HAWAIIAN TRAIL & MOUNTAIN CLUB Annual Meeting - April 2, 2000

Minutes

Board of Directors Present: Grant Oka (presiding), Mike Algiers, Stuart Ball, John Hoover, Patrick Rorie, and Ralph Valentino. Additionally, 48 members were in attendance for a total of 54 people.

Meeting called to order: 2:15 PM

Minutes: Minutes of the last year's Annual Meeting were read and accepted.

This past year, the Board of Directors has continued to take care of routine club business. Our major financial costs are running and insuring the Clubhouse and printing and mailing the schedules. These costs have risen but do not necessitate raising membership dues. Committee Chairs and committee members have continued to contribute time and energy to the needs of the club. Many Committee Chairs are vacant and need volunteers.

Access to Oahu's trails continues to constrain our club's hiking and camping activities. Members' efforts in blazing new trails, finding alternate routes and alternