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!