LA chillin' and Petroglyph Hunting

First off I'd like to thank the people that made this trip possible.  Mother for dropping us off and picking us up.  Christian for hanging out with us for a bit with a layover in Kauai.  Claus for getting us standby flights and all the errand running and letting us drive your vehicle across three states and putting up with Katie and I.  Baron for gathering us all together and planning everything, without you this trip wouldn't have been possible.  Lastly Katie, thanks for roughing it with me this past week in the airports, shopping, food listing, getting lottery tickets for the hike and all the usual antics I put you through.  

Starting off on our trip I was anxious to get off of work on Friday night and head over to LA but flights didn't look good to get out of Honolulu.  We tried for the red eye from Honolulu but it was overbooked and we couldn't get on.  I had my mom pick us back up and drop is off in the morning.  Saturday morning flights again didn't look any better.  We waited around till they called the last few people on the plane but our names were never called.  My hopes were still up but I knew Katie was getting frustrated.  She knew flying over the weekend on standby gets ugly.  All the flights were in the red and our luck was running out.  Katie's dad Claus, suggested we fly out of Kauai to LA.  We took the first Kauai flight out on Hawaiian with my moms miles, luck was starting to turn our way.  The flight that was supposed to leave Kauaʻi in the early afternoon got delayed which was a blessing in disguise.  The flight was in the red but as soon as it was delayed a bunch of people from the flight cancelled and made room for us to get on. 

We had a few hours to kill so Christian met up with us and had some lunch at Killer Tacos in Kapaʻa.  Kauaʻi was looking nice that day with some south westerly winds blowing. East side surf was looking prime.  I knew I was going to miss some swells while I was gone but I didn't complain, I was going to Zion National Park.  

Christian dropped us off at the airport and we said our "see you laters" because in a few weeks we'd be heading back to hike with him.  We were catching the last flight into LA.  The flight was smooth most of the way with Enders Game playing on the plane.  We arrived in LA at 1 am.  Claus and Christine picked us up and we headed to the house Katie grew up in.  This was home for the next couple of days.  

In the morning we planned on hiking with Katie's friend Laura since she hasn't seen her since she visited in Hawaii.  But before hiking we had to hit up the famous "candy store" for all hikers, REI.  There we got some new sleeping bags with some stuff sacks which put a hole in our wallet but was well worth it for this trip.  

That afternoon we met up with Laura and her boyfriend Roy.  They knew of a secluded hike with very few people on it.  We drove about forty minutes out from Pasadena to the foot hills of Altadena.  Sure enough locals know best.  There was very little crowd on the trails and no one at our end point.  Laura and Roy talked about how hikes in LA are so crowded.  

On the hike I got used to mainland terrain and weather, sort of.  Instead of volcanic rock we were walking mostly on granite.  Footing was solid on these rocks and I kept saying how awesome it is to be on these kind of rocks.  Our end point was a peak with granite sticking out of the ground and a waterfall.  It was nice to see that there was nature in such a busy city.  

The next few days we fit in some shopping for groceries, In n out burgers, the Huntington library, and meeting Katie's cousins and relatives.  

The Huntington library didn't seem interesting to me at first but, if you have never been to this place and are in LA with a couple of hours to spare here I highly suggest you visit this place.  Laura works here and she gave us a private tour of the grounds.  It's a library named after the railroad tycoon Henry Edwards Huntington. The grounds had numerous gardens.  Each was authentic and had magnificent plants in bloom.  It was spring time and the roses were in bloom in the rose garden.  They had a bonsai garden and every bonsai on display was very pretty.  The Chinese garden had a pond with koi fish in it and Chinese structures surrounding it.  The Japanese garden had Wisteria trees that were full of purple flowers.  We made our way to the cactus garden. It had a bunch of succulents and dry land plants.  There was also a lily pond garden which we quickly walked through and a tropical garden as well.  We only had an afternoon to kill but you probably could spend a couple of days here photographing all the different plants and scenery.  I'm sure there are books here somewhere but why look inside when you can be outside right?  So if you ever have time go check it out!  

