Hiking in Hawaii 2008

[bkrownd]

Great websites; I'd love to hear more about some of the non-touristy destinations on the Big Island.

I've been on hikes along the Upper (and Lower) Hamakua Ditch, etc.

I haven't been on those windward Kohala yet - just Kohala's boggy summit area. One of the "ditch trails" was wiped out by landslides during the little earthquake a while back. They're still haggling over whether or how to fix the flumes.

I live in Hilo, so generally I explore on the Eastern Saddle off of Saddle Road, or off of upper Stainback Highway near the Kulani prison. Sometimes on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa, or in the Ka'u Desert. Keanakolu Road is too much for my little car, so I don't get to the Eastern and Northern slopes of Mauna Kea. I just pick a jeep trail or hunter trail and start exploring, or head up/down the lava fields visiting all the kipukas. I'm mostly interested in the native flora and fauna, so I go where the rare stuff lives. One of the best areas for native birds is on the Eastern saddle near the end of Powerline Road, and at the beginning and end of Pu'u O'o Trail. (Named after the Pu'u O'o on Mauna Kea, not the other Pu'u O'o on Kilauea) The Eastern Saddle is absolutely wonderful when the weather is cooperative, and the large pahoehoe lava fields make exploration easy. One of the best areas for native wet forest plants is the rainforests at the upper end of Stainback Highway. There are many abandoned roads up there for rainforest access, and rough hunter and biologist trails everywhere in the forests. Some people get lost in those forests for days...or the short last few days of their lives. The slopes of Mauna Kea and the Ka'u Desert are good for rare subalpine and dry forest plants. I have years of exploration to do up there before I've seen it all.

Favorite area on Powerline Road:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...18046&t=h&z=16

Favorite area on Pu'u O'o Trail:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...18046&t=h&z=16

Upper Stainback Highway:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...36092&t=h&z=15

Western slope of Mauna Kea:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...36092&t=h&z=15

Southern slope of Mauna Kea:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...36092&t=h&z=15

and many many miles of bushwacking around those areas and many others. Almost all of that is Forest Reserve and Natural Area Reserve lands.

No waterfalls or ocean on any of this.

[Tabasco]

wife and I are going to Kauai in August for our 20th anniversary. I just read that only 10% of kauai is accessible by road? woohoo!!!

[bkrownd]

That would have to mean "paved" road. There's a good reason why monster trucks with massive knobby tires are so popular here.

[camojack]

I haven't been on those windward Kohala yet - just Kohala's boggy summit area. One of the "ditch trails" was wiped out by landslides during the little earthquake a while back. They're still haggling over whether or how to fix the flumes.

Last year after the earthquakes I went to survey the damage along the Lower Hamakua Ditch.

Some spots are quite sturdy:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...imageuser=8204

Others are rather rickety:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...imageuser=8204

I live in Hilo, so generally I explore on the Eastern Saddle off of Saddle Road, or off of upper Stainback Highway near the Kulani prison. Sometimes on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa, or in the Ka'u Desert. Keanakolu Road is too much for my little car, so I don't get to the Eastern and Northern slopes of Mauna Kea. I just pick a jeep trail or hunter trail and start exploring, or head up/down the lava fields visiting all the kipukas. I'm mostly interested in the native flora and fauna, so I go where the rare stuff lives. One of the best areas for native birds is on the Eastern saddle near the end of Powerline Road, and at the beginning and end of Pu'u O'o Trail. (Named after the Pu'u O'o on Mauna Kea, not the other Pu'u O'o on Kilauea) The Eastern Saddle is absolutely wonderful when the weather is cooperative, and the large pahoehoe lava fields make exploration easy. One of the best areas for native wet forest plants is the rainforests at the upper end of Stainback Highway. There are many abandoned roads up there for rainforest access, and rough hunter and biologist trails everywhere in the forests. Some people get lost in those forests for days...or the short last few days of their lives. The slopes of Mauna Kea and the Ka'u Desert are good for rare subalpine and dry forest plants. I have years of exploration to do up there before I've seen it all.

You've got that right; they don't call it the Big Island for nothin'. My lot is in the Ka'u Desert, in a place called Ocean View.
(At 110 square miles, it's the largest subdivision in these here United States)

Favorite area on Powerline Road:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...18046&t=h&z=16
Favorite area on Pu'u O'o Trail:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...18046&t=h&z=16
Upper Stainback Highway:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...36092&t=h&z=15
Western slope of Mauna Kea:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...36092&t=h&z=15
Southern slope of Mauna Kea:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=1...36092&t=h&z=15

and many many miles of bushwacking around those areas and many others. Almost all of that is Forest Reserve and Natural Area Reserve lands.

No waterfalls or ocean on any of this.

Besides regular hiking, many of my travels there are for the purpose of exploring caves, which often involves bushwhacking.
(The island is positively riddled with caves)

wife and I are going to Kauai in August for our 20th anniversary. I just read that only 10% of kauai is accessible by road? woohoo!!!

That would have to mean "paved" road. There's a good reason why monster trucks with massive knobby tires are so popular here.

Kaua'i is beautiful, which is why it's called the "Garden Isle".

The center of the island is also the wettest spot on the planet...

[warraghiyagey]

Kauah'i is also my favorite. . . look choosing between your children, but there's just something a little more beautiful about it. Waimea Canyon amazes me. The waterfalls, Long thin whit strips in the mountains that are rushing straight down, 2,500 feet.
Beatiful
Even Camo's up tonight. We might as well have an afterparty.

[bkrownd]

You've got that right; they don't call it the Big Island for nothin'. My lot is in the Ka'u Desert, in a place called Ocean View.

HOVE is in Ka'u, and looks a bit like a desert , but by "Ka'u Desert" I mean just the parched and wild Western slope of Kilauea.

What elevation and kind of vegetation/lava is your lot? It would be neat to live at the top of HOVE if they allow open bike/hike access from the top of HOVE into the old ranch roads that circle the upper slopes of Mauna Loa, through the new Kahuku unit of the volcano park. You could just walk out your door, up the street, and explore the mountain and the adjacent forest reserves for days and days and months and years...

The Mauna Loa Trail System is the big dream we're all hoping to finally see fulfilled. It would be especially important for folks in Kona and Ka'u where wilderness access is very poor. If it finally happens I'll quit my job and just walk all over the mountainsides for a few weeks until I keel over dead from excess bliss!

[camojack]

Kauah'i is also my favorite. . . look choosing between your children, but there's just something a little more beautiful about it. Waimea Canyon amazes me. The waterfalls, Long thin whit strips in the mountains that are rushing straight down, 2,500 feet.
Beatiful
Even Camo's up tonight. We might as well have an afterparty.

I'm up every night, being on 3rd shift as I am. Afterparty?

Waimea Canyon is quite impressive, but it rains a lot there.

HOVE is in Ka'u, and looks a bit like a desert , but by "Ka'u Desert" I mean just the parched and wild Western slope of Kilauea.

What elevation and kind of vegetation/lava is your lot? It would be neat to live at the top of HOVE if they allow open bike/hike access from the top of HOVE into the old ranch roads that circle the upper slopes of Mauna Loa, through the new Kahuku unit of the volcano park. You could just walk out your door, up the street, and explore the mountain and the adjacent forest reserves for days and days and months and years...

My lot is at the 1040' elevation and is technically in a desert region. It's not in HOVE, actually, but Kula Kai View Estates.

It is 3 acres of mostly pahoehoe with a few ohi'a trees and some fountain grass, but there's an a'a filled gorge at one corner.

It also has 2 entrances into the second most extensive lava tube system on the planet, at 20+ miles.

BTW, there are 1 acre lots available at the top of the subdivision starting at about $10K right now.

The Mauna Loa Trail System is the big dream we're all hoping to finally see fulfilled. It would be especially important for folks in Kona and Ka'u where wilderness access is very poor. If it finally happens I'll quit my job and just walk all over the mountainsides for a few weeks until I keel over dead from excess bliss!

That sounds pretty sweet. This is the first I've heard of that; thanks for the link...

[bkrownd]

My lot is at the 1040' elevation and is technically in a desert region. It's not in HOVE, actually, but Kula Kai View Estates.

It is 3 acres of mostly pahoehoe with a few ohi'a trees and some fountain grass, but there's an a'a filled gorge at one corner.

It also has 2 entrances into the second most extensive lava tube system on the planet, at 20+ miles.

BTW, there are 1 acre lots available at the top of the subdivision starting at about $10K right now.

Gotcha. Can you see the big pali and windmills towards South Point from there? Hopefully you got somebody watching for dumping on your lot. Are you connected with the local cave conservancy branch? I peek into entrances and skylights of caves, but don't go in. The tight spaces make me wig out, and with all the earthquakes and flash floods here... Don't want to step on the cave critters, either. I see those slabs of ceiling on the floor and holes in the roof and all the cracks in the rock and get very antsy.

[camojack]

Gotcha. Can you see the big pali and windmills towards South Point from there? Hopefully you got somebody watching for dumping on your lot. Are you connected with the local cave conservancy branch? I peek into entrances and skylights of caves, but don't go in. The tight spaces make me wig out, and with all the earthquakes and flash floods here... Don't want to step on the cave critters, either. I see those slabs of ceiling on the floor and holes in the roof and all the cracks in the rock and get very antsy.

You can't see those windmills from my lot, but just down the road you can.

Kula Kai View Estates is a gated subdivision, because people were dumping trash down the side streets.

I am actually on the board of the Cave Conservancy of Hawaii, yes.
(The website needs to be updated, though)

Caves are not for everyone, especially the claustrophobic...

[bkrownd]

Kula Kai View Estates is a gated subdivision, because people were dumping trash down the side streets..

heh, that's hawaii for ya. trash everywhere

[camojack]

heh, that's hawaii for ya. trash everywhere

Well...not everywhere, but too many places, to be sure.

[warraghiyagey]

Well...not everywhere, but too many places, to be sure.

Hey, I was only there two years.

[camojack]

Hey, I was only there two years.

Sure you were. Everybody knows by now; there's No Such A Thing As a Warraghiyagey...

[Dogwood]

Camo, I may have a chance to go to Hawaii in September, can you give me some trails/parks that are 'must see' out there?

Hiking down into Mt. Haleakala and out thru Kaupo Gap on Maui and Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Trl on Kauai R not to be missed. Plan on spending several days at any or all. I just spent the last yr. hiking in HI. When U go to HI think RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT!!!! FOR THE CULTURE AND THE FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT!!!

[warraghiyagey]

Waimea Canyon for sure. Perfect hiking.

[camojack]

Hiking down into Mt. Haleakala and out thru Kaupo Gap on Maui and Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Trl on Kauai R not to be missed. Plan on spending several days at any or all. I just spent the last yr. hiking in HI. When U go to HI think RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT!!!! FOR THE CULTURE AND THE FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT!!!

I just saw an article mentioning the Kalalau Trail in the latest issue of National Geographic.

Mt. Haleakala on Maui and Waimea Canyon on Kauai are definitely on the "must see" list, too.

Waimea Canyon for sure. Perfect hiking.

Unless it's raining; it often is...

[whitefoot_hp]

not everyone gets their panties in a wad over the rain, camo jack. just because you do...

[camojack]

not everyone gets their panties in a wad over the rain, camo jack. just because you do...

Your eloquence astounds me, loser. That was sarcasm; I wouldn't expect you to get it...'cause you're stupid.

So, do you consider rain perfect hiking weather, then? If you say yes, you're a liar as well as a drooling Neanderthal.

That latter is a given...

[warraghiyagey]

Mmmmm. . . drooling Neanderthals - perfect when barbecued.

[bkrownd]

Rain is fine with me. Rain makes the rainforest grow and the tweetybirds sing.

http://www.pbase.com/image/80595667