Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 19:40:47 -1000 From: Dayle K. Turner (turner@hawaii.edu> Subject: Pauoa Woods TM
Pauoa Woods isn't in my favorite trails Top 10 but I showed up for yesterday's HTMC maintenance outing of that trail because I enjoy hiking and working with my friends on the crew. We met at 8 up on Tantalus by the Kalawahine trailhead (FKA Manoa Cliff trailhead), where Mabel (Kekina) briefed us and sent us into the woods, as it were.
Yesterday was a cool, windy one on Oahu. We weren't rained on during the outing but some ua did fall after we were pau. It even became quite nippy, so much so that I had to put on a jacket, something I rarely have to resort to given the the abundant natural insulation I possess.
For those who've never hiked the Pauoa Woods route before, it goes like this: start by hiking the Kalawahine trail to Pauoa Flats and to the Nuuanu Lookout. Then follow the ridge trail that overlooks Nuuanu makai until dropping down onto the Nuuanu trail. Continue makai along Nuuanu until reaching the point where it bends sharply right to switchback down to Nuuanu Stream near Jackass Ginger. However, instead of continuing on the Nuuanu Trail, we stay on the ridge, heading makai toward Pacific Heights.
A good way down the ridge, in a grove of ironwoods (there is a chair at this heavily ribboned spot), we drop down the hillside toward Pauoa Valley and then contour mauka along the slope, following an old pipeline. Eventually, the pipeline trail drops down to Pauoa Stream by a spring and a BOWS pumping station. We continue mauka up the valley, crossing the stream several times. Just past a "RIP" sign, we make a right turn at a heavily ribboned junction to climb through a thick bamboo grove to begin a fairly steep ascent out of the valley. After a short level section, there is a short, semi-steep descent to the top of a high waterfall (usually dry or a trickle), and then a junction is reached. We head right (makai) briefly and then head left at the next junction and climb steadily to return to the Kalawahine trail and then to our cars.
Today, most of us skipped the section up to the Nuuanu Lookout and
concentrated on the ridge down to Pacific Heights and the trail along the
pipeline. Fiddlewood and palm grass were abundant and we worked
steadily and in good cheer to open up the trail, which likely isn't used
much by hikers other than when the club goes through.
I just purchased (mail order from REI) one of those FRS walkie-talkies and I used it to keep in contact with Dusty (Klein), Thomas (Yoza), and Mabel. We heard chatter from folks down near the airport so if line-of-sight is good between sender and receiver, the contact distance can go beyond the advertised 2-mile range. Nice to know.
The big group I was with reached the traditional lunchspot by the chair in the ironwoods at 10:30. Even though we don't usually stop for lunch until noon, we made an exception yesterday. In addition to the lunch we brought for ourselves (a turkey and tuna sandwich for me) all kinds of snacks went around the circle we formed, ranging from Snickers to li hing mango. There was plenty of talk about the Thanksgiving gathering at the clubhouse, including the massive amount of food available for attendees. At that gathering, a plan was tendered to construct a permanent imu for kalua-ing pork, turkey, and other ground-cooked food. That'll be a good addition for club members.
After lunch, we took our time to clear the trail along the pipeline, whacking away at palm grass and Christmas berry and clearing the trail of fallen trees and branches. Down in the valley near the pumping station, we met Charlotte (Yamane), Deetsie (Chave), her dog, Sam, and Mabel, who'd all cleared down the trail from Kalawahine the way our big group would head up (via the bamboo forest).
I'm not sure if it was because we had so many people or because of the cool weather or because the trail wasn't badly overgrown, but we were pau by 1:15, an early ending time for a TM outing.
Perhaps the biggest excitement came after the outing when many heads and hands came together to open Lynn Agena's car (she locked her keys in her trunk). Using a machete, a metal stay from a backpack, and a package of unpopped popcorn (among other things), the mission was accomplished, to the cheer of the gathered throng.
In addition to the folks I already mentioned, on hand for the outing were Jay Feldman, Bill Gorst, Grant Oka, Georgina Oka, Sandy Klein, Ken Suzuki, Ralph Valentino, Jim Pushaw, Lita Komura, Mike Algiers, Nathan Yuen, Carmen Craig, Dick and Brenda Cowan, and June Miyasato--a really great group of folks to work with.
John Hall will coordinate the Pauoa Wood hike for anyone interested in that outing. Hike date is Sunday, December 5. Meeting place is in the back of Iolani Palace at 8 a.m. Or meet at the Kalawahine trailhead around 8:30.
Next Sunday's maintenance outing will be Pu'u o Kona. Meeting time is 8 a.m. at Papahehi Place in Kuliouou Valley.
Imua HTMC.
--DKT