That night we had to pick up Jenny coming home from Senegal.  I'm sure everyone would be jealous of her job.  She gets to travel the world with Green Living Project.  She is a production manager and gets to plan trips that revolve around people that are trying to live green.  She showed us pictures that night of where she visited and what her project was there.  I'm sure a video will be out soon so stay tuned at glpfilms.  

Wednesday rolled around pretty quick and we were out the door and on our way to Utah at 6 in the morning.  We drove across California and into Nevada.  Las Vegas was about a four hour drive and that's the first time I've been there.  It wasn't as cool as I thought it would be.  We drove straight through and drove a short while in Arizona.  From Las Vegas it was another two to three hours to Utah.  We stopped somewhere outside of Hurricane to grab a quick bite at Wendy's and we drove about an hour more to meet up with everyone at Zion.  During the hour drive the landscape and terrain changed.  The colors or the mountains contrasted the sky with bright tones of red.  The drive was jaw dropping and amazing.  I couldn't believe what I was missing on the mainland and to know I would be hiking here for the next few days gave me chicken skin (the good kind). 

Baron, Paige, Grant, Chris, and Daniel were there and helped us set up camp.  We expected nice good weather for our trip but nature had another thing in store for us.  It was raining off and on and we kept most of the supplies inside the car.  As soon as we setup our tents we decided to do a short trail to some petroglyphs.  We took a drive up the mountain and pulled off to look for this trail that wasn't in any of the Zion guides.  When we pulled off it was snowing.  This was the second time I saw snow.  It was cold but welcoming for now.  We looked at the sandstone walls for these petroglyphs but we couldn't find any.  We decided that it was getting late and other people were supposed to meet us at camp.  We also had to pick up some dry pants for the narrows hike tomorrow.  Some of the group went on to eventually find the petroglyphs but Katie, Claus and I had to go to the store to rent gear.  

We went to Zion Adventure Company to pick up dry pants for tomorrow.  We had to fill out a renters agreement and watch a short video on the narrows before renting the gear.  After renting the pants we met back up with the group.  We showed the group what we got and tried to convince them it would be a good idea they rented at least pants like me.  They decided to wait to rent anything.  

During dinner time the temperature was dropping into the low fifties high forties.  Both Katie and I were developing a cough and stuffy noses.  We fired up the camp fire to try and keep us warm but we persisted to cough and sniffle.  We ate salmon burgers the first night and had some hot chocolate and tea.  We sat around the fire and finished dinner.  The rest of the group finally got here a little after dinner time.  Christine, Shelley, Marie, and Shasta arrived at camp driving from LA like us.  

We all sat around and talked story until it became too cold.  Katie and I retired to our tent around 8:30 ish.  I took a quick look at the weather and temperature and saw that the low was going to be well into the thirties and there was a slight chance for rain.  Katie was so cold that she clung onto me for the rest of the night.  It was uncomfortably cold for both of us even with our new bags rated at 20 degrees.  The next morning the time to meet and to catch the first shuttle was 7 am and do the Narrows hike. 

Photos by: Ryan and Chris

The trail started off like some trails on Oahu, between houses.

The trails below San Gabriel are very dry and dusty.

Laura and Roy make their way around a foundation of what used to be an old hotel. 

Granite outcropping near the summit. 

We don't have this in Hawaii!

In the shadow was a trickle of a waterfall.  Usually it flows but not today. 

Roy explained that the holes in the rock were from explosives they used. 

We weren't the only ones on the trail.

The group enjoyed the view of LA from the mountains. 

A building at The Huntington Library.

Laura and Katie talking story on a bridge in the Chinese garden.

A walkway in the Chinese garden

Bridging the gap between the Chinese garden and the Bonsai display.

The Bonsai Courts

Katie checking out some of the trees that were on display.

