Long Weekend Oahu Hiking Adventures
1. Koko Crater: Up Railroad Tracks, Down the Arch
Date:
Trail Route: Up Railroad (RR) Track & Down Arch
Went up the Koko Crater Railway Trail in solidarity and planned to descend via the Arch—a route I haven't done in over 20 years. There are informational pamphlets at the bottom about the railroad, and at the top, another pamphlet asking people to vote in the upcoming caucus!
Met hikers coming up at the last big rock who warned me that there is no cable. This was surprising since there were usually cables present during the 1980s and '90s. I recalled my first time going down in 1982 when blue ribbons marked a bypass around the Arch to the right. Unfortunately, I couldn't locate that bypass this time and had to make the descent unaided.
Descent Breakdown (3 Pitches)
I spotted 3 pitons spaced apart, setting up 3 pitches:
- Top Pitch (Most Difficult): Spatially challenging. I took a crack on the left side, grabbing the ledge and inching down on my butt. It's only a 20-30 foot drop, but a fall onto the rocks below could be severe.
- Second Pitch: Evaluated the terrain and decided it was manageable without affixing a rope, saving it for the bottom.
- Final Pitch: Looks like a sheer drop-off, so I secured a rope. However, natural foot steps along the right side made the rope helpful but not strictly necessary.
2. Kaalakei Ridge (Mabel's False Ridge)
Date:
Trail Route: Up Hahaione Switchbacks
Explored Kaalakei Ridge, also known as Mabel's False Ridge. Back in January 1984, during our first trail-clearing attempt, we went up Hahaione, crossed over, and intended to head down Kuliouou East. Before reaching Kuliouou East, Mabel suggested dropping down. The slope became steep, requiring us to hack through a banyan tree (prompting Dick Schmidt's classic line: "This is the first time I have to hike through a tree").
Revisited the area today starting from the Hahaione switchback side to see if it offered a shorter ascent. It proved to be much faster. I found the gulch between Hahaione and Kuliouou East, re-discovered Mabel's false ridge, and confirmed our original ribbons are still hanging! I also noted a sister ridge to the right featuring a steep, narrow section that looks even more challenging.
3. Kipapa Windward Trail Clearing
Date:
Trail Route: Windward Side / Ditch Trail
Joined a trail-clearing group to work on Kipapa Windward. We assembled at 8:00 AM near the Poi Factory, entered near the main stream past the neighborhood, and ascended a swath on the right. Reached the Ditch Trail in about 1.5 hours.
Picked up the Kipapa Windward route to the left. The trail is heavily overgrown with uluhe fern, taking roughly two hours to push through before reaching a koa tree grove. After reaching "The Convergence," we navigated a hunter swath through a gulch down to the jeep road crossing, completing a solid long-weekend trek!
Comments
Post a Comment
Mahalo for reading! As a community-sourced blog, we value your input. Please share any trail updates, condition changes, or your own experiences from the listserv authors.