moanalua valley trail deaths
The time should be posted on the gate. The main reason to take the back way is just to stay legal and rule out any possible fines. Relax, its not as scary as it looks here. All Rights Reserved. Access to the public is restricted. The trail was washing away. shoes meant for hiking. Please see J T s comments below before attempting this. After all, well be inching closer to the sun at an elevation gain of about 2,585 feet from where were currently standing. Wyatt Olson is based in the Honolulu bureau, where he has reported on military and security issues in the Indo-Pacific since 2014. This is the trail that leads you up the Moanalua Ridge, also known as the Moanalua Middle Ridge. The Kamananui Valley Road is a perfect hike for all ages and offers access to many other hiking trails in the Moanalua Valley. All rights reserved. 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. Overnight parking is not allowed in Moanalua Valley Park - the gate is locked and the park is closed at a certain hour. (Facebook/Nathan Stowell). At a few points I need to brace myself against the bark of an ohia tree to keep from losing my balance. 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. Air Force captain who died during Hawaii hike remembered as 'leader The path is quite wide and at many points there are forks in the road which come back to the same point after about 20 yards. Make sure you have done your research (YouTube) and you should be ready to are some awesome views. Moanalua Valley Trail the legal back way for the Stairway To Heaven. We dont know for sure what happened, but its more likely his death happened on the steep and muddy Moanalua trail, not the stairway. Anyone who hikes the 10 miles round trip is obviously going to go to the top of the stairs, or beyond. All rights reserved. Mahalo! I appreciate the outpouring of support from our ohana.. Pack a long sleeve tee for the top (its chilly). Be prepared. If people cared more about the "nature" that they so desperately enjoy in this valley, then I wouldn't even be on here. This Trail is ILLEGAL. We make our initial ascent. The exposed ridges have more space on the sides than the pictures seem. DIRECTIONS Traveling west on the H-1, take Exit 10 (Pearl city/Waimalu) onto Moanalua Road. Trudging up the slope, it takes about half an hour to scale the first hump. The other specific laws that come into play here are located in HRS chapters 104 and 130, State Forestry and Na Ala Hele Access. Generally considered a challenging route. Dont forget to check out my other Oahu hiking guides and my complete list of the best things to do in Oahu Hawaii! The views are incredible and worth every minute and mile of this trail. If you want to see this place legally with almost no chance of fines, you can hike up the Moanalua Valley Trail on the back side of the same mountain. These are four items that I using right now and this list gets updated every year! Its absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for looking! Keep in mind, the adventurers MUST be respectful to neighbourhood residents living in this area. Can be very muddy like lots of the ridges out here on island. There is also a cliff diving spot at one of the falls. Foster Botanical Garden is a loop trail that is used for walking and nature trips located near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. . This trail in Oahu, also known as the Haiku Stairs, takes you to the top of the Koolau mountains via 3,922 metal stairs of pure adrenaline and doom. The steepest section of stairs is actually near the start of the hike, right before you reach the first platform. Toa Luau at Waimea Valley. Copyright 2023 Journey Era | Mediavine Trellis Child - Journey Era on Trellis Framework by Mediavine. If you think about it there is a large number of people on 24/7 neighborhood watch and some are very angry and extreme. 00:00 01:00 Only In Your State Step 3 Take the Red Hill/Moanalua Valley exit (exit 2) and turn right on Ala Aolani Street. Be careful on your footing & hand placements not all branches are build to hold your weight. Bring some shoes that you don't care about because the trail is muddy and you will definitely get dirty. There are shorter hikes on this island with better views and less risk. Really bites that we struggled through mud for miles and never found the trail. On my hike up the Moanalua Valley Trail, I went halfway down the stairs and back up just to explore and then returned via the Moanalua Valley Trail although I met some people who were going to try and exit via the stairs. Oahu Small Group Circle Island Sightseeing Tour. You walk an easy trail for 3 miles before you start ascending to the summit, which is nearly 2 miles up. That isnt to say people arent, or should not be super respectful, ie, no trash, tread lightly, be quiet, etc, all that goes with just being a responsible and respectful human being. Fortunately,Oahu is full of great hikes. The Moanalua Valley Middle Ridge Trail to the Haiku Stairs is a 10.7 