Friday, June 7, 2013

KOLOA GULCH June 2013 -

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAIL I HAVE EVER BEEN ON ! ... This is an intermediate waterfall trail located on the South Shore of Oahu in a town called Laie. You will need to park at Laie Beach park to access this trail. But please note that the lot closes at 7 pm. I under estimated my time on this trail and upon returning to my truck found the chains up. Luckily the local caretaker returned concerned about my vehicle and eventually dropped the chains so I could leave at around 745pm lol. Talk about luck. Thank you to that caretaker. I wasn't able to get his name . But would like to acknowledge him in this blog. Because this is my second attempt I was determined to make it all the way in. But starting at about 1pm in the afternoon really did no justice for my desire to really enjoy this waterfall. If you are deciding to take up this hike, please start at no later than 9am to ensure that you will make it out before night fall.ABOUT 5 hrs with rest breaks roundtrip Packed with snacks,drinks ,music and my new tracker dog "ELMO" we set off. THE ENTRANCE is rather tricky. After parking you will need to cross the highway to the opposite side. You will immediately see a fruit stand. You will need to walk along the highway past the fruit stand to a dirt road that lays about 40 yards over going Honolulu bound. Take a right unto the roadway and continue upThis trail is accessible through permit only which you can apply for at the Laie Shopping Center at Hawaii Reserves Inc.You will approach a monument which documents a little boy who died during a boy scout hike which ended his life in a flash flood. I said a little prayer asking God for permission to enter. And on ... we continued. A majority of this hike will require you to trail directly up large boulders and rock ponds to access the right of way. Expect to cross the river 20 or more times before reaching the destination of this waterfall. I would NOT recommend children or non experienced waterfall hikers to attempt this one ... as I myself being very fit and active ... struggled. Continuing on you will approach a opened field with a boy scout campsite and a couple manufacturer containers. Directly to the left towards the pined forest is the opening to the trail head. I am not sure if I recalled a pink ribbon marker set on the pine tree directing the entry way. But hiking knowledge will allow you to visualize the opening and set you on the right path.This trail is very well marked with ribbons set every 30 to 40 ft or so. You will immediately ascend to the ridge line. The panoramic views from atop left me breathless. Its the kind of beauty that you wished would remain the same, never changing with time. About 45 minutes in ... the trail will direct you to descend toward the valley floor. My first attempt weeks prior. I met with a flash flood on the trail and could feel the force of the river from atop as vibrations below my feet trembled like thunder not allowing me to proceed that day. On this day however, it was clear blue and no rain in site. And I did not hear the river until I reached the bottom. Once on the river trail many markers signify crossings. As you will need to zig zag your way to the end point. The surroundings are very lush and tropical. It probably explains why I took so long to get in and out. This is by far my most favorite trail on Oahu. The ponds are endless. And clean. Some are deep enough to swim in. And others you will need to climb through. The smell of fresh mountain yellow ginger fills the air here and the sound of the birds are very relaxing. I was surprised that my pandora program continued to play after about 2 miles in. Stilled I ended up shutting it down to embrace the whole nature thing. JUST AWESOME! At several points I had to stop for my puppy. And many areas through the river water required he be carried through. And because we are on the floor of this canyon. We had to watch for many falling rocks. Some were the size of dimes. Some the size of car tires. This is what makes this trail very dangerous to hike on a recent down pour. PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO LOOK UP AT YOUR SURROUNDINGS I was thinking to myself about half way through " when the hell am I gonna get there ? " well after 2 1/2 hours I was in fact only half way there. I decided to rest, have lunch and to cool the sweat off my body. It was very rewarding. Refreshed we continued. We stumbled across and an open fire stove made by probably hunters and I take it they must be regulars to the area. Because they left their pots back and hauled all their rubbish out. There are several area's which look primitive along the mountain side which were probably used by Hawaiian natives at one point. And its understandable because if I were living on Oahu back then. This would be a perfect spot. About an hour half maybe more I realized I was approaching the end. Wild Kalo came into sight as there is no mistaking its full tear shaped leaf. Its gold to us Hawaiians as it is the source of "POI". Across the river I saw the plastic container with the sign in book and the orange lid. Although I did not sign in. It let me know the end was close. This is not the end ... about 100 yards from this point is a fork. One leading to the right and one to the left of the canyon. I continued on towards the right which lead me to the falls. Upon taking the right I could hear a faint gushing of water in the distance. I was so excited that my mind was only determined to see what the waterfall looked like. And the thought of actually how long it took for me to get here ... or the fact that I might get stuck overnight ... here didn't matter anymore. What a sight at 5:30 pm fast pictures and we trail ran back out before we lost light. And it seemed so much easier running back out than the amount of time it took us to get in. My puppy was happy and lead the way. With me jumping and climbing the mountain rocks and river bed behind him. We made it to the ridge top and back to our truck in less than two hours.MISSION ACCOMPLISHED I enjoy moonlight dinners on the shores of our lovely beaches, camping in tents , fishing and traveling. But most of all the mountains of Hawaii. Holds peace of mind for me. I am glad god has blessed me with my new hiking companion. Who will watch over me as I continue exploring these mountain ranges. He is the best partner I could ask for. As he is able to keep up with me and even outlast my energy. This pretty much covers Koloa Gulch Waterfall. As I mentioned earlier the road forks and the trail to the left will lead you to the magnificent Kalo Falls which I will complete in the future. I have never been on these trails. All I can say is anyone who decides to take this on will be astonished at the landscape of this area. Please excuse my pictures as it was taken off a SIM to a desktop which isn't compatible with my phone. As my camera was reserved to lock down in a plastic zip lock because of all the water I crossed. You will need protection on any given day for your electronic's because again you will get wet Happy Hiking Every One ... And this one ... you'll need OFF SPRAY. The mosquito's here are cannibals :) and at the least 2 large bottles of drinking water per hiker. And a flashlight just in case. Oh and you might want to have a first aid packed as well. HAVE FUN !