Hiking Kapilau Ridge: The Cross Above Wailuku to Puʻu Lio

September 4, 2001 • By Mark Short

A prominent landmark above Kahului/Wailuku is the Cross Above Wailuku. This is featured in local hiking guidebooks as a one-mile trail that gains 1,000 feet in elevation.

My dog woke me up at 6:00 AM on Monday, so I figured we could go for a quick hike. I slipped on shoes and socks, grabbed my pack, and off we went. The trail starts off steep, dry, wide, and eroded—an honest, up-up-up workout. Soon I reached the cross at roughly 1,600 feet elevation. There were nice views, but I was not satisfied yet; the trail continued, and so did I. Up above, I could see a false summit, Puʻu Lio (around 3,000 ft.), which felt like a good next goal.

Ascending to Puʻu Lio

After a while, I started feeling a little light-headed and realized I had forgotten to eat breakfast. I sat down at a scenic spot, ate a granola bar, watched small birds flit among the trees, and enjoyed watching the morning sun light up Maui. Feeling much better, I continued on to Puʻu Lio.

At Puʻu Lio, there is a small open grassy area that serves as the obvious turnaround point for most hikers. But not for me.

Overgrown Ridge & The 4,336 ft. Summit

Beyond Puʻu Lio, the trail transitioned into a very narrow, overgrown, and wet ridge. Into the cloud cover I continued, pushing through chest-high grass at times. Everything was dripping with moisture, surrounded by beautiful and interesting native flora.

At the top peak (marked at 4,336 ft. on the USGS topo map), I peered into the mist hoping for a clear view. Instead of the clouds magically parting, it started to rain in earnest!

The Descent

My dog seemed truly happy to be headed home, bounding down through the brush and returning periodically to check on me as I carefully descended the increasingly slippery trail.

Despite the rain, I was thoroughly happy—the climb provided both the endorphins of a great workout and the full sensory experience of a Hawaiian mountain summit.