it's not. The 2nd mile of this trail brings 1100 ft of elevation, is far more exposed and the trail teeters in the middle of sharp angled drop offs on either side. At a few points I need to brace myself against the bark of an ohia tree to keep from losing my balance. Lol ALOHAAAAA. I was wondering 10.4 miles is it a round trip? The government in Oahu has a habit of closing any hike they consider slightly risky, because it might attract lawsuits. Firefighters had to comb through a wooded area and ask a hiker to shake a tree before they found the body just after noon, Fire Captain KevinMokulehua said. The Air Force has identified the airman who died Tuesday,Dec. The first 2.5ish miles are flat and the next 2 miles are a pretty steep incline. Please explore other trails nearby. Make sure you have done your research (YouTube) and you should be ready to are some awesome views. Market data provided by Factset. It may never be surpassed! If you hike up the Moanalua trail and then down the stairs, youre still risking a fine, because the stairway is not legal. Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @mike.karas or email me at mikekarasphotography@gmail.com if youd like to join or like gear for the hike I have plenty of microspikes and gloves. These people are mad and will make increasing trouble for hikers as time goes by. The city of Honolulu spent almost a million dollars repairing the stairs and was considering re-opening the stairs in 2002 but resident complaints and safety concerns halted the re-opening and the stairs have been closed ever since. All rights reserved. Polizzi collapsed while hiking the Moanalua Valley trail on Oahu. Toa Luau at Waimea Valley. Puu Keahi a Kahoe is the end of this trail, but symbolically it serves as a beginningit marks the start of the ahupuaa(land division) of Kaneohe. Moanalua Valley is a Forest Reserve. ", "You were one of the most out going [sic], funniest, and happiest people Ive ever had the chance to get to know and call a friend," wrote friend Greg Glawatz in another Facebook post. The steepest section of stairs is actually near the start of the hike, right before you reach the first platform. 0 rides ; 6 Months. The trail quietly opens up and were greeted with an elevated view of the valleys treetops sprawling out beneath us. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi! These are four items that I using right now and this list gets updated every year! Wear spikes if you have them, makes most of the trail up the ridge line easier. Put a damn police officer in the station at the top and fine them and arrest them if you dont want people there. Hike the Moanalua Middle Ridge Trail to the Haiku Stairs Peak. Anyone who hikes the 10 miles round trip is obviously going to go to the top of the stairs, or beyond. listen to flash flood warnings. Youll encounter a couple more ropes (as you did during the Moanalua hike) which will be instrumental in getting down some of the slopes. A short walk . Im chicken little when it comes to doing anything that is deemed illegal. Every trail I hike on this island and other islands is overrun, regulate yes, shut down no and certainly dont be a condescending dick about something you have zero authority over. As someone who grew up in a nearby neighborhood in the 80s and still has a good family friend that lives IN the Haiku stairs neighborhood Ill tell you one thing hiking blogs and social media posts dont seem to mention the history of bad behavior from young, disrespectful hikers who arrive at 4am, dont even try to keep their noise levels down, cut through the backyards of residents, and use residents hoses to rinse off after hiking the stairway. Had to go the long way from Moanalua Valley (the legal way so not sure why this says its closed ~ unless its speaking of the actual stairs) I wanted to do this hike every since I moved here 17.5 years ago. Nathan Stowell, 25, died on Sunday after falling 400 feet off a hiking trail of Hawaii's Mount Olomana. Its possible to walk up without the rope but I suggest having some gloves as most people will be holding onto the rope the whole time. Not the one all the way to the left. Give me a break!, its a hike, and a damn good one at that! Dont forget to check out my other Oahu hiking guides and my complete list of the best things to do in Oahu Hawaii! Bring water & food. These affiliates don't cost you anything extra and help me keep the site going. Keep in mind, to stay 100 percent legal on this hike you will have to go back the same way you came. Preview trail Dogs on leash Hiking Walking Bird watching River Views Waterfall Wildflowers Over grown Scramble Description Parking is at the Moanalua Valley Park (open from 7am - 7pm) at the end of Ala Aolani Street. It gave the mountains and everything a surreal touch that made us feel like we were walking up into the heavens. There are a few more rope sections and some very deep, muddy crevasses you will have to sneak through before you reach the top of this hike. The first mile on this trail climbs 900 feet in elevation and is primarily through trees. Heed no trespassing and other warning signs. This is a small playground area for children and at the back of the grass area, the paved trail begins. (10-15) When I got to the top there was probably 10 or so people hanging out which is cool and all, but took away from the experience for me. It is for this reason that it is NOT recommended to hike this trail in heavy rains due to flash flooding. To get to the trailhead, park outside the Moanalua Valley Park and the trail begins just after the green gate. We rest here for a while, towering above the island. Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve (Moanalua section). I would have liked to investigate an entry from the south if time permitted. Love this hike! Charges usually start at about $10,000 and go up from there. At some points, the stairs of death are almost vertical, clinging to the side of the steep mountain. The exact cause of the incident is still under investigation. Bring ziplock bag to gather your trash respect the land & beauty of the island. Legal Statement. Here are my hiking essentials. It was beautiful! Aloha! There was also a hiker named Daylenn Pua who disappeared on the Moanalua Valley trail (the backside route that intersects with the Stairway To Heaven) and was never seen again. The seemingly level elevation from point A to point B can be misleading and the giddy nature of being so close can come with a lack of focus. Choose wisely! In 2015, a man from Florida man died after falling about 200 feet from the trail. Wear proper foot ware, including hiking boots, spikes, and gloves. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Anthony J. Polizzi. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your The trailhead begins at Moanalua Valley Park. If you are inside a Forest reserve outside of those times and without a camping permit, you are in violation of the HRS chapter 104 rules and can be cited. I was lucky enough to have climbed on a windless morning, but any wind will add to the complexity and risk to the hike. Stowell's body was found roughly 400 feet below the third peak of Mount Olomana's hiking trail, officials said. There is a little sign right before accession, go to the left and instead of keeping left, take the middle right path up. If its handled right, this solution could resolve many of the issues associated with the Stairway To Heaven. It's not about the rules and laws I've cited. Whether climbing Stairway to Heaven illegally or legally via Moanalua Valley Trail, know that this hike is not for the faint of heart. Theres the potential for a criminal charge of second degree trespassing (a misdemeanor record), which could be a big problem for some people who have security clearances, sensitive employment, professional licenses, immigration applications, etc. I was extremely surprised at the amount of people who I crossed when I hiked it. Someone needs to find a better means of access that bypasses the neighborhood totally. The trail is quite easy to follow for the first few miles with a wide path, winding you through lush forest and warming up your legs. Let's stay updated! Step 4 Park at the Moanalua Valley Park parking lot at 1849 Ala. Moanalua (Kamananui) Valley Trail on Oahu. I also didnt get enough sleep dont be like me. If you knew anything about natural resources, you'd understand that this isn't just about respecting something that's sacred but rather protecting a watershed that provides benefits that you clearly take for granted. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Its been a wild ride. The time should be posted on the gate. After you reach the first platform, the hike flattens out quite a bit and things get much easier. Just wished the front way was open, For experienced hikers dont do alone unless youre a pro & even then let someone know where you are. The Moanalua Valley Trail takes you up a steep, strenuous dirt path with ropes and no stairs. Moanalua/Kamananui Valley Trail Hard 4.7 (4054) Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve Photos (5,132) Directions Print/PDF map Length 9.2 miElevation gain 2,998 ftRoute type Out & back Enjoy this 9.2-mile out-and-back trail near Honolulu, Oahu. Im not easy to sunburn, but he tosses me the bottle anyway, a suggestion to rub in a little more than I already have. After all, well be inching closer to the sun at an elevation gain of about 2,585 feet from where were currently standing. Instagram @dblock55. Access to the public is restricted. The Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku stairs hiking route is one of the most adventurous hikes on Oahu. Anthony J. Polizzi. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. We made a false start up a precarious slope and had to go back down and restart closer to the stairs. Translation: Its going to be a long day. Legal climbing of the stairs would mean providing a non-intrusive access route through the neighborhood below, but that could easily be accomplished with the millions of taxpayer dollars that have been spent on security over the years. Ive done the Hawaii Haiku Stairs hike several times now, and even after traveling in many countries, its still probably my favorite trek in the world. A headlamp, rain jacket, and good hiking boots or shoes are the three main pieces of gear you need. But is the solution to shut everything down? I really hope they dont do that. The main reason to take the back way is just to stay legal and rule out any possible fines. The cool, breezy path goes through a lush forest and contains seven bridges with stream fords. Check out their website and consider donating if youre a fan. We put on our microspikes at the riverbed and they were handy all the way to the summit. The hike follows the Moanalua Valley Trail before connecting up the Moanalua Middle Ridge, which is the legal 'backway' to the Stairway to Heaven (Haiku Stairs) satellite summit. Overall, I think the risk of death on the Stairway To Heaven in Hawaii is greatly overstated, and as long as youre careful you should be fine. If its your first time on the trail and you lose sight of other hikers, take care to keep to the right once youre about two miles in, as heading left will take you to a different trail. The first part of the hike takes you through a bamboo forest. 12. When people refer to it as the legal backway to get to the Stairway to Heaven that refers to the legal route to the top of the Moanalua Valley Trail but you still arent allowed to actually go on the stairs or the satellite area. This is quite the work out and worth the view. A man who was hiking Hawaii's Olomana Trail reportedly plummeted hundreds of feet to his death on Sunday after he reportedly tried to grab his hat, marking the fourth death linked to the. HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - U.S. Army officials have released new details surrounding the death of an Airman assigned to the 15th Wing. There is parking outside the gate, which we recommend using in case you don't get back before they close the gates in the evening. The trailhead area below the stairs is patrolled by a security guard around the clock, and sometimes the Honolulu police are called. A coworker identified the victim as Nathan Stowell, 24. If the weather goes bad on you, you could get stuck for a while. Originally the stairs were built in 1942 by the U.S. Navy as a top-secret facility for transmitting radio signals to ships that were sailing in the Pacific Ocean. The last crossing is allll the way at the end, and immediately after that last crossing, it's dense 12ft tall grass and the trail disappears. 14 guest maximum. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii The Air Force has identified the airman who died Tuesday while hiking in Hawaii as Capt. I hope this clears up YEARS of misconceptions about this trail. The Kulana'ahane Trail offers unparalleled hiking through native Hawaiian forest to a scenic overlook.
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