|Veni, Vidi, Vici!|
TOTAL TIME: 4.5 hrs
DIFFICULTY: Easy - Medium
PARTICIPANTS: “Reef Shoes” Jason, “The Optimist” Jeremy, “Sigmund Freud” Jenn, “Gravity” Jo, “MP3” Stefanie, “Shave Ice Nazi” Athena, Me
REHIKE VALUE: 7
Clear weather this day as we took on one of my favorite hikes on the island. Great views, relatively easy walk, and a little sense of danger to spice things up. I refer to the Kuli’ou’ou – Pu’u O Kona loop as the most advanced “girly hike” in my inventory. By the way, I want to credit Jason for coming up with the term “girly hike” and take zero responsibility for the estrogen driven repercussions.
Last time I did this, rain clouds ruled the mountains making me reluctant to complete the loop. Aside from the short burst of rain that passed over us, I couldn’t have asked for better hiking conditions. Dry ground, clear trail, low ceiling, and super strong winds that threatened to blow us off the ridge with every step we took. Fun!
|Left to right: Me, Jo, Jeremy, Jenn, Athena, Jason, Stefanie|
|No obstacle is too great|
Most of the climb was as I remembered it. A pleasant ascent through breezy pine forests accompanied by fantastic views of southeast Oahu. The prominent “End of Hiking Trail” sign greeted us at the apex, inviting us to venture further along the Ko’olau summit. The extremely high winds increased the hiking value considerably and made it slightly harder to perform cartwheels atop the narrow ridgeline.
As most of my hikes have something to do with some crazy future excursion, this one doubled as a top down reconnaissance of a ridge trail I’m planning on attempting. The clear weather allowed for a full visual assessment, a sign that the hike was meant to be, much to Jason’s mortified objections. Details of the plan will only be disclosed near the execution date.
|Wind picks up and Jo isn't happy|
|Olomana, Kailua, and Waimanolo|
|Great achievements come with great efforts|
Relatively easy and short enough for a relaxing pace, the Kuli’ou’ou – Pu’u O Kona loop remains as one of my favorite hikes. Unless you’re a die-hard water baby, this hike has all the bonuses and minimal danger. Strongly recommended for armchair adventurists and their pet monkeys. What?
|A breather at the picnic tables|
|The beatings will continue until motivation improves|
|Expanse of challenge|
|Teamwork and determination|
|Calm after storm|