Labor Day on Kipapa Windward

Labor Day on Kipapa Windward

Posted to OHE on 4 September 2007 by Pat Rorie

Labor Day is normally a time when Americans cease from their labors and relax at a park with family and friends. Yesterday, eight humans—four of them trail clearers—did quite the opposite.

We met near the Waiahole Poi Factory at 7:45 a.m. on a gorgeous summer morning. Participants included Doug, Grandma, Jeff, Susan, Ken, Susan’s friend Genine, Ken’s friend Joel (mean botanist—dis guy really knows his plants), and me.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m., we headed mauka on foot with the goal of reaching the Koʻolau summit via a steep windward ridge known as Kipapa Windward—so named because it tops out at a remote summit puʻu not far from the Kipapa Trail.

A few weeks earlier, Ken and Lars of HTM trail clearing had opened a swath through the uluhe above the Waiahole Ditch Trail, making access to the main ridge possible.

By 9:00 a.m., most—if not all—of us had left the Ditch Trail and were fully committed to the climb toward the Koʻolau crest. It took four hours to reach the summit. I manned the ram-rod position and endured ferocious resistance from a ten-foot-high mound of uluhe and scattered patches of clidemia, with Doug backing me up.

A few minutes past 1:00 p.m., Jeff, Doug, and I summited (approx. elevation 2,650'). Chilly trade winds forced Doug to hunker down in a semi-protected area. Once Grandma arrived, Jeff, Grandma, and I continued south to the camp spot nestled beside a grove of tall sugi pines, adjacent to the stacked remains of Uncle Tom’s cabin and the Koʻolau Summit Trail.

Fog dominated most of the time, but it lifted briefly to reveal excellent views of windward Oʻahu, the Waiʻanae Range (Mount Kaʻala clearly visible), and the North Shore.

After about fifteen minutes at the camp—eating lunch, resting, and snapping photos—Jeff and Grandma headed back toward the puʻu where Doug remained. I lingered a bit longer to enjoy the spot. Meanwhile, Ken, Joel, and Susan topped out. Genine nearly made it as well but suffered a shoe failure during the ascent; Ken’s black electrical tape kept it together well enough to get her down.

By 2:00 p.m., we were all descending the ridge on a now-distinct trail. Doug, Grandma, and Ken did a superb job clearing on the way down—even the infamous uluhe tunnel had been eliminated.

By 6:00 p.m., all but Doug (who had already left) were gathered, consuming soft drinks and chips and conversing mostly on botanical matters. Topics included Bette Midler’s $6,500 fine for clearing invasive trees on her Maui property and Brandon Stone being criticized by the State for clearing too much canopy near Manoa Cliff Trail.

Notes:
• According to Ken’s GPS, the distance from the Ditch Trail to the summit via Kipapa Windward is less than half a mile (as a human walks, not as the crow flies), with an elevation gain of roughly 2,000 feet.
• Joel and Ken didn’t observe anything especially notable botanically.
• Genine had very little prior hiking experience on Oʻahu and was suddenly thrust into this outing; she did very well under the circumstances.
• This hike proves that Grandma still has what it takes to accomplish challenging hikes and climbs.
• Credit goes to Dayle Turner, the brainchild behind ascending this ridge to the summit.

—Patrick