Just a short report w/o pictures.
Next Sunday with the aide of Dan, I'm leading the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club's "Wai`anae Kai Loop". So today I decided to scout it out and see what's changed and to take the Tiki Ridge route to add some more ropes at the upper end.
I began about 8:50 after a fun time last night at Bay Fest at the Marine Corp Base in Kane`ohe. Gretchen Wilson, famed country western singer put on a pretty good show for about 1 1/2 hours followed by 20 minutes of fire works. Tonight I go back to see/hear Alan Jackson.
Anyway I reached the end of the paved road in about 37 minutes, Hmmmmmmm am I slowing down? I changed into my cleats and headed down the trail marked w/white bottle caps. Turning right at the Jack Fruit tree I headed up stream. After about 15 minutes I hit a huge "blow down" consisting of a dead and a live Christmas Berry tree right across the trail. It took me about 20 minutes to cut thru all the little branches and open the trail again.
About 10:30 I left the stream bed and headed up the Tiki Trail, reaching the top of the 3rd rock face in one hour. There I stopped for lunch and to do some work on the rope. I added more water hose over the rope where it was rubbing on hard rock. At 12:30 I was at the Tikis. I should not have taken that long but I did a little more clearing and added two more ropes in the upper section just below the Tikis.
Around 12:35 I was headed down along the fence line which is just about complete. There are two spots where one must climb over the fence because of the narrowness of the trail and the placement of the fence. I reached the "Low Back" at 12:50 and headed down on the trail that many would be taking up next Sunday.
I took 1/2 hour to reach the bottom of the ridge at the Mango tree. Then I took the "Ancient Kumaipo" trail back to the top of the dirt road. Where it tops out on the "Ke Ala Pau" ridge I ran into a Army Reservist who had just come down from Mt. Ka`ala. We walked all the way back to the cars talking story all the way. After a quite day hiking by myself it was nice to talk to someone. We reached the cars a little after 2 p.m. where we parted ways, and I headed home for a cold drink and something to eat. Oh yea a nice long shower also.