SNOW LAKE

CROUCHING LION HIKE

MAILBOX PEAK REDUX

PU'U MA'ELI'ELI DIGGING HILL

The one thing I love most about being home is hiking. It's incredible how amazing Mother Nature is, especially in Hawaii. This hike I went with one of my best friends Clay. He mentioned a hike in Kaneohe where that was a WWII bunker at the top that offered a panoramic view of the east side of the island. I am always down to go on new hikes, so we decided to go early in the morning in order to catch those glorious morning rays. Good thing I am slightly still jet lagged and Hawaii is 3 hours behind of Seattle, so waking up at 6 am was pretty easy. It was a pretty short hike, but with a lot of steep, rolling hills that we were huffing and puffing by the time we got to the top. But my god, when I saw the bunker in my sight, I started running towards it and suddenly all I saw was miles of pristine, blue ocean in front of me. The Ko'olau mountain range was to the left, and also peeking like a small mountain in the middle of the ocean was Chinaman's Hat in the distance. We ended up staying at the top for quite a while soaking it all in. This is a pretty hidden trail, so we didn't encounter anyone during our time hiking. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

RATTLESNAKE LEDGE

SLIP SLIDIN' TO THE FALLS

 Oh Manoa Falls, you are always so mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.

KA'AU CRATER

I absolutely LOVED this hike.  It's a rough and tumble hike that takes you to three beautiful waterfalls and extremely close to the rim of a Ka'au crater.  There was a lot of rope climbing in which you have to traverse up the mountain right next to the waterfalls.  When you're done though you're standing on a ledge right where the waterfalls begins.  So terrifying and exciting at the same time!  I never heard of Ka'au crater before, but I'm not surprised because it's so hidden deep within Palolo Valley.  It's so lush and green.  It's nice to see land that hasn't been tainted by commercial development.  I felt like I was in the middle of Africa and half expected to see some gazelles prancing through the grass or giraffes grazing on tree leaves.  I hope this hidden beauty stays mysterious forever.  

WILIWILINUI RIDGE

Although the weather wasn't in our favor, and the trail was crowded with overgrown fern that scratched up our legs, and the rope climb to the summit caused some near disastrous falls, and that we may have fallen on our asses more than once, and that we looked like we rolled around in a pile of shit by the time we finished...it was still a gloriously, fun hike. 

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Whenever I find myself driving on the H3, I always look towards the Ko'olau mountains for a set of stairs leading up the steep cliff side.  This is the Haiku Stairs or better known as "Stairway to Heaven."  At 3,992 steps to the top (about 4x the amount of Koko Head) this is one of the most thrilling yet daring hikes on Oahu, and not only because of the steep elevation.  The hike was closed down to the public in 1987 due to liability concerns and neighborhood complaints (since the entrance is literally right across from people's backyards).  However, hikers have continued to sneak on the trail despite there being a guard and the risk of being cited.

My friends and I finally decided that we were ready to do this hike on the Fourth of July.  After thorough research about what time the guard was going to be there, we finally settled on starting the trail at around 2:00 am.  I felt like such a rebel sneaking around in the night time although we weren't very good at being stealthy, as Shane and I got the case of giggles as we sneaked by the sleepy houses.  It was a bit daunting trying to navigate in the dark, but we ran into other hikers along the way which was comforting.  As for the hike itself, the climb to the first platform (there are 4 in total) was the steepest and biggest cardio burn.  But after that, it was all smooth sailing.  I'm glad I didn't get vertigo, because there were some instances were it seems like you are climbing a straight ladder up the mountain.  When we finally got to the top we had to wait two more miserable cold hours for sunrise which we ended up not even seeing because it was too cloudy.  However, the hike back down was ahhhmazing.  Once we got under the clouds we could see all of Kaneohe illuminated by the morning light.  Maybe I was delirious because I was running on no sleep, but it all felt surreal and dreamlike to be standing on the Ko'olau mountains at dawn watching the cars drive by on the H3 below.  It was such a unique perspective.  Best illegal hike ever! 

KRAZY FOR KOKO HEAD?

Even though I've done the Koko Head Trail three times before I always find myself questioning why I am doing it and this time was no exception.  It also could have been that I had been out late the night  before and had barely slept and was a bit dehydrated.  Incidentally, it was my bizzaro state of mind that thought it would be a great idea to go hiking the next day.  Why I decided to do Koko Head is beyond me.  At least I had my booze crew along with me to tackle the death stairs together (except I was the only one feeling the after effects of the night before).  This trail is definitely a mind over matter march to the top.  The first half is a breeze but then the tracks suddenly turn into an almost straight vertical arch.  It's like being on the ultimate StairMasters that's out to kick your butt and boy it did.  But, I made it and my legs felt like jelly but the view at the top makes it all worth it in the end.  The great thing about this hike is that it's very short and anybody of all fitness levels can do it.  A lot of people use the stairs as a work out and sometimes I'll see people going up and down multiple times while I'm there.  There's one guy who even goes back down the stairs backwards.  Crazy.  Afterwards we ate at Teddy's Bigger Burgers, my favorite burger joint on the east side of the island and the only way to refuel after a hike.  