One of my favorite ones on display.  Miniature Wisteria tree.

Trying to meditate with the Bonsai trees.  You are supposed to imagine yourself tiny. 

Imagine yourself below this Japanese Black Pine...

An authentic rock garden. 

Guess what this is... If you guessed a Japanese inspired garden you are correct!

Wisteria in bloom.  Makes me want to visit Wisteria Lane.

Katie's favorite was the cactus garden.  Here are Golden Barrel cacti. 

The koi fish weren't scared of children at the waters edge.  They came right up! 

Our first hike at Zion was trying to look for petroglyphs. 

Paige coming up empty handed at this narrow corridor. 

Claus going deeper into the narrow canyon, still searching...

Daniel searching high...

It started to snow... this was when Katie, Claus and I decided to call it quits.  The rest of the group went on. 

We enjoyed the snow for a little though. 

Chris took a good pictures when the group found it. 

Zion National Park from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.

Rat chutes

On Prince Kuhio day, Cory, Katie, and Jay were off.  We all decided the night before to be outside exploring as usual.  Unexpectedly again, rain clouds rolled in and dumped some heavy rain over the Ko'olau mountain range.  It foiled our plans to check out some of the northern gulches to practice rock hopping in our new tabis. 

Instead we checked out some waterfall chutes that were running.  The valley has a rich history of being the valley of the rat.  Some mo'olelo has instances where these rats would trick people into falling into the pools and drowning.  Unfortunately we didn't see any rats so none of us drowned. 

We visited at least three chutes out of over fifteen that day and they were all flowing.  By the end of the day all were down to just a trickle if not dry.  These chutes drain really quickly so the opportunity to see them are slim.  We were lucky to see them on such a good rainy day.

 

Preparing to climb up a small waterfall to get to the main chute.

The first tiered waterfall we visited. 

On our way up to the best looking waterfall the stream flowed through some rocks. 

This waterfall drops multiple times.  We spent a lot of time here taking pictures. 

 
Rat Chutes from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.

Winter '13 - '14

Just wanted to compile a video together of all the places I've been since Novemberish and March.  Winter is winding down and it's been pretty good.  Our trip to the Big Island during Thanksgiving was extremely fun, hiking and exploring an island I hadn't been on since I been to Waimanu in 2011.  The rest of the video was mostly waterfalls and canyoneering deep in the Ko'olau's.  It's pretty amazing to see the streams of the islands flowing through the forest cutting a path to the top of the Ko'olau ridge trail.

It's been a really rainy season with 4 or 5 straight weekends of rain.  Finding waterfalls that don't normally flow everyday has been at the top of my list since I've started hiking.  There's been a lot of scouting during this season and going back to places we had already been to numerous times just to get past obstacles and to go deeper.  One project I was working on was scouting a stream people don't usually go up.  The first time there was just to see if there are waterfalls.  The second time a bigger group and a bigger payout with an end at a large waterfall, trying to probe up a right contour trail to go higher but with the afternoon sun setting we headed out.  The third time here was the last time.  We headed up to the last point and actually contoured left and made it above.  We kept going and going with some navigation with topographic maps and google earth we reached the Ko'olau summit!  It is probably the best waterfall loop here on this island.

Other places I visited were a few falls in Nuuanu that I hadn't been to.  It wasn't that great of a flow but it's good to know that it flows year around and is probably a spring that's feeding it.

We backpacked twice.  One of them was a route that I had gone on back in 2011ish but in reverse.  It's good to see that the Ko'olaus are getting some love with all the groups going up there and working on rare and native plants.  Learning from snail and plant expert Nate Yuen along the way is a plus.  The other time was in the Waianae mountains.  That overnighter completely changed my mind on the Waianaes.  I always thought the Waianae's were some where hot and miserable and not much to see but shrubs and dry plants.  In the upper regions there is a huge forest and lots to see there.

Our latest adventure was tubing which could be found here.

