Lanipō Trail
I hiked the Lanipō Trail this past Sunday. I’d been meaning to for years, ever since Marlyn and Tom did and came back raving about it, but the kids were small and not up to the challenge, so I waited… and waited… and eventually decided that I should go without them. Terrence and I went with a bunch from the Hawai‘i Trail and Mountain Club.
At first, once you get past the trailhead you go downhill. Now, for a Ko‘olau ridge hike this is a little counterintuitive. But then you travel across a saddle, then up again, then down, and up, and down… this goes on for five or six times, rising higher each time, until you get to the summit.
You can see the back of Pālolo Valley to your left as you go. The green-and-red of the Chinese old folks’ home back there is really striking.
Looking behind me, I could see the hill where the trail started from (in the middle ground, in front of Diamond Head). Looking up from Wai‘alae Avenue, it’s hard to imagine that the hill that Maunalani Heights is on actually has a back side, but there it is.
One of the hidden gems of the Ko‘olau Mountains is Ka‘au Crater, an old volcanic crater up above Pālolo Valley. Here you can see that there’s a waterfall draining the crater. Well, you could see the waterfall in my original image, but it’s less than a thread at this reduced size. Oh well.
A closer look at Ka‘au Crater. It was probably formed at around the same time as Punchbowl, Diamond Head, and Hanauma, but being up in the hills it’s gotten a lot more rain. These days, it’s a high-elevation marsh.
Here’s a panoramic shot taken from the summit. What a view! You can see all the way from Kahalu‘u to Bellows Air Force Station in Waimānalo. That’s Mount Olomana in the center; its three-peaked profile is unmistakable. (Thanks to my friend Kathy for stitching the images together for me!)
June 10th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
I love the windward panoramic. Beautiful.
Pat
June 14th, 2005 at 10:18 pm
Thanks Pat. You’re always welcome to join in, you know!
July 5th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
someone want to sell a photo of that panoramic view?
July 5th, 2006 at 11:53 pm
Heh. If I were a pro, maybe. But I put almost zero photography skill into that shot; it’s the view that makes it so gorgeous. And the view is what it is. Anybody can see it, if they’re willing to put in a few hours of sweat.
July 30th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
[...] Last Sunday I hiked the Lanipō Trail, above Kaimukī. It’s been almost two years since my first time on that trail, and more than six months since the last time I did a Koʻolau ridge hike. Oh, my aching thighs. For the next three or four days I winced as I climbed up and down stairs, and when I got into and out of chairs. [...]
January 15th, 2007 at 2:42 am
I attempted that hike back in August 2006. It was a very hot day, and unfortunately I dropped my gatorade bottle which spilled out at around Point C (as referenced in Stewart Ball’s “Hiker’s Guide to O’ahu”). I was forced to turn around and head back. My goal was to see the Ka’au crater. Dang!!
Your pictures are amazing!! I’m happy to see them. There really aren’t many pictures available of that crater, and I wanted to see it for myself.
I’ll do that one again. It will have to wait as this Tuesday some of my friends and I are going up to Mt Ka’ala via Waianae.
Anyway, I really do like your website.
January 15th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Terry, glad you liked the photos. Did you also see my July 2006 entry, when I hiked Lanipō again?
March 25th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
[...] In the absence of my regular camera, I tried to do a panoramic image with my cell phone instead… but 640×480 per image just isn’t the same as 2048×1536. And I wasn’t able to do a very good job of swiveling in place with the cell phone, so Autostitch was only able to recognize and stitch together the first 4 shots out of an intended 7-shot panoramic. I have better photos from my first and second times on this same trail. [...]
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I swear this hike is cursed for me! I tried three times within the span of just as many weeks a couple of months ago, and only got to the point where it gets steep. I did Pu’u Manamana and Mt Ka’ala with no real difficulty; but for some reason, this one always denies me the summit. Oh well. I did finally see the Ka’au crater for myself, which was the primary reason I wanted to go on this hike.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:40 am
this is a good novice trail. great eye candy.
May 24th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I’ve hiked this trail for 20 years and it’s a favorite, but I would never take a novice on it. Although it starts with a downhill section, the remainder of the trail is up and down with increasing uphills. The final uphill section is quite a chore, even for experienced hikers. The view at the summit is spectacular and worth the work. Make sure you take lots of water, as well as hydrating before starting. Oh – and that downhill section at the beginning – well you’ll be wishing it was downhill on the way out. Average times are about 3-hours out and a bit less on the way back.
May 26th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Monday 5/25/09 hiked Lanipo with Mike Muench and Cheryl Loomis. Am pleased to report the trail is in excellent condition. The fern that scratch your legs (about 2/3 of the way in) is easily passable and will probably be so for a few more months before it needs another haircut. Started @ 8:10 am, reached summit @ 10:45 am and out at 12:45 pm. Mike and Cheryl were 40 minutes ahead of me. We didn’t see anyone on the trail until we were on the way out and then probably a dozen.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Going for Lanipo trail tomorrow if weather permits but would like any advice from the pro or just from the ones who have done it. I am not a pro hiker but have hiked koko head a few times, diamont head and other. tks.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
If all you’ve ever done has been Diamond Head and Koko Head, then I would not recommend that you try Lanipō just yet. Do a few shorter, easier trails first to work up to it. But in any case, here’s my advice for new hikers in Hawaiʻi:
1. At the trailhead, calculate how many hours you have until sunset and cut that time in half. That’s your turnaround time. Wherever you are at that time, turn around and head back down. Otherwise, you’ll run out of daylight before you get back to the trailhead.
2. Stay on the trail.
3. Bring at least 2 liters of water per person.
4. Tell someone where you’re going.
Good luck!
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Thank you so much. wish me luck. hahaha I’ll come back here to report my adventure but thank you so much. the pictures above are amazing. awesome awesome..
November 4th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
went today. There were 5 of us out there. we only left one behide who really couldn’t make it, but it was fun and yeah my legs are a little sore tonight but it was worth it. what a beautiful trail. I am so ready for my next one. lol
thanks for the hint I brought a ton of water and dunk all.