Stream crossing, we dropped our packs several times to remove clusters of 7-foot-high Clidemia trees choking the footpath. A steady rain fell as we worked, creating beautiful waterfalls cascading down Wailau's steep east wall.

Inevitably, we had to stop clearing and push through to reach the lower Kekumu campsite before nightfall. We encountered Mark traveling toward the north shore, clearing as he hiked, and soon after met Gene. Later, I made radio contact with Thomas, who spent the day clearing a trail stretching from his campsite down to Waiākeakua Stream.

Dave and I forded Waiākeakua, entered the Kekumu ʻili, and ascended to a small circular campsite nestled among a tall kōpiko tree and ʻōhiʻa trees at 7:09 PM. Keith reached us by flashlight. We enjoyed a pleasant evening under the silhouette of massive Mount Olokuʻi.

Saturday, August 11: Busting Open the Kekumu ʻIli

Dave and I departed lower Kekumu at 8:45 AM and headed mauka toward Tom's campsite along the segment Gene had worked on. Where the improved section ended, I fought through thickets until joining Tom, forming a clearing duo: I bent down to lop the base of the Clidemia trees while Tom pulled the fallen brush clear.

Meanwhile, Dave met Gene, and they formed a second clearing team. Using two-way radios, compass readings, and yelling/whistling, we coordinated our trajectory to keep the trail as straight as possible.

By 1:30 PM, all four of us united in a small meadow, celebrating that the footpath was now a wide-open 3- to 5-foot freeway within the Kekumu ʻili! Tom and Dave then proceeded mauka toward the rope sections, while I did extra work on the segment between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Meanwhile, Keith, despite not feeling well, forded Waiākeakua to work on the opposite bank.

With two hours of daylight left, I took a day hike dubbed the "Thomas Yoza Wailau Loop." I ventured upstream, swam through a deep pool, cooled off under an umbrella-shaped waterfall, and followed Tom's red ribbons back to his campsite before returning to lower Kekumu by 7:20 PM.

Sunday, August 12: Trekking Out

Tom departed upper Kekumu at 7:00 AM. Packed and ready by 8:50 AM, Keith and I headed north in pursuit of Tom, while Dave chose the "over the top" route to experience the entire Wailau Trail.

Trip Summary & Trail Details

• Location: Wailau Valley / Kekumu ʻili, Molokaʻi
• Trailhead Access Points: ʻIliʻiliʻōpae Heiau ("over the top"), Hālawa Valley boat access to Wailau Beach
• Key Landmarks: Waiākeakua Stream, Mount Olokuʻi, Kekumu Campsite, Wailau Wall of Tears
• Trail Hazards & Vegetation: Heavy Clidemia hirta overgrown thickets, deep stream crossings, steep wet pali sections

— Patrick Rorie