Surfing was the last thing I added to the video.  This winter I surfed a little up on the north shore, not as much as I would like but enough.  I surfed a bunch at Ehukai with a huge sand bar!  I also surfed up on the North East side of the island for the first time.  Let's just say that place is a gold mine for empty great waves if the conditions are perfect.






Winter '13-'14 from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.

Perfect for tubing

The brunt of the cold front hit us Friday through Saturday giving us scattered showering throughout the weekend.  Ever since Friday I've been watching the stream gauges figuring out what I wanted to do for the weekend.  Waterfalls or tubing?  The heights for North Fork Kaukonahua stream on Sunday were prime for tubing.  The last time I went tubing the height for the stream wasn't ideal for it and made me not want to do it again for a while.  Fast forward to almost a year and I got a real bad itch to finally understand what all the rave was about, tubing down Kaukonahua stream.  Besides the stream heights being at the perfect level the sun came out and made for a not so chilly ride down the stream. 

Joining me were Cory, Amanda, Will, Lynne, and Katie.  We've been holding off on tubing until we had it perfect like Sunday.  We met in Wahiawa and started hiking around 9:45 a.m.  We set up our finish line and made our way to the end of the Wahiawa loop trail where the stream meets the trail.  We blew up our tubes and had our first sips of alcohol to give us some courage to brave the rapids.  After going through a several rapids we'd stop and take pictures.  It gave us a time to enjoy each other company and take more sips.  Near the half way point there was a section of rapids where we could do it over and over so we could get the perfect instagram picture.  Taking several pictures and dancing to music we never knew our other friend Garvin would come around the corner.  We were all happy to see that he could join us.  The last stretch of the stream was quick.  We flew through the rapids and I suggested to do it again but, it was getting late and the stream height was already dropping.

On our way out since this tubing expedition has been so popularized by blogs and videos such as this one we found a BUNCH of rubbish and tubes just lying around on the trail.  My group and I were quite disgusted at the fact that people can't even take out their trash and tubes so we decided to pop a few and deflate them and carry it out ourselves.  I stress to all of you that read my blog and watch my videos that if this kind of stuff continues, we won't have any of these trails open or nature to enjoy because of the disgusting filth people leave behind.  If you see rubbish anywhere try and pack it out, even if it's not yours.  I'd very much appreciate it.  After picking up we headed to Dong Yang Inn to get our Korean grind on.

On a happier note enjoy the pictures and video! 

All pictures were taken by Katie unless otherwise stated. 

Katie and I picked up a few extra back up tubes.  You never know if your main tube will pop going down stream. 

Most of us had loungers while Lynne had a little more expensive floating device.  Lounger can be bought at Walmart for under $20, beers not included. 

Most of the time you are relaxing and floating down river. 

The group relaxing and taking a break after the rapids. 

Cory took this excellent picture of me going through some of the rapids. 

Dong Yang Inn kalbi meat chun combination plate.  Grinds after tubing. 

 



Tubing Kaukonahua from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.

Our precious resource

Water in Hawaii

By: Katie Ersbak

Water issues in Hawaii are complex and varied.  Anyone who has ever hiked to a waterfall or harvested kalo in a lo‘i knows the importance of water in our natural environment and cultural traditions.  Not only does it provide us with a source of potable drinking water, it also feeds our streams, supports biological life, grows our crops and enhances our environment.  But to really understand water issues in Hawaii you must go back to the source - to a time when water was viewed as more than just a resource that could be exploited for profit and financial gain.

To the early Hawaiians, water was seen as the source of all living things and did more than just grow crops.  It sustained life.  The Hawaiian word for water is “wai.”  It’s no coincidence then that the Hawaiian word for wealth is “waiwai.”  Hawaiians understood that when you have “wai,” you have life, and the wealth to sustain yourself upon the land.  The importance of “wai” is also found in place names like Waimea, Waikiki, Waiahole, Waikane, and Waimanalo.  From the forests to fishponds, water has nourished life in Hawaii for centuries.  Fast forward in time and water remains the single most important issue affecting these islands. 

