Olomana (first peak)

View from the first peak to the second and third peaks

Did Olomana after telling myself I wouldn't.. Well, that didn't seem to work. But to be honest, I'm glad I did it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and took us about an hour and a half without the time spent on top taking pictures to do the whole thing. The beginning of the hike it covered and starts gradually and slowly gets more inclined. When you get to the parts where you're kind of rock climbing and there are ropes, the end is near.

The only part that I was a little sketched out was the climb at the very end to get to the top of the first peak. You kind of have to scale rocks to get to the top and I'm afraid of heights... Not deathly afraid but pretty scared of them. There's some space on the top of the first peak to sit where people can go around you if they have to. It actually didn't look too bad going to the second peak but the view from the first is said to be the best of the three so I passed.

A few notes before hiking this: wear proper hiking material (saw some girls wearing jean shorts...good luck) , bring water and perhaps a snack (as with most hikes), do not leave valuables in your car (you'll probably notice the broken glass when you park), do not rely solely on the ropes because there have been incidents where they broke, and use your own judgment. If you don't think you can make it, don't go. Don't risk your life because someone peer pressures you or you feel obligated to finish. Other than that, have fun!

The view looking back down where we came from

Upper Manoa Falls

The infinity pool

Recently did Upper Manoa Falls, which has been gaining a lot of popularity on social media lately. It's a relatively short hike that leads to multiple waterfalls and an amazing view of Manoa Valley. This blog is not intended to give directions so if you know the name of the hike I'm sure you could find another site with directions. There is a "hike" to get to the hike (quotes on hike because I wouldn't really consider it a hike). After you reach the end of the first part you have to trail off a bit and the fun begins.

To get to the infinity pool it only took me about 5-10 minutes, but then again I like to rock climb. If you aren't comfortable rock climbing or scaling things, you may want to reconsider. But you basically go uphill for a bit and then you will have to climb up with the aid of roots and rocks. There are actually a lot of footholds and handholds but it is practically a 90 degree incline. Once you've passed the climbing part you're pretty much there. There are quite a few ropes that have been put in to help get to the infinity pool.

The falls above the falls

Aikahi Pillbox

 Aikahi Pillbox

For lack of a better name, because I don't know the actual name of it, I'll just call it the Aikahi Pillbox. First off, this hike is on private property. So I would not recommend it. I only "hypothetically" did this hike. This hike is a relatively easy stroll. Not much of a hike. I guess kind of like how you'd consider Makapuu a hike since it's really just a stroll up a paved road up to the pillbox. The views were gorgeous. Talk about having a 360 degree view. We didn't actually explore inside the pillbox itself because a pretty good sized group came up after we took a few pictures and we took it as our cue to head out.

The views were pretty gorgeous

Oneawa Hills aka Kapaa Quarry

Oneawa Hills, has been gaining a lot of popularity lately, please take the time to do your fair share of research on its location as it took us two tries to find this hike because we decided to go backwards. I wouldn't suggest it, it can be pretty inclined and by the time we got to the lookout we were grouchy, exhausted, we were eaten alive by mosquitos, and there were sticky seeds stuck to our pants and socks. There were a lot of mosquitos in the beginning of where we started, I'm not sure how it is coming from the other direction but I would assume it's similar since the area gets a lot of rain. So if you do this hike I would definitely suggest mosquito repellant. Sorry this is the only decent picture I took, not many other better views of the quarry but there are a lot of views of the surrounding areas that would be good for photo opportunities. Parking is limited so try to start early and allow time for you to complete the hike as it does take at least a few hours. 

Kalihi Ice Ponds

To get to Kalihi Ice Ponds you basically have to trespass on private property. Apparently they have stepped up security and a fence has been installed as well as a camera. A friend of mine stated that the camera followed them as they walked and warned them to get out, so perhaps it is not the best idea to come here anymore. If you really want to get here you can probably stream hop to reach the ponds, however, do so at your own risk. The ponds are often dirty after rains so although the stream may be flowing nicely, it's probably not within your best interests to swim here. As with all fresh water ponds and streams in the islands, there is a chance of leptospirosis so use your own judgment to determine whether it'll be safe to swim here or not. 

Kalihi Ice Ponds

A little further upstream there are a few more waterfalls you can get to.