LIVING ON THE EDGE

Since it was a long weekend (today is King Kamehameha Day.  I love Hawaii state holidays...) why not go on another hike?  Yes!  My kind of fun.  This was an exhilarating one right off the Pali Lookout aka the windiest place on the island (speeds can reach 60+ mph).  Known as the Pali Puka Trail for the rock located at the end of the trail that has a large hole in it with a view that overlooks all of Honolulu.  It's like looking through the most picture perfect frame.  It's a short, sweet, and treacherous hike which demands rock climbing mere inches away from the mountain ledge.  Because it's so windy it feels like you could be swept off your feet at any second.  It was probably the most nerve racking hike I've been on.  Aly and I were so happy to make it to the end of the trail but that split second joy was short lived when we knew we would eventually have to go back down.  The mountain was so slippery because of the dirt and worn down rocks that it was hard to get a good grip.  We decided the best way was to slide down on our butts the entire way.  Probably not the best idea, but we eventually got down safely so I'd say the dirty butts in the end were well worth it.  We also saw some chickens in the parking lot as we were leaving.  I'll save you the chicken jokes for another day.  As for now, I'm just happy to be alive!

I'VE BEEN BIT...

By the hiking bug that is.  It is now something I crave to do once a week.  I guess because the gloom of me leaving in a few months is just on the horizon that I am trying to do and see as much as I can.  All my life I took for granted living in Hawaii.  As an wanderlusting (and somewhat sheltered) teen who wanted to see the world (heck, just getting across the Pacific Ocean was enough), it seemed so confining living on an island.  I finally got my wish when I moved to the mainland for college and I did do a lot of traveling (visited 3 different countries and took a cross country road trip).  Yet, the most exciting thing were those few weeks and summers I was able to go back home.  Now I've had the pleasure of moving back home for half the year before I start graduate school and it is only now I am discovering how much this little island has to offer.  I guess you don't realize what you're missing until it's gone.  I really hope this summer is filled with a lot of new adventures and discoveries, because time is running out quick! 

(This weekend's hike was the Makapu'u Tom Tom trail.  It's a hike that I had wanted to do since I read about it on Unreal Hawaii.  Check that off my bucket list!)

SUMMER PREVIEW

I'm glad it's June.  A new month.  May was a bit stagnant with not much going on.  I'm looking forward to what this month will bring like warm weather, friends visiting from faraway, and to top it all off at the end of the month, a weekend trip for some relaxation and quality family time.  Oh yes, I welcome June wholeheartedly.

And what better way to kick off the new month and summer than with a hike?  A couple of my friends decided to do Kuliouou Ridge Trail over the weekend. It's a great hike with the beginning two thirds spent in a dense, breezy forest.  We had fun pretending like we were in Candyland and decided to name different parts of the hike such as Windy Willows and Papa Papaya.  We may be adults in age, but we're really kids at heart.  The last third of the hike is an open, scenic climb to the top.  There are some steep staircase at the end that seriously test your lungs and burn your thighs, but once you make it you feel like a freakin' champion.  Oh, and the summit, that's the most gorgeous place of all with an amazing 360 view of the island.  You feel like you're on top of the world. That's a feeling that will never grow old. 

LET'S GO HIKING!

The best thing about living in Hawaii is that you have a whole other world to discover right in your backyard.  My goal this summer is to go on as many hiking adventures as I can.  Over the weekend  Clay, Kelsey, and I decided to hike Manana Trail, which is deep in Pacific Palisades and promises two hikes in one!  A secret waterfall and a long ridge trail.  We started off early in the morning hoping to beat the midday sun, but it ended up being the lingering storm clouds we would have to avoid.  We ended up not making it to the waterfall, because the rain had made the ground slick and muddy and we had to navigate down a slippery hill (nicknamed Cardiac Hill because the tree roots resemble veins of the heart) to get to it.  We only made it halfway down before it began pouring and we had to turn back the other way.  Bummer.  The ridge trail was absolutely gorgeous though.  It was like being transported into Jurassic Park being surrounded by beautiful green trees, lush foliage, and rolling mountains.  I half expected a T-rex to be charging through the trees any moment!  It was such a nice secluded area, we definitely felt like we were the only ones out there for a while.  We didn't have time to finish the entire trail, so I'm definitely already planning to come back again! 

SUNDAY MORNING

Here are some Instagram pictures (Followgram) of my beautiful Sunday so far.  Clayton and I started off the day hiking at Mariner's Ridge which is tucked inside Hawaii Kai.  It's a relatively easy hike that promises amazing views of the beach and Ko'olau mountain range, stretching all the way from Waimanalo to Kailua.  Afterwards, we treated ourselves to Yogurtland and I discovered my new favorite froyo combo - matcha green tea and Kona coffee!  When I came home, I found Missy waiting patiently for me at the doorstep and looking all adorable.  Love her.  Now, I'm going to get started on my brother's sign for graduation and later going to get Chinese food for dinner.  Yum!