Now, before I go any further, I must confess that I am by no means a “water expert.”  I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to Hawaii five years ago to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Hawaii.  In 2011, I began working for the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) at the Commission on Water Resource Management (also known as CWRM or the Water Commission).  This write-up is by no means the best resource when it comes to understanding "water issues" in Hawaii.  It is simply my take on a very complex issue and one that I am happy to share with those who are interested.  Now, getting back to the Water Commision...

The Water Commission is responsible for managing all of the State’s water resources, including its underground aquifers, rivers and streams, and serves as “the trustee who oversees the rightful sharing of water.”  But what does “the rightful sharing of water” actually mean?  Well, it’s a lot more complicated than you think.  Contrary to modern day opinion, water cannot be owned.  It is a public trust resource, which means it must be protected and held in trust for the general well-being of the public.  Unfortunately, to uphold its public trust duties, the Water Commission must contend with powerful landowners and agencies that continue to view water as a commodity – not to be shared, but to be used as a means to grow business and pocketbooks.  This mindset drastically differs from the mindset of the ancient Hawaiians and is the source of a growing number of conflicts throughout the State.

While water has always been a mainstay in Hawaiian culture and traditions, it became a source of power in the mid to late 1800s when many of Hawaii’s streams were diverted to feed agricultural crops – most notably sugar.  Large plantations sought to control the flow of water to ensure the success of their crops and constructed extensive irrigation ditches that funneled water from the wet windward side to the dry leeward side of the islands.  The business of diverting water became the cornerstone of the sugar cane industry in Hawaii and continues to this day.  Even after the sugar industry flopped in the early 1990s, Hawaii’s streams continue to be diverted.  Such diversions have raised a number of concerns, particularly among taro farmers who have been left with very little water to sustain their crops.  Native stream animals like o‘opu are also impacted by the diversions when they are unable to migrate upstream due to the lack of water.  Issues like climate change compound the problem and have caused periods of prolonged drought, which can leave streams completely dry.  In the last couple years, waterfalls have stopped flowing entirely, including Rainbow Falls on the Big Island, which was completely dry in December of 2012.  Today, taro farmers and environmental groups are demanding that these streams be restored.  However, while the Water Commission has been petitioned to take action on these issues, the agency is underfunded, which makes it difficult to look after the water resources it is entrusted to protect. 

Of course, stream diversions are not the only threat to Hawaii’s water.  As Hawaii’s population continues to grow, so does its thirst for water.  Every day millions of gallons of water are pumped from our aquifers to accommodate Hawaii’s growing economy.  The Water Commission is responsible for regulating how much water can be pumped by issuing “water use permits.”  Permits are issued to agencies like the Board of Water Supply that provide the infrastructure needed to transport water into our homes.  When we pay our water bills at the end of the month, we are actually paying for the service of transporting the water, not the actual cost of the water itself.  Water use permits are issued based on a complex equation that estimates the “sustainable yield” of each aquifer (Oahu).  Sustainable yield provides an estimate of the amount of water that can be reasonably pumped from an aquifer without impacting the source.  Thus, the more the population grows the less water we can reasonably pump without impairing our aquifers. 

Another management tool employed by the Water Commission is the designation of Ground and Surface Water Management areas.  Currently there are only a handful of designated management areas in the State (map).  These include the entire island of Oahu (excluding the Waianae coast), all of Molokai, and the Na Wai Eha area on Maui.  Water use permits in designated management areas are more severely scrutinized and must be approved by the Commission on Water Resource Management.  It is likely that more areas will be designated in the near future.  As such, and in light of future development proposals, the Water Commission must decide how water can be reasonably allocated among users, while simultaneously balancing the needs of Hawaii’s unique and fragile environment.

