Last weekend, we did another hike with our friends and their daughter. This time we chose a ridge/scenic hike instead of a waterfall hike (we did a little planning ahead of time so we knew what we were getting into). There has been a lot of rain in the past few months and the waterfall hikes are now much muddier and more prone to flash flooding. Just last week, a mother and child were swept away by flash flooding on the trail we did in July (Maunawilli), so we won't be attempting anything like that until we have some drier weather. FYI- the mother and child were tourists who didn't know any better and they are ok.
Makapu'u Point is on the windward side of Oahu and offers fantastic views of the southeastern shores as well as Koko Head Crater. From the top of the trail, you can see up the eastern coast toward Waimanalo and offshore islets which act as bird and wildlife sanctuaries. The lighthouse, which has a trail leading to it but is off limits, was built in 1909. On the ascent, there are tide pools and blowholes along the shoreline but down a steep path off of the official trail.
We arrived about 11am, and after applying plenty of sunscreen and getting the girls into the hiking packs, we started our ascent up the trail. After about 5-10 minutes, we rounded a bend and had our first views of the coast below. It was a somewhat clear day, and in the distance we could see neighboring Moloka'i. I tried to get a picture, but as always a camera can never quite capture what you're able to see in person.
Moloka'i on the horizon
We continued up the trail, and soon, on our right, was a steep cliff and trail down to the tide pools and a couple blow holes. There were several hikers making their way down and we considered it, but wanted to complete the trail before trying the detour. The tide pools are a collection of rocks that hold water from incoming waves. On a calm day, they are nice for a cool, refreshing dip in the ocean without the surf hammering you. On a rough day with a large swell and high winds, like the day we hiked, they are bombarded constantly by very powerful waves. It's also when these waves hit, that water comes up out of blow holes and appear almost like steam rising. It was very beautiful to watch but we weren't fool enough to try and go in (unfortunately, many tourists ARE fools and we witnessed many helicopters and jet skis patrolling the coasts that day).
View from top of the trail
I'll try my best to get the video to work, but it was beautiful to see the large waves coming onto the rocks and the wind was incredible!
We continued up the paved path and saw several off-shoots to different areas of the cliffs. I even saw the path leading to the lighthouse, but it was most definitely blocked off.
Makapu'u Lighthouse
We reached the top about 45 minutes after we started, including detours and sight-seeing. We were unable to go all the way to the top of the official path due to current renovations. They even had a guard there to make sure you didn't go past the fences- I guess it must be a safety hazard. But the view we got was beautiful and worth the hike. We were able to see the highway snaking around the east side of the island plus islets that are home to native birds.
Windward Oahu
Islets
It was very windy up top!
We spent several minutes admiring the view, but the landing was quickly filling with other hikers wanting to get their pictures in, so we headed back down the trail. On the way down, we debated whether or not to descend the trail to the tide pools. The trail looked steep and we didn't want to risk falling with the girls with us, but after the moms tried out the trail (since we weren't carrying the kids), we realized it appeared steeper than it was and we all headed down toward the coast. We ran into a couple hikers coming up from the tide pools, who told us it was very rough down there and to not try to go into them. Although we had no intention of going that far and were only after a better view, we thanked them and continued our descent to about halfway down the cliff. From here we had spectacular views of the tide pools and blow holes (which reminded me of steam coming out of a dragon's nose). After a few pictures and videos, we headed back up the cliff to the marked trail.
Water coming up from the blow holes
Some idiots were actually stupid enough to go out on those rocks for pictures...
After we got back to our cars, we went to Waimanalo for brunch. We ate at Ono's Steak and Shrimp. It's a very tiny place (pretty much a shack) off the main road which served amazing food! We had fish tacos, garlic fries, steak, and shrimp. It was so good that Evie was eating it, too! By the end of lunch, Evie let us all know that she was ready for her nap, so we said our goodbyes and headed home. I definitely recommend this hiking trail for beginning hikers who are in good health. It'll get your heart rate up on the climbs but the frequent stops for scenic viewing allows time to recover.
Garden Update
Our garden is doing very well! At first, only one or two sprouts were coming up and Jay was very discouraged. So he took the rest of the seeds (and there were a lot) and planted them all. I was not happy with his decision, but the plants began growing and to help them along he built another bed and transplanted them to allow them more room. The tomatoes are coming up and will go on the trellis soon. And now that October is here, we are getting ready to plant some more (cucumbers and green beans this time). Wish us luck!
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