OHE February 1, 1998

Date: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 18:18:59 -1000
From: Gary Ehara (ehara@pixi.com>
Subject: Loppers & Machetes

Hey, it's Gary Ehara again! Sorry, but I gotta bother you guys again! After years and years of trying to get my friends, who aren't interested, INTERESTED in hiking, I can't begin to express the excitement I'm having over meeting all of these "REAL" hikers!!! I feel like a whole new world has opened up for me!!!

I'll be careful not to wear you guys out with a whole bunch of junk to read........ AFTER this e-mail!!!

I went up Wiliwilinui ridge today for the first time, and it was FREEEEEZING from the strong winds!!! I had a jacket in my car but didn't bother to bring it! It was kind of scary walking under those tall poles & stuff with the winds howling against them! AWESOME views at the top!!!! It just blew me away!!! (Good thing it wasn't literal!) I wanted to stay at the summit longer, but I couldn't handle the strong, freezing winds! Must have been tough for those of you on the HTMC trail clearing at Lanipo today!!!

Anyway, getting to the SUBJECT of my e-mail!! To those who clear out the trails, thank you very much! I felt really appreciative of your work especially after hitting Lanipo the other week when it was much more overgrown with uluhe than I've ever seen(felt) before!!! I sometimes feel like clearing out some of the overgrown trails when I'm hiking alone. Any suggestions on the best place to pick up loppers & machetes? I went to City Mill in Hawaii Kai after the hike, and the loppers don't look so good and there were no machetes. Maybe I can go to the "Graveyard of a Thousand Machetes" Wing talked about and pick up some from there!

Oh, before I start out whacking away at the encroaching plants, I guess I need to get some pointers on clearing the trails, huh. It doesn't seem like I need to know much, but just in case....

Thanks for putting up with me, everyone! PLEASE DON'T VOTE TO HAVE ME TAKEN OFF THIS MAILING LIST!!! I guess I just get too much of that "excitement hormone" whenever I come in contact with other "real" hikers!!! Sorry guys for using the "Wingo terms"!! I know ONE Wing is enough for most of you!!! I look up to him, but I'll try not to BE another him!!!

Until next time....

Gary



Reply From: Wing C Ng (wing@lava.net>

I got brand-new machetes at that hardware outfit in Waikele, what's the name?, after my old one was swallowed on True Horror trail; little did I know, Pakalolo would deliver it to my downtown office a week later ....

As to machetes, stay away from those Taiwan made cheapies: they don't hold a sharp edge. The best are German/Austrian, in my experience. Ontario USA is also very good. I got a very expensive toy Spec Plus Machete from them via mail order catalog, and it made its debut on the Waialae Nui to Hawaii Loa traverse. When I decided to bail out at Hawaii Loa, I had lots of time, and this little gem cleared up the entire clidemia jungle just ewa of Hawaii Loa ... :) Forgot the exact price, close to $100.

Wing



Reply From: Dayle K. Turner (turner@hawaii.edu>

To answer your question about cutting tools, Gary, the place I go is True Value Hardware on Kahuhipa Street in Kaneohe (across from City Mill). Good prices on machetes there (dunno about lopper prices, though).

And as for what to cut while trail clearing, uluhe and clidemia are always fair game. Otherwise, I'd suggest holding back on chopping other flora until you know what it is. Wouldn't want to hack something native and/or endangered.

As for today, 15 of us made it to the summit of the Lanipo trail, clearing as we went. Several others went up part of the way and also did maintenance work.

The summit group crossed over to the top of the Waialae Nui trail, passing the benchmarked location of true Lanipo on the way. The crossover took just 20 minutes. It was so cold and windy at the time (11:30) that we didn't linger long at the top.

We descended for a half hour down Waialae Nui and ate lunch at a large hilltop. After lunch, the weather conditions had changed dramatically for the better, with the clouds at the summit now totally gone (we were bummed we had missed out on the summit views during the crossover).

While descending Waialae Nui, I don't recall seeing anyone going up Wiliwilinui (what time were you up there, Gary?), but we did spot a group of four coming down Lanipo. We reached the Waialae Nui trailhead on Aha Aina Place at 1:45 and carpooled back to Maunalani Heights where most of us had left our vehicles.

Afterward, Pat Rorie and Randy and Kathy Jackson, OHE-L members visiting Oahu, headed to Kaneohe to do the Haiku Stairs!!! Using binoculars from my house in Kaneohe, I saw them reach the summit of the stairs at 6 p.m. They departed the radar installation at the top and began the descent at 6:30. They're still coming down as I type this at 6:55 p.m. Gonzo!!

Pat will surely expound upon the adventure tomorrow.

For now, happy trails gang.

--Dayle


Return to OHE top | Return to Oahu Hike Tales | Email Dayle