Photographer Specializing in Landscape, Lifestyle & Food
Honolulu, Hawaii is my home! All these blog posts include specific information about living on Oahu in Hawaii. The blogs contain photographs taken by Shannon Ballentine for Shannon Jammin’ Photography.
Kaliuwaa Falls
Likeke Falls
Lulumahu Falls
Middle Maukaua
Maunawili Falls
Secret Falls
Kalauao Falls
Naohia Falls
Hamama Falls
Waihe’e Falls
Upper Waikeakua
Lower Waikeakua
Waipulani Falls
As I work towards slowly conquering as many Oahu trails as I am able, I constantly seek out new ones to add to my list of completed trails. I definitely use Alltrails for much of my information and this particular trail is listed on their site. Many of the trails on Oahu are private or off limits due to liability problems that may arise due to careless hikers. This trail starts near the skatepark in Hawaii Kai off Malahuena Lane. Please stay to the left and do not disturb the sacred Heiau. The start to the trail is slightly deceiving because of the overgrown grasses and the downed trees, but continue up the faint trail and as you climb, the trail is easier to follow. Most of this trail is exposed to the elements so be prepared for the weather. This weather this day was bright and sunny so I ended up with a sunburn. I also ran out of water at the end, which is rare, for I usually carry more than I need. Fortunately we were almost through when I emptied the bladder and I had more water in the car. This hike has continuous views of the Kamiloiki valley and most of Hawaii Kai. It follows the ridge that is mostly rocky and desert like with short Kiawe trees. I manage to step on a Kiawe thorn that went straight into my hiking boot & when removed was over 1/2 inch; ouch! As we traversed up and down the ridge with the sun beating down on us we noticed, with relief, a forest towards the end. Here was a campers paradise. It was a completely flat area with a beautiful Eucalyptus tree grove where the shade and wind provided a nice resting spot! Back on the trail there was a bit more up and down: mostly up: and soon we reached the KST. Turning right from here it was a short climb to the top and a drop dead gorgeous view of Waimanalo Beach. This trail took us 4 1/2 hours, however we did spend a good amount of time on photo taking and breaks! This hike really is a special one for both the killer views & the fact that there was not a soul on the trail!
I’ve been slowly documenting all of my hiking/ photo shoots. I am developing short videos that not only showcase my photography, but show off the awesome locations that I hike to! Here’s the second in the series of the hike from Manoa Valley up the Kolowalu trail to connect with the Wa’ahila Ridge trail and on to Mount Olympus. Leaving the videos at one minute intervals allows me to post to Instagram where I have developed the most followers and interests in my photographic journey. Hope you all enjoy, and comments are always welcome
“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
― Henry David Thoreau,
A spontaneous trip to Kauai? Yes Please! You know what I want to do; hike and explore. Haena State Park has been closed since the flooding that occurred in April 2018. My prior attempt to hike along this route was thwarted by a father-son fire throwing ceremony to celebrate the arrival of Hokulea to the Hanalei harbor that resulted in the park being shut down due to forest fire on the exact days that my permit allowed. No matter, that was another fun adventure! I’m so grateful to get a new opportunity to see this beautiful stretch of the Na Pali Coast.
Wednesday was my day to go. It was pouring in Poipu. Determined, and knowing how quickly HI weather can change, I set out anyway. I did stop at the store to buy an extra parka, just in case! It seemed to take FOREVER to get to the park. The entry to this park has changed, thank goodness, and the humongous cluster of tourists and crazily parked cars were gone! Day Use out of state residents must have a parking permit to visit Ke’e Beach, Hanikapiai Beach and Falls; HI residents just show their ID. All Kalalau trail campers must have a permit and only can use the shuttle; no overnight parking. This made for a very pleasant arrival to the trail AND it stopped raining when I got there!
The Hanakapiai and Kalalau are the same route along the Na Pali coast until you reach the beach. Here the trail splits; up and continuing along the coast is the Kalalau and up and into the valley is the Hanakapiai. The trail is pretty easy from Ke’e beach to Hanakapiai Beach. It is approximately 2 miles and travels over a hilly but solid trail. This is a great day hike, especially if you’re short on time. The biggest challenge on this stretch of the trail is crossing the river once you reach the destination. I spent a fair amount of time here taking pictures, of course, and chatting with the ranger. He seemed rather concerned that I watch out for flooding for it had started raining again. I reassured him that I had a bit of experience with floods and would high-tail it out of there if the river rose! Off to the trail, wait where is it? Is this the trail; next to a sign with “do not enter, helicopter site”? So I went up the Kalalau, fortunately I had the wherewithal to turn back around a try again. Found the trail and finally on my way.
The trail is quite lovely. Scented Jasmine, bamboo groves, bubbling waters, mossy green, tropical flowers. Slippery rocks, uneven ground, stream crossings, humidity. Most people probably don’t think that’s a good time. However, you must enjoy the journey as well as the destination! Okay, I’ve made three stream crossings, it should be soon. “Jaw Dropping” Wow. At 300 feet, it’s incredible even from a distance. The trail opens up into a watery wonderland as you get to the valley. Mini waterfalls are everywhere, and all you hear is the sound of the falls and the wind rushing through the valley. Surprisingly, I encountered only 6 people on the falls trail! Honestly, I’d much rather appreciate nature without the crowds!
I really have a hard time putting into words how I felt when I arrived to the falls. I immediately started crying. It seemed that my heart would bust out of my chest. I was shaking and quite euphoric. I relaxed a bit & started shooting. This was a huge challenge, for the mist from the falls was so powerful, I had to keep wiping the lens and changing positions. I never was able to find a spot completely mist free, so please forgive me of the final photos. Magical, I’m in love. I give thanks to the powers that be for allowing me to witness this beauty. I remember the people before me who used this land to sustain life. I am grateful to Mother Earth for keeping me safe and for granting my ability to use my body to explore this world. Please enjoy the photos and contact me for collaborations or photoshoots! Malama Aina.
Shannon
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I have been incredibly lucky! I have been to the beautiful Garden Isle, Kauai four times since moving to Oahu. Here are some pics of all my trips to Kauai!
Trip one – July 2017 Pride of America Hawaii Cruise. We rented a car and took a wonderful trip around the island. We had been taking care of my Father who developed Dementia so our family decided to take him on a grand vacation as sort of a last hurrah. What a trip that was! Here are a few photos from that memorable first visit to the garden isle!
Trip 2 September – 2017 After visiting beautiful Kauai, my desire to return was mighty and I decided to book a trip on the Kalalau trail to see the Na Pali coast in person. My friend and I were to arrive in September of 2017. All packed, arrived in Kauai, headed to Walmart for supplies and to Wailua to the camping store to rent a camp stove. All is well and on schedule. While driving we started to notice smoke in the air. Not thinking much of it and excited for our adventure we arrive to Haena state park and are met with a road block. Unreal news from the Ranger, the park is CLOSED due to forest fire resulting from a father & son fire throwing ceremony to celebrate the arrival of Hokule’a. We both were disappointed, however we decided to make the best of our four days and enjoy the beautiful island. With no plans or reservations, we turned around & visited Queens Bath. So much fun & so beautiful. Our next find was Hanalei Harbor where we were able to see the beautiful Hokule’a, played in the sand & had some killer grinds. Found secret beach next and spent a restless night on that big beautiful beach. Next day we hiked to some waterfalls, toured the Rainbow Eucalyptus Arboretum and later hooked up with a friend and was invited to crash on their floor. Rachel was a lovely host and tour guide with specialty coffee in the AM and took us on a tour of the gardens at the Koloa Plantation, drove us four wheeling somewhere near Koke’e State Park, and we went camping at Polihale as well. So much fun and adventure was packed into one trip and lasting memories were made.
January 2019.
JMy dear college friends visited Kauai in January, so Jon & I decided to visit them during their stay. we shared many wonderful adventures & I was able to explore even more of Kauai.
June 2019-
Free trip to Kauai to stay at a swanky resort; yes please! My husband had a job to do & asked me to come along. I always can find a hike or two to explore! It actually was a fun trip because I was free to do whatever I wanted during the day and then enjoyed a nice evening with Jon. I decided ahead of time that Hanakapiai Beach and Falls was my big hike of the trip and loved being able to see the falls close up, plus I was the only one there for a bit. I visited Glass Beach, Salt Pond Beach, the blow hole, completed a good portion of the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail & explored Hanapepe. Please enjoy the gallery below and be sure to contact me for prints.
Olomana had been on my hiking bucket list for 3 or 4 years. Every time I drive through Kailua my eyes automatically are drawn to its majestic beauty. Mentally it terrified me, because I wanted so bad to climb it, however the history of deaths at this location intimidated me and I let my fear & absence of fearless hiking partners keep me from the challenge. Finally the day had come! My fit and fearless friends invited me to join in an Olomana adventure after I had mentioned my desire to complete this hike. On the plus side, although early January when it’s typically rainy, it was dry and clear. We met at Maranda’s house and were treated to delicious pancakes with fruit! We loaded up our gear and headed over the Pali to Olomana Golf Club. After a short paved walk we turned onto the trail. It was muddy at the beginning, but was not terribly slick. After a short distance we started the climb up to the first peak (Olomana). This ropes section was relatively easy for the first peak, with only about 15 – 20 feet to scramble. Those of you with a fear of heights or limited ropes ability may opt to stop at this first peak for the next two are increasingly more challenging.
While on this hike it struck me that even though I had been intimidated I found the actual hike to be much less scary than anticipated. Isn’t this how life is in a way? My biggest challenge is in overcoming the fear of the what if’s!! My two friends are more fit, and younger, than me so I had little time for messing around taking photographs because I needed to keep up! I found my favorite view on the second peak (Paku’i) and captured the third peak backdropped by the glorious Ko’olaus and I framed it with trees in the foreground. I did find it funny when I saw this capture reproduced by a couple of other local photographers on instagram in the next few weeks, so maybe they found this to be a cool vantage point as well.
When we arrived at the trail for the third peak (Ahiki), I now understood why I’d received many warnings regarding this hike. I could see how “one slip and down the hole you’d fall. Sorry, my brain is constantly pulling up those song lyrics, Pink Floyd, btw. A fair amount of upper body strength is needed for the third peak for in this entire section one relies on the ropes. Using my hands for anything besides holding on was necessary so I have few photos of this part. Once you descend, it is on to narrow ledges around a rock finger with wildflowers hanging off the edge and the birds below you. Overcoming this challenge at the moment was surreal in a transcendent way. After the sketchy rock finger the ascent begins to the peak of the third peak. More upper body and a few scary edges, no ankle turning here and for goodness sake hold on and take your time! The view is glorious, the feeling is euphoric, the company was perfect; quiet and contemplative.
On the return, I was a bit of a slow poke and tried to capture more of Olomana Trail and the views. We had a fun time and what a sense of accomplishment I felt! We finished off with a bit of foraging and gathering and a bit of silliness. Honestly, I recommend that you only do this hike if you are a confident hiker and have already completed some of Oahu’s more challenging trails. Mud, crumbling and eroding trails, slippery rocks and the sheer drop off’s of Oahu’s trails are no joke and not to be attempted by the foolish. Olomana is amazing and what a beautiful Oahu treasure to be respected and revered.
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Last week I picked a glorious day to hike the Wiliwilinui Trail. Oftentimes the Ko’olau range is covered in a fog ensuring visibility will be limited, but this day was amazing. With few clouds in site I headed out around 9:30am. This being a holiday week, I knew there’d be other hikers, but was somewhat shocked to see so many out of town hikers; I heard both Portuguese and Danish languages as well as meeting two separate families from California.
To access this trail, you first will need to show your ID at the entrance to the private community so as to obtain a hiking permit. The drive up is steep and winding. At the end is a small parking lot with limited stalls, so an earlier arrival would’ve been better, for I took the last available stall. Once leaving the vehicle you head up a gravel road that is definitely very muddy. Unless your an expert hiker, plan to have #muddyfeet right away! You pass the water board facility and then will see the sign for Wiliwilinui Trail.
In a short distance up the trail you reap the benefits from the elevation gains with distant views of Honolulu and the South shores of Oahu. The trail is in length (one way) 3 mi / 4.83 km and has an elevation change of 1,600 ft / 487.68 m. You ascend through Koa trees and Cook pines to a utility pole area. As you continue to ascend the trail becomes steeper and you start climbing up muddy stairs and deep rutted sections; some have ropes for easier access. Please never rely solely upon ropes for hiking on any of the trails in Hawaii! You never know how old the ropes are and if they were installed correctly in the first place.
Although the trail was crowded initially, it seems that the bulk of the hikers became discouraged along the steepest part and turned back. Too bad for them, they were so close to the top and also completion of the trail. Closer to the summit the flora changes and Ohia trees and Uluhe fern’s dominate the landscape. As I neared the summit, passing the second utility power section, I noticed clouds and fog moving in, so quickened my step in hopes of reaching the summit for some Windward side views. Reaching the summit you see a radio tower at the first knob and a bench at the end with a glorious view of the Windward side from Rabbit Island to Kaneohe. You see the crests and ravines of the beautiful Ko’olau range. You see the clouds make dotted shadows on the landscape and experience the changing light show atop the mountains. If you are lucky you’ll be able to experience the quiet with only the wind and birds to serenade your senses.
On this particular day a family from California was practicing with their drone and the young man shared his video footage with me.
I enjoy this hike for it is relatively short with great payoff. It’s a descent workout and has great views! Also it is not too crowded, usually. A great way to spend 1/2 a day on Oahu!Thank you for visiting my blog. Please enjoy the slide show and feel free to make comments or sign up to follow my posts! Mahalo and malama honua.
