Waiau to Manana – May 26, 2012

This hike has been in the planning stages for about a month now, ever since Merv and I's overnight stay on the Waimalu summit.

For this hike, Merv and I invited the entire 7D group and other hikers. Making the hike was Ted, Steve, Ikaika, Merv, & I. We were only missing Aida and Christian from 7D. What was great was that the entire crew for today's hike was entirely made up of 7D members. I knew we would have a great time and we did.

Merv initially wanted to do Waimano to Manana, which is a classic route experienced hikers take. However, I proposed Waiau to Manana for 3 reasons. 1) Last time, we weren’t sure where the Waiau summit was, and it would be a good idea to find it. 2) The HTMC just cleared the trail a few weeks back which makes finding the trail and summiting easier. 3) Waiau hasn’t been cleared to the top ever, well until a few members of the HTMC clearing crew did it a few weeks back. Historically, Waiau had been unfinished and good hikers would have to forage their way through to get to the summit.   

The day before, I got some directions for the Waiau trailhead from Josh S. of the 808 Goonies; he was also on the HTMC clearing crew that cleared Waiau. Going on his information, it was the last piece of the puzzle Merv and I needed in the planning process. We now knew what to expect on this hike. The plan was to go up Waiau (3-4 hours), make a left, hit Waimano, Eleao, & Manana (2 hours), and go down Manana (4 hours). This would make it a 10 hour trip. If we started early enough, we would hit our benchmarks and be out before nightfall. Though I was confident we would execute our plan flawlessly, some preparation was of the utmost importance. After our Aiea to Waimano overnighter, we created a rule. Any hike taking at least 8 hours needs a space blanket and a head lamp/flashlight.

We met each other at the end of Komo Mai drive at 5:30 am. We left all our cars there and Ikaika drove all of us to the end of Ka’ahumanu Street. From Ka’ahumanu Street, we walked past the guard shack and took the road till its end. There was a dirt road to the left and the ribbons started. After walking on the dirt road, we started the Waiau trail. To the left was Waimano valley. The Waiau trail was well cleared, but started to make many ups and downs. It was tiring and the rains decided to come over us. There are no good views on this trail because the uluhe is head high and vegetation obstructs views of the valley. It took us 4 hours to reach the summit. The clearing was small and could only fit a few people. It was also windswept. The wind was howling today. Merv wrapped his cold gear around his face, it was so funny, and he looked like a ninja. Add to that, since it was Memorial Day weekend, we had Marvin wave the American flag. Now this added to what was already funny, as he looked like either an American Ninja or an American/Japanese Terrorist of some sort.

We were so cold from the wind and our soaked shirts that we decided not to take a long break and headed towards Waimano. Getting to Waimano was quick, maybe 15 minutes. But from Waimano to Eleao took a while. The swath was good which made going easy. The drops were steep. The wind was a factor. None of us could walk straight because the wind was so strong. It was like tropical storm forced winds. It took us over an hour to get to Eleao. The Eleao summit is between the Waimano and Manana trails. The summit is marked on topo maps, however getting to Eleao is a whole nother story.

This is what I was waiting for. To my knowledge, there is no trailhead to get to Eleao. Not even sure if a trail exists branching off from Waimano or Manana. I’m sure hunters were able to push their way through to get onto the ridge. But I don’t think anyone has created a trail to get to Eleao. What this means is that the only way to get to Eleao is hiking on the Ko’olau Summit Ridge making Eleao a highly coveted hike. Just before we got to Eleao, there was this grassy area, just like the Waimalu summit area.  However, the small grassy area was between two hills and the wind funneled. It was super windy. We all took a break enjoying the area. If it wasn’t so windy, this section would be a great place to camp. I had a chance to get to the lookout point on Eleao. It was fucking spectacular! To the right is Waihe’e Valley, to the left was Waiahole and Kahana valley with Pu'u Piei, Pu'u Ohulehule, Pu'u Pauao, and Pu'u Manamana in the distance. Also, I think there is Haikipu'u Valley, but I don't know its exact location. 

After Eleao, we continued on a short way until we hit the Manana terminus. It was about 12:30 pm and 6 hours into our hike when we started going down. I was so tired and tried to keep up with Ted, Steve, & Ikaika, but couldn’t. Merv and I were in the back and went at our own pace. Usually on hikes, going back is the easy part. However, this is not the case with Manana. While going back, the rolling hills of Manana offer more tightness to your already tight leg muscles. I got increasingly tired. Merv eventually caught up with me. I decided to text the others to leave and not wait for us because my car was at the end of Komo Mai Drive and I could take Merv home. After 4 hours on the Manana trail, we finally finished a total of 10 hours of hiking. Ted was way ahead and must have finished in 9 hours, while Steve and Ikaika finished in 9.5 hours.

Today was a great day with the 7D crew. The planning, the endurance, the fun, all culminated in a great Super Hike Crossover.