Tag: oahu

Kolowalu to Mount Olympus

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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

  • High Kite
  • Wa’ahila
  • Lehua
  • Konanuihua
  • Ko’olaus
  • Ka’au Crater
  • Diamond Head View
  • Ohia Love
  • Bumpy
  • Lapalapa
  • mossy bear
  • that light tho
  • my screen saver
  • Kolowalu & Me

“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, 

Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

Tripler Ridge Hike

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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.

Mau’umae Trail aka Lanipo Trail

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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!

 

Hamama Falls

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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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