Nice size group heading off |
Knowing how challenging this hike would
be (10 miles is nothing to shrug at), I got me some new gear. First I
got myself a camel back. Dang that thing made carrying and drinking
water so much easier. Plus the pack had plenty of room for food and a
jacket in case the weather turned bad. Next I got some pants. I
always hiked in shorts and my legs always ended up all cut up from
shrubs and thorns and I don't want that anymore. Good thing too
because some of the ferns scratched up a lot of people and my legs
were fine. The best part about the pants is they can convert to
shorts too. Win win!
Camel back, good people! |
We got started at Moanalua Valley Park
and were immediately greeted by some steep inclines. The legs got to
burning pretty quickly. Those familiar with the trail assured us that
the first portion of the hike was the steepest. I'm glad they were
right.
After a mile or so we got through the
steep section and the view told us just how much we climbed. We were
well above the valley floor and could see the ocean in the distance.
Nice view, and nice sunny weather. Onto the ridge trail!
We followed the trail up...and up...and
up some more. It wasn't really steep but it was all uphill. The trail
wound through tunnels of trees and around lush hillsides. We came
through one area that felt like a tree nursery. Young trees were
growing, their trunks were no thicker than my arm, among older mature
trees. It was like the parent trees were raising their young. It was
a cool sight.
During a break she busted out her hiking food: pizza...Brilliant!! |
There were a few rope sections. I like
climbing up ropes. But it wasn't a vertical climb, more like a
steeper than usual section with questionable footing. The rope helps
to keep stable. There were a couple rope sections where the ropes
served as handrails because the trail went across an open ridge. The
kind of ridge where there's nothing on either side to hold onto and
death awaits if you lose your footing and fall. The handrail ropes
are a great idea.
The sun was growing hot and the
question came up, would you rather have it hot and sunny or cloudy
and rainy? Everybody I asked chose sunny because rain meant muddy
trails...and mud sucks. It felt like the sky was listening to us
because soon after that conversation some clouds rolled in and it
started to rain. It was a “light shower” as the weatherman would
say. I thought it was refreshing.
View from the top |
We made it to the summit and enjoyed a
nice view of the opposite side of the island. We hung out there for a
while, relaxed, ate, took some pictures. My camel back was more than
half full so I was feeling good about not running out of water. I ate
an apple, some li hing mui mangoes, and beef jerky. Good lunch!
When it was time to continue on we went
back the way we came for a bit then turned onto another trail that
led down a different ridge. The rain had stopped and the sun was back
out. The weather held for the rest of the hike. The trail led us down
the ridge which offered some nice views of the valley. It took a
while but we eventually hit the valley floor and followed a stream. A
while later we hooked up with a road that led us back to where we
started at Moanalua Valley Park.
Heading down the ridge |
While following the road we spotted a
rescue helicopter airlifting somebody out. It was crazy to see the
helicopter fly off with somebody dangling from a rope. I kept
thinking two things: 1) I hope whoever was rescued would be okay, and
2) how fun it would be to be attached to that rope and fly over the
valley and city...ya know, unhurt. Towards the end of the road we ran
into some pig hunters that had just hunted down a wild boar. After
talking with them a bit we learned that one of their friends was the
guy airlifted out. Apparently he was trying to kill the boar and
somehow he and the boar fell off a 30 foot cliff. Again, I hope the
guy is okay and heals up quickly.
We made it back to Moanalua Valley Park mid afternoon. We were hiking for a little over 6 hours. It was time to relax at the park's playground and have a mini celebration. Some brought out snacks, some brought out beer. I brought some coconut water and red wine. Cheers!
Good hiking everybody, looking forward
to the next one!
Check out some video from the hike on my YouTube Channel: Click here
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