Boating: Christmas Eve Snorkel with Spinner Dolphins
December 24, 2015Boating: First Time Catching Papio (Bluefin Trevally) on The Swell Life
January 22, 2016Boating: Christmas Eve Snorkel with Spinner Dolphins
December 24, 2015Boating: First Time Catching Papio (Bluefin Trevally) on The Swell Life
January 22, 2016Explore Hawaii: Hiking - Wahiawa Hills, Hills, Hills Trail
Featured Image: Traveler's Palms
QUESTION: What’s your favorite hike in Oahu?
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Difficulty
Intermediate
Terrain
Ridge / Valley
Distance
3.9 - 4.0 miles
Duration
4.5 hours
Guided by Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club: This is a long meandering loop trail with lots of ups & downs, as well as a couple of stream crossings. The deep pools at the lunch spot were ideal for a refreshing dip before climbing back out up the steep hill. Along the way we carefully heeded the coordinator's trail markers at the tricky junctions.
Locals have been known to go tubing in the streams.
The start of the hike we saw a water tower and immediately afterwards enter some kind of holly tree forest. I assume they were holly trees because of their smooth, glossy leaves.
The trail opens up to a flat section of paperbark eucalyptus trees.
Shortly after, you eventually you reach the steep downhill section. It then opens up to another more wet, mossy, lush section of the Ewa Forest Reserve.
Getting muddy closer going down to a stream crossing just to go back uphill... now, surrounded by a forest of ferns.
Several hurdles to go over and under along the way.
I believe these are dandelions we saw along the trail...
Here we were in a section hit by the brush fire that happened back in August 2015 which scorched over 500 acres… plus, more hills - hills - hills...
The Kaukonahua Stream swimming pool is open and many take a dip and enjoy lunch. Since we stayed in the back of the pack, we continued forward because we know although there were a handful taking a break... well, they’d probably catch up to us fairly quickly. We didn’t want to slow them down.
It’s so nice the hiking club adds ropes along the way for the more slippery spots. You can see the stream below we had just visited.
Don’t forget to enjoy those panoramic views of the surrounding valleys, the Ewa Forest Reserve, and the distant Ko'olau summits.
Cardiac hill on the return... so steep... but you know you’re near the end especially, when you see the water tower.
Personally, I don't think I would really take on this hike without the guidance of the club or someone who really knows the trail by heart. So easy to get turned around and lost on this trail.