Shannon Ballentine
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The Tripler Ridge hike is both rewarding and challenging. I set out last Thursday with my favorite hiking buddy, my son Brenden, with the intention of hiking the Moanalua Valley trail to find the Moanalua Falls. Apparently we were supposed to head off onto the Kulana’ahane trail to locate the falls, however we didn’t find the trailhead. We were happy enough spending time together in the woods and working on our photography skills.
Although I had done a little research before our trek, I was unable to get a signal on the trail, and did not realize that we were on the Tripler Ridge Trail until we were high up the mountain and almost to the summit. This trail is incredibly beautiful with several creek crossings and variations in flora and fauna. Tall Grass I especially loved the section with the tall grasses, but the mucky and muddy sections weren’t my favorite. Mud seems to be a reality for almost any Ko’olau hike, however, so it’s always good to bring microspikes to get through the challenging areas! Today we hiked a total of 10.7 miles on an in and out route and climbed to 2,700 ft. elevation. Further research shows there are several ways of doing Tripler Ridge, however our route started and ended in Moanalua Park. I’ve decided to invest in a topographical map of this area and will bring my compass on the next hike so as to be more prepared to find the correct trails and to explore this area more safely.
One of the highlights of the day was our interaction with what I’ve learned to be a Black Witch Moth. It’s as big as a small bird and is the largest Nuptial moth in the world. Apparently there are many legends regarding this creature, most of them involve death. The Hawaiian legend states that when seeing one you are being visited by the spirit of a loved one who has recently deceased. Interesting! Thanks for visiting my post. The gallery photos were taken by Shannon Jammin’ Photos and by Brenden McNally. Mahalo and Malama Honua.
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Mau’uamae trail is also known as the Lanipo trail and can be found atop Wilhelmina Rise. Look for the Maunalani Loop at the top, find the fenced, No Tresspassing, water board area and look along the right side of the fence for the trail head. This trail is 3.3 miles to the peak for a total of 6.6 round trip. It does connect with the Ko’olau Summit Trail, so you may add to the hike by following the KST to another location. This hike is quite pleasant for the first mile with gorgeous and close up views of Palolo Valley and the Mu Ryang Sa Korean Buddhist Temple. There are also distant views of Honolulu, the airport, Diamond Head, and Kahala. After the bench, which is about .7 miles in, the path quickly becomes trickier. The day I went the path was so overgrown that pants were definitely a necessity. I thought I could cheat with long socks, but pants would’ve been much better. Technically, this path is rated “hard”. I didn’t find the elevation gain difficult, there are several bouldering spots and some rope sections, but the hardest challenge is in the over grown trail. The ferns are so tall and thick that it is impossible to see where you are planting your feet, so tromping through the mud is inevitable. I recently tracked 500 miles in Spain and thought my hiking shoes were still good because there are no holes in them, however I noticed rather quickly that I have very little tread left. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my micro spikes either, so I was slipping and sliding everywhere! I did appreciate the gorgeous day and further up the trail you get great views of Ka’au Crater and the third waterfall on the Ka’au trail. This is a nice ridge hike close to town with three peaks to climb over, scented pine groves, and grand vista’s. However, the challenges from the bushwhacking and mud, in my honest opinion, made for a not so comfortable trek! I will be traveling here again, for it is very close to my house, but most likely will be turning around once I reach the second grassy knoll, at about 1.5 miles. If your up for a challenge, go for it, but wear pants, bring plenty of water, have good tread on your shoes, and maybe bring a small machete! Hike on my friends!
Aloha friends! I’m sure most of you have been to or heard of Hamama Falls. This is a super easy 3 mile round trip trail located on Honolulu Water Board property in Kaneohe. Please obtain a permit to be a good upstanding legal citizen before embarking on this adventure. I’ve probably completed this trail 6 or 7 times, and love all the diversity in scenes and photo opportunities! Chilly creeks, banyan tree forts, Jurassic Park scenes, Tag art, nature and of course WATERFALLS can be found on this adventure. Having heard there was a second falls off the trail, I had never actually located Waihe’e falls until this visit! Woohoo! Another beautiful waterfall, chased and caught! I am not going to divulge where this trail is exactly, for I prefer that fewer folks know how to get to a trail, for I appreciate enjoying my experience without the presence of many other people, like the crowded Lulumahu or Manoa Falls, for example. This was an excellent morning spent and enjoyed with peaceful company. I especially loved sticking my head under Hamama Falls with a stranger, finding a new waterfall and the rope section next to the cascading Waihe’e Falls. Please enjoy the gallery of ShannonJammin’ Photography, plus two of me taken by Jaqueline Hansen, of my most recent waterfall adventure. Contact me to make arrangements for your custom guided photography or hiking adventure! Mahalo and remember “Malama Honua!”
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