Of course protecting our streams and aquifers is only part of the conversation.  Our forests and watersheds need protecting too.  Hawaii is the endangered species capital of the world, which means that invasive species account for a significant percentage of Hawaii’s flora and fauna.  Invasive species not only threaten the health of our native species, but also the health and quality of our water.  Invasives like strawberry guava soak up huge amounts of water and prevent rainfall from percolating back into the ground to recharge our aquifers.  Other invasives, including feral ungulates like pigs and goats, trample native vegetation and increase the spread of invasive flora.  Their impact on the watershed has caused significant damage, uprooting native plants and impairing our topsoil.  During heavy rain events, top soil is lost, running off into our streams and eventually into our oceans suffocating our reefs and damaging our near shore fisheries.  Programs to eradicate invasives are essential to boost the health of our forests, including fencing in the upper regions of the watershed to help ensure the survivorship of natives by keeping invasive ungulates out.

As residents of Hawaii, it is our duty to ensure that our natural resources don’t go to waste.  Water is the single most important issue affecting our generation and will remain at the forefront for decades to come.  It is vital that we continue to think critically about Hawaii’s water and do what we can to protect it and manage it properly.  Hawaiians understood this and took steps to ensure that water was cared for and protected.  The expression “the rain follows the forest” is as true today as it was centuries ago.  If we protect our forests we will in turn protect our precious water resources.  Thus, we must invest in balancing natural vs. human needs.  That is our challenge – to find a proper balance between the needs of a growing island economy with the preservation of Hawaii’s unique natural heritage.

During my first few years at the Water Commission, I have gained valuable insight into Hawaii’s water issues and continue to grapple with the difficult issues that shape our island state.  Water is the critical piece to an ever-growing puzzle and is an essential resource that we cannot afford to waste.  After all, what would Hawaii look like without its waterfalls?  What will we drink when our aquifers run dry?  These are not imagined futures.  Unless we change our relationship to water, this may be our future.

The story of Hawaii and Hawaii’s water is ours to tell.  Let’s make sure it’s a good one.

For more information feel free to check out the Water Commission webpage at http://state.hi.us/dlnr/cwrm/ and the book "Sugar Water" by Carol Wilcox (it's one of my favorites).


The commercial DLNR came up with.
This one is a lot longer but if you have the time please watch.  It's very informative. 

Off the beaten path

The slogan for The North Face is "Never stop exploring".  This past week I did just that.  On Tuesday after some rains for a few days I was itching to explore some waterfalls.  I had an feeling that a place near where I live would have some flow. 

Kiko joined me on the hike and we made a quick pace from the trail head, I needed to be at work on time.  Making our way through a well swathed trail we got to where we needed to be in about an hour.  We then rock hopped our way up the stream and hit our first major pool.  We saw tiers of waterfalls flowing down the stream which brought a huge smile to my face.  With time to spare we decided to continue on to where we thought was too tough for a recon mission.  The first major falls we contoured and bushwhacked through some strawberry guava.  Up above the first falls we saw another.  This one was a little more difficult to negotiate.  Kiko only had rubber soled shoes which made the ascent above this falls very dangerous.  He said he'd wait here and I would have to continue on without him.  He gave me some webbing just in case I needed it.  I slowly made my way above this falls and told him I'd only go ten minutes. 

As I continued on I passed a rolling waterfalls which was easy to climb and followed the stream bed all the way to a forty foot waterfall spilling into a pool.  I stopped and snapped some shots and looked around for a bit.  Since no one was with me now I decided to turn around at this point.

You can bet I was ecstatic on finding this gem of a hike that people usually just pass up when it's right under their noses. 

After the recon mission I was tickled with the idea of going back so quickly.  With few rains left in our forecast the need to do a waterfall hike really wrenched on my brain.  A few of my friends were doing waterfall hikes but those were VERY dependent on rain.  I thought screw it let's go back now!  I called Kiko back and phoned my buddy Matt.  Both were down to go see it.  Katie also wanted to see what all the fuss was about this past week so she had to go. 

