Another weekend in the books and another trail to conquer. Thanks ever so much to Unilocal to pointing me towards new epic adventures — whether here locally in Honolulu or on the mainland, foodwise or otherwise, its so great to be able to do the things I do with Unilocal.I don’t know how I got along with life without Unilocal.With that said, I found this new trail in the hills of Aina Haina & West Hind Drive. Located within the residential nook, never far from the Aina Haina Shopping Center, you can load up with food and water @ the Foodland or McDonald’s before settling on this easy to moderate hike. Once here on a recent, crisp Sunday morning, I feel like I need to do this, especially due to all the traveling and running marathons on sidwalks and asphalt. I needed to get back into the thick of nature. While running the marathon is exciting in itself, I just need to get that alone time that nature always seems to have an ample supply of. Getting back into nature always is inviting, and the Halapepe Nui Trail does that and a whole ot more. There were a few folks running the trails that morning and it was a nice feeling to be out there. The terrain was not as bad as I thought. Thankfully that I haven’t gone here after a rain, since I am sort of prone to injury at times. For hikes, always be mindful of where you are going and be mindful of where you step, especially for those ridge hikes that can seem good at the time, but eventually can lead you to the hospital or on the evening news. Be careful, but enjoy the natural beauty that is Hawaii and Oahu. Spectacular views when you reach the top of the trail, which is about a 6.5 mile journey. There are a lot of side trails all up and down the main switchs, so again, be wary of your surroundings. Plenty of elevation changes and ups and downs, so wear appropriate clothing and covered shoes. Views of Pearl Harbor can be seen at the top, but getting back down can be an epic adventure in itself. Support local! B+
Kim S.
Place rating: 2 Honolulu, HI
Length: 6.6 Miles Hike difficulty: intermediate Elevation gain: about 811 feet Coordinates: 21°24.530N, 157°55.896W Named after a single tree that resides on the trail. Counterclockwise loop, ridge-valley hike. Trails not kept cleared & not clearly marked. Numerous side trails and unexpected junctions makes this difficult to follow. Lots of up & down. Wear long pants or your legs will get scraped/cut up from dried brush. Lots of loose dirt/gravel. Be careful, there are areas alongside the trail with dried brush — if you step there you may fall through. Not much coverage so wear a hat or get fried in the sun. Views of pearl harbor and the entire waianae mountain range can be seen. I’ve been on hikes with better views.
