Isn't it ironic! Now Kalauao falls has become lore in my hiking adventures. Today's trip was no exception. Kalauao could be considered as one of the reasons for my weight loss in 2009. It could also be considered as a reason that re- re-launched my passion for hiking in 2010. In 2011, Kalauao will be considered the hike that got me into the HTMC. You need three hikes to get into the HTMC. Over the past two weeks, I've done Schofield-Waikane & Waianae Kai with the HTMC. I wanted to obtain membership as quickly as possible and guess what the third hike in as many weeks with the HTMC was?, Kalauao falls. Again, no matter how I progress in hiking, Kalauao falls has been there.
Last time in 2010, Kalauao was a trickler. I vowed to come back when it was flowing. I didn't want to do this hike unless it was raining during the week because the falls can get dry if there is no rain. I monitored the weather from Wednesday thru Friday. Guess what? The hiking gods knew something. It rained Wednesday thru Friday. On Friday, I called Thea the coordinator for the hike for meeting information. I woke up early Saturday morning and was off to Aiea Heights Drive at 7:30 am. I met up with members of the HTMC at around 8:00 am.
We waited for everyone to arrive, were debriefed, and entered the trailhead. I've been to Kalauao falls before, but the HTMC took a different route. They were going to do a loop. Huh, I thought. Interesting. We walked on the muddy Aiea Loop trail for about 40 minutes until a junction appeared. Going right would lead you to the Aiea Ridge trail; going left would lead you down a ridge to Kalauao stream. We walked on the semi-steep ridge for about 20 minutes until we got to the stream bed. Going down was slippery and everyone near me fell at least one time. I made a stupid comment about falling. We got to the stream bed and went left. We walked for only 10-12 minutes and reached Kalauao falls. It was rushing! Just a beautiful sight! I had Will, one of the HTMC members take a picture of me and I did the same for him. We stayed there for about 20 minutes, then Will and I decided to go back.
We lead the charge down the stream. There was this guy, he was a guess hiker and he kept on slipping on the rocks. I don't mean once or twice, but throughout the entire walk back. I felt bad for him. We crossed the stream about 8 times before getting to the steep section. At the bottom of the steep section, we encountered a group of 5 hikers who were heading back. I was confused because I didn't see them at the falls. As I passed one of the guys, he asked me, "where the waterfall was?". I told them only 20 minutes upstream, plus there were HTMC hikers coming back that could provide directions in case they got lost. They said, maybe next time they'll try to find Kalauao falls. I couldn't comprehend their decision, all that hiking and no reward. Kind of a waste, considering there were people trying to help them. Even Will tried to get them to change their mind and pursue the waterfall.
I remember doing the steep section last time. It took me around 20 minutes and I had to take so many breaks. I couldn't breathe. This time with all the hills I've experienced in the past year, it was time to tackle this steep hill with no regrets. I went up slowly and controlled my breathing. I went at a good pace and tackled that hill like it was nothing. My legs got tired near the end, but I pushed through. I got to the top of the hill and went left. As I was going on the trail, I saw Kyle and Neil, two HTMC members from afar yelling, "Where’s the correct trail". I told him, the trail goes left, because going right will lead to a dead end. I knew this from doing Kalauao in 2010. Kyle and Neil are both military soldiers and both Animals. They are hiking beasts. Talk about two guys that are adrenaline junkies that have all the hiking skills and stamina to handle any hike on this island and probably any hike on this planet. I can't believe these two animals. I knew they would pass me, so I explained the route back and told them what to expect and which junction to take. They processed the information quickly and were off. In about 5 minutes, they were gone and nowhere to be seen, freakin' Animals.
I went through the long patch of strawberry guava and ended up back on Aiea Loop. I sat on the concrete wall near the trailhead next to Kyle and Neil. We waited for Will to arrive. We talked for a bit and said our good-byes. I'm proud to say that I'm going to apply for membership into the HTMC. The board will vote sometime next week for hikers who recently applied for membership.
I texted Shell if she ate lunch already, she said, "No". So I picked her up, and we ate at Down to Earth in Kapolei. It just opened this month. The store is huge; it’s double the size of the Pearlridge store. The food, although vegan, is so good! I ate eggplant parmesan with sweet yams. Delicious