We set out a little later that day.  It seemed as though the rain was still there.  The flow of the stream was way stronger than Tuesday and it got us going.  We reached the point where most people usually don't go and I could tell on the look of Matt's and Katie's faces it was a gem of a hike like I mentioned before.  We climbed up to the point where I stopped.  We figured that going straight up the waterfall even though there was a rope was dangerous.  There was a small swath that led up the left side of the falls that we followed.  As we climbed up and over the falls just before dropping down to the stream again I looked up and my jaw dropped in utter amazement.  What I saw was like a painting Georgia O'Keeffe painted.  A thin ribbon of a waterfall high in the mountains flowing down; you can see the steps and tiers of waterfalls flowing down into the stream just above where  we were.

 
We got back down to the stream bed and just above the forty foot waterfall was a pool.  We dubbed it "Nature's Infinity Pool".  We continued up the stream bed through several more gully type waterfalls.  We reached the base of the tall waterfall we saw deep in the mountains and celebrated.  Going straight up the waterfall was too dangerous so we contoured as far as we could up the right side of the waterfall.  The forest got real dense and we were following a pig trail.  The soil was really loose so we decided to save it for another time.  We made our way back down and out of the hike. 

This hike was really good and unspoiled from what I saw.  There was no trash up there so I know that not a lot of people have been up there.  Hopefully it will stay that way.  Till next time! 


Photos provided by: Katie, Matt, and Kiko

Picture doesn't do this view justice.  It was utter jaw dropping.

On our way out I had to play in some water.

 We look and see how to climb this waterfall safely.  

 Matt climbing one of the falls.

Everyone watching Ryan climb down one of the bigger falls with the aid of a rope. 

Off the beaten path from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.

Bumpy start, epic three day weekend

Happy New Year guys it's 2014!  This is my first official blog post of the new year.  So far this year it's been a pretty rough start.  I've been VERY LAZY with getting into the mountains and exploring.  Been sort of in a slump but, I've been surfing a lot.  With my mornings off during the week I've been body boarding Makapu'u, sandys, and sometimes north shore.  Winter has been pretty good and we are only in the middle of it.  Hiking was put on hold for a few weeks until this past weekend. 

I had my doubts on backpacking for three days because I haven't been in "hiking shape" but that got shut down when I completed it. First day we started at Poamoho trail.  Luckily Andrew could take Cory's car back down from the trail head.  Katie, Nate, and Francis joined in on this hike as well.  We hit the summit in no time with clear views of the windward side.  We took a short break and decided to turn left at the summit.  In about two hours of summit walking with no rain but plenty of mud we hit our first camp spot.  We put our heavy bags down and relaxed for the rest of the day.  Nate went out exploring and found some water just in case we needed.  He went exploring for a few hours while the rest of us waited for a sunset.  Too bad the clouds rolled in and we didn't have a really good sunset like we hoped for. 

As night fell we started to cook our meals.  Most of us opted for dehydrated meals, some had noodles.  An hour or so passed and the clouds cleared up.  Stars were really bright and I was really tired.  Some stayed up and took advantage of the night sky. 

The next morning we woke up to clouds but as soon as the sun came up the clouds started to move away and burn off the mountains.  It made for an epic sunrise and the day turned out to be a good one!  We left our first camp site and continued on the Ko'olau summit trail.  I felt as though my pack became really heavy since the first day.  I had a full bag of water and some of my clothes got wet so I'm guessing that's what was making my bag heavy. 

After meandering both on the leeward side and the windward side for about an hour we hit the castle junction.  Francis had to leave us because he had some business to attend to.  We had a relatively good break at that point and bid Francis safe hiking.  I took the ram rod position and led the group through most of the mud pits and the nasty leeward sections of the KST.  The leeward sections were choked with Clidemia and some shrubs which made leeward sections a nightmare.  I always looked forward to making it to the windward sides which were much more clear.  I'm sure everyone else was happy when we reached those sections. 

