Christian and I planned this hike last week. We wanted to run the entire Maunawili Demonstration trail from Waimanalo to the Pali Lookout. The route is 10 miles and could take a hiker up to 6 hours to complete, twice that time if you want to go back.
The Demo trail as it’s called was built from 1991-1994. Legendary Hawaiian Trail & Mountain Club (HTMC) hiker the late Dick Davis was the person who created the route. After running this trail today, the route Mr. Davis created is one of the best I’ve seen on this island. It contours the Ko’olau cliffs on the windward side passing Ka’au Crater, Olympus, and Konahuanui. I digress; Na Ala Hele consulted with Dick Davis and contracted the Sierra club to build the trail. They did 7.5 miles of the trail, and in 1994 the boy scouts completed the remaining 2.5 miles of the trail.
I met Christian at the Pali Lookout at 8:30 am. Christian was going to stage his car there. Then I drove us to Waimanalo near some farm lands. It is a sketchy place to park your car to say the least. But I’m used to parking my car all over the island and leaving it for hours while hiking. There is nothing valuable in the car, I think only chronic thieves would break in and for what reason is beyond me.
We started the trail by looking at each other's Garmin 60csx. Christian was the one who recommended this model to me and it does not disappoint. It is difficult to figure out however, and takes some practice. If you do get an expensive toy like this, it can help you out in some of the most remote places on Oahu.
About 20 minutes after starting the trailhead, we started running. We went at a good pace, but then the trail started going uphill, my cardio struggled. The good news is that the trail for the most part was level and contoured around Maunawili. We took breaks here and there enjoying views of the windward side. One thing I noticed was the amount of perspiration. I was fully drenched in sweat and we were only 1 hour into the trail.
As we entered the middle part of the trail, the vegetation peered out and engulfed the trail. It slowed our progress considerably. There were also broken branches and trees littered all over the trail.
By the 3 hour mark, we were almost done. The trail opened up. The views of Olomana looked interesting; I haven’t seen Olomana from this angle before. My legs were tight already, but I pushed through. Christian who finished in the top Hawaii 500 for the Honolulu Marathon this year pressed on, pushing me to my limits. I handled it well, albeit my pace slowed considerably. At the 3 ½ hour mark, we finished the Demo trail and made a left at a junction towards the Old Pali Road.
Finally, we were done. My dri-fit shirt had so much sweat that it wouldn’t dry. My body temperature was dropping. We decided to eat at Masa and Joyce in Kaneohe which serves Hawaiian and Japanese food. I had the Saba and Teri Chicken. The food was good; of course it is after running a 10 mile trail, so any food taste good.
Trail running is fun. It is very hard to keep a pace because of the mud and unstable terrain. If you want a different workout, do trail running. Of course, watch your footing constantly, there were a few times when I almost fell off the mountain because of the unstable footing. Luckily, I have cat-like reflexes.