mile (roundtrip) hike along varying terrains with several rope climb sections and very narrow ridge climbing. Moanalua Valley Trail - Yelp Make sure you at least have the basics and you will be prepared for bad weather or any mishaps on the trail. This blog post will explain some of the details and history of the Hawaii Stairway To Heaven hike, and then Ill discuss some of the politics behind the stairs and plans for their future. a view? While holding back any visions of being on the verge of setting foot on an old Dharma station (LOST fans, you'll understand once you're there), the 20-30 minute hike to the radio tower is full of its own challenges. With alternate trails and surrounding hunting grounds, its easy for dogs to get lost. Assuming you are doing the middle ridge hike, very enjoyable. The middle ridge in Moanalua is home to many native species not found anywhere else in the world, and being at the top of the ridge, the effects of illegal hikers and illegal tours ripples down into the valley. (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. For a complete list of LEGAL State Trails, please visit hawaiitrails.hawaii.gov/trails Lastly, guided hikes and other commercial activity being conducted inside Moanalua valley are illegal. It gave the mountains and everything a surreal touch that made us feel like we were walking up into the heavens. A non-profit group called Friends of Haiku Stairs has drawn up some good plans for keeping the staircase and re-opening it with managed access, hiker fees, assumed liability, and minimal disturbance to the local neighborhood. Blah, blah, blah. Stairway To Heaven Hawaii Hike: Epic Haiku Stairs Oahu Trail It is only accessible by hiking approximately 2.5 miles up the Kamananui Valley Road Trail, where a marked sign on the left designates the trailhead. I really hope they dont do that. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. WHAT IS THE BEST CHEAP BACKPACKER TRAVEL INSURANCE? At the beginning, a large monkeypod tree leads to the Douglas Damon house site. It's not quite the same experience as climbing the stairs from the bottom up, but you can still reach the Hawaii 'Stairway To Heaven' trail at the top and go back down in either direction when you're done. The Best of Hawai'i's Great Outdoors: 20 Great O'ahu Hikes Bummer, this trail is closed. I hope my travels give you the motivation to set off on an epic adventure of your own. 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. Finiahed in 10 hours. Thanks Billie! Ive done most of the hikes on the island before. Did this exact hike. Nathan Stowell, 25, died on Sunday after falling 400 feet off a hiking trail of Hawaii's Mount Olomana. The first mile on this trail climbs 900 feet in elevation and is primarily through trees. Ill also share my full experience and all of my photos including some epic shots from the summit so you can get an idea of why this was one of my favorite hikes on Oahu, Hawaii. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Thanks for your support. The Haiku Stairs Hawaii hike is steep and strenuous, but the toughest part is the first 1/3rd of the stairway leading up to platform one. Moanalua/Kamananui Valley Trail | Map, Guide - Oahu, Hawaii | AllTrails The left goes to the valley. Instagram @dblock55. The key in the first part of the hike is to be cognizant of the distance you are covering as the ridge trail is somewhat hidden and can be easily missed. 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. There is a bathroom and water at the park only. Once you pass the sign and creek crossing go to the right, the trail behind the foliage, not the obvious one on the left. To remember: You came this far. Bring water & food. There are a few rope sections and some very intense drop offs on the sides for lots of the trail, so this is not for the faint of heart. As the years have gone by and patience thinned then disappeared completely, hikers have tried to be more stealthy but its a little too late I dont know about you but if all that was happening on a near daily basis to my neighborhood, Id be pretty upset too! The first 2.9 miles are fairly straightforward with only 100ft of elevation each mile. Here are my hiking essentials. Date of experience: June 2019. However, we wouldnt recommend running. Moanalua Valley Trail To The Haiku Stairs (Stairway To Heaven There are four pieces of gear that I simply never forget when I go on a hike. Even with all the information there is floating around online to help hikers prepare for it, I prefer to have a guide, someone in the flesh whos done this before, to lead the way to the finale peak, Puu Keahi a Kahoe, at the back of Moanalua Valley. This is a small playground area for children and at the back of the grass area, the paved trail begins. Ill keep this blog post updated. ", James Keener, of Hawaii Fresh Farms where Stowell worked, according to his Facebook page, wrote that the 24-year-oldwas like a son to himand "died the way he lived, taking chances, and living everyday to its fullest.".