After about two more breaks and hours in mud pits and pushing through uki grass and branches we met up with the Koloa fence.  Fifteen minutes on the fence we found our next camp spot.  Luckily we were there really early.  Cory, Katie and I opted to hang out play cards and talk story.  Nate on the other hand is an animal and opted again to go out exploring... I don't know how he does it!  I was beat and just wanted to vegg out.  Nate came back before dinner time as usual and he showed us what he had found.  He showed us some cool bug and spiders.

Just before dinner we watched the sun set and saw a cool rainbow.  Chili mac and beef was on the menu for dinner for Katie and I.  Cory had some pasta and Nate opted for noodles.  After some hot food we were satisfied and played some catch phrase game.  I was horrible at the category celebrities but everyone had a good time.  After a few hours we were all beat.  We all knew we had to wake up early the next morning to get our ride out.

In the morning we packed and left around 8:30.  After an hour of hiking we reached the old Kawailoa cabin grounds.  The view was so clear we stopped and had a break there.  Nate showed us where there was water just in case we were in a pinch up there and ran out of water.  We continued for another forty five minutes and reached Laie summit.  Made it down Laie so fast I was so happy to see that grassy football field.

The full group doing the hike across the KST.  (L to R) Nate, Francis, Katie, Ryan, Cory
Photo by: Andrew

Beginning our journey on a well groomed trail.

The morning light was really warming. 

Taking a break and looking for bugs are Cory and Nate.  Francis is hiding in the tree, can you spot him?

Nate checking out the lobelia.  He is a plant and bug expert in my eyes.  If you ever get a chance to hike with him he will probably know everything you need to know on the trail plant and bug wise. 

Cory took one of my favorite photos on this trip.  That's me under the lobelia, pretending it's a hat!

Francis coming back from checking out the view.  The clouds were burning off the mountains this morning and making for some epic views looking into Punalu'u and Kahana valley. 

Francis and Nate posing and getting ready for the Leeward side of the trail.  The Ko'olau summit trail on the Northern side mostly consist of contouring.  It was either on the Leeward side or the Windward side.  I'm sure if you have done these sections you know that most people love the Windward side because the Leeward side is choked with vegetation. 

Hiking with these views are very distracting.  Many of us stopped and took pictures. 

Here is Cory eating a snack and enjoying the view.

We reached our first camp spot well before sunset.  We hung out till sunset waiting to see if the clouds would go away but it didn't.  Rays were gleaming through the clouds making for an eerie beautiful sunset in the mountains. 

Boiling water was essential.  Nate's boiling method was with esbit.

  Katie, Cory and I used pocket rocket stoves to boil our water.  We opted for dehydrated meals.

Last remaining light from the sunset.

After dinner the night was still on the mountains, no clouds and a light wind.  It's rare to get this in the mountains so we opted to photograph stars at night.  The glow is from the city, light pollution.

Just before I took this picture we were socked in.  The clouds obstructed our view but, when the sun rose it started to burn off all the clouds. 

From this day on I didn't take too many pictures.  We were battling some DEEP mud pits and opted not to bring my camera out.  On the last day when we were heading out I only snapped a few pictures.

The last picture near the summit of Laie. 

The group that exited.  Picture courtesy of Nate. 

Due to where we stayed I won't disclose the where abouts of where we stayed.  It's always good to dual purpose our hikes.  We obviously had a great time up in the mountains but Cory is a scientist and he did a little research for the company he works for.  Nate checked out rare native plants and bugs during the down time.  We ALL were learning something whether it'd be bugs, plants, or finding our way through the mountains.  I'm not saying this is what you all should do but it is a great opportunity to learn about the island we live on when you hike.

Happy New Year again and hope to see you all on the trails!

Epic backpacking from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.



Here's what I also enjoy doing when I'm not hiking.  Just a short clip. 

Makapuu from Ryan Chang on Vimeo.