Sweet pics Huy! Nice toys! Looks like a freaking blast
Hit up Kuli'ou'ou Ridge trail today with my gf and her dad. The actual ridge trail that is maintained by the state ascends 2.5 miles up 1,700 feet to a ridge of the Ko'olau mountain range. If you choose to stick to the state maintained trail (pretty safe), then you descend the way you came. But when you reach the top, there is another trail that traverses along the ridge to a higher peak, and then descends down the neighboring, western, ridge to the valley floor (7mi loop vs. 5mi out-and-back). This trail is maintained once a year by a hiking club, and gets pretty dicey with rope sections, sheer cliffs, landslide crossings, and very narrow dikes. I had wanted to do the loop, but we ended up returning on the state trail for a number of reasons (time constraints, gf's dad not keen on exposed heights and sheer drops [reasonably so...
], and gf petty tired after ascent - safer to return on maintained trail with her).
I did however, get to check out the ridge section beyond the state maintained trail terminus on my own for a bit. GREAT views, tons of fun, exhilarating. Definitely want to go back again later with a buddy who's down for the challenge and risk.
Pics didn't turn out very well and really don't do it justice. The sky is overexposed in nearly all of them...but that's what you get with a point and shoot. Anyway, figured I'd share some
No knife pics though
...I was too absorbed in the surroundings and didn't really have a use for a knife on this dayhike. Actually, I did use my Ti necker to make a small, single-stick-dispensing, opening in a package of Smok-a-roni's
Near the ridge on the state maintained portion:
This is the peak I wanted to bag, as seen while ascending. The descent, if we'd done the loop, would have been coming down the ridge to the left in this picture.
Long way down from top of ridge:
Warning sign:
A bit past the sign, if you look hard at the top of the ridge in the first pic, you can see a little line; that's the rope section up that steep and loose part. Second pic shows it a little better. And look at the sheer drops to the right of the trail
Looking back towards the end of the state trail (while standing at beginning of rope section I just talked about). My gf was sitting up there with her dad, with my red space blanket wrapped around her... she's the red dot at the top of the ridge in the back.
Views towards southeast while on that one rope section. Sometimes, when the clouds lightened up, you could glimpse Moloka'i and Maui in the distance.
(pan left a little from pic above)
I think this is further along the ridge.
Didn't go all the way to the target peak, since by this point, my gf and her dad were specks on a ridge in the distance. Not prudent to go farther alone... as far as I know the trail gets hairy farther on, particularly on the descent down the western ridge. And especially when crossing over sections of the ridges that have experienced landslides.
Check out this GoPro POV video of that loop by a local hiker :thumbup: If you guys have time, you should check out some of the other hikes the guy's done on O'ahu. He's done some INSANE ridge hikes. One of these days, I'm going to tag along with him.
[video=youtube;5QZKA84aGL4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QZKA84aGL4[/video]
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