Kealia - May 12, 2008

The Kealia Trail in Mokuleia is fucking hot. Shanoah and I started at 2pm, so it might have just been that we started too late. If you plan to do this hike, do it in the morning. The sun is less fierce, and when you reach the Makua Valley lookout the sun will be behind your back and not in front of it. This will make the valley and ocean look pristine as well. The heat was ridiculous, though. The nineteen switchbacks are in the sun, and when you reach a rest spot at a covered picnic table, the climbing gets steeper and is still done in the hot sun. No shade is in sight until the Kuaokala Trail junction: which is about 3 1/2 miles in. The trail all the way to Makua Valley is a 4-wheel drive road for hunters. It's wide and boring, but the trail gives you a vigourous workout. Instead of taking the trail to the lookout we turned left at the Kuaokala junction. We were supposed to go straight. We did get views of Makua Valley, but a bunch of rain squalls passed us and the clouds made the scenery drab. The trek back to our car had better views of the North Shore because the sun was setting and was at our back this time. The ocean water on the North was really blue, and the sun made the landscape greener. I snapped some photos and we finally reached our car four hours later. Our total mileage was a little over eight miles. We could have went farther, but it was getting late. Shitty trail, but it does get you deep into the boondocks of the Waianae Range. We heard pigs and saw geese, and we perspired a shitload.

Trailhead.

It would suck if this fell on the trail the same time someone was on it.

Looks like Shanoah's about to commit suicide.

State trails and their picnic table rest spots.

Rusted water tank.

The road.

View of the North Shore halfway to the lookout.

Boring road.

We went left instead of straight.

Shanoah going back down the switchbacks.

One day this rock face is going to fall and seriously hurt someone.

Views (not much):

Looking into Makua Valley from the Makua Rim Trail.

Did you know that Dillingham Airfield has a pond at the end of it? I didn't.

Plants and stuff (not much either):

Sap.

Prickly-ball plant thingy.

*I'll be camping this weekend. No hikes until next week. Kahana Valley, Olomana, and Pu'u O Kona via Kuli'ou'ou Ridge coming up within the next two weeks.