This hike starts in the back of Kuliou'ou Valley. You start at the
Valley trail and head right the hillside about 100 yards in. The lower section is
usually very dry and has no view. But when it rains, this hike sucks big time
because there's little coverage on the ground so it becomes a mix of rivers and
mudholes! The middle section traverses through ironwoods until you break out on the
ridgeline. From there to the top you're treated to incredible views of east Oahu!Although
it can be tiring because it's a constant uphill trek, there aren't very any real steep
sections and there are stairs to help you at the top. From the top of the ridge you
can see Hanauma Bay, Hawaii Kai and the South Shore while looking Leeward. Windward
you have views of Rabbit Island to Kaneohe.
On this trip I headed west to Pu'u o'Kona. The summit walk isn't too bad as long
it isn't clouded over or muddy. There's a few long drop-offs and I'd hate to be the
one walking over them when the ledge eventually breaks off, but as long as you're
careful...
For the views of Olomana and the Windward cliffs you need to venture to Pu'u o'Kona,
which is the peak that juts out on the Windward side. On a clear day it's well worth
the extra hour or so
Date: July 26, 1998
Time Duration: 3hours (including Pu'u o'Kona)
Difficulty: Blue (for those non-snow people...intermediate)
Danger: Black (for those non-snow people...difficult)
Notes: If you look towards Hawaii Kai on a clear day you can see Molokai, Lanai
and Maui! I thought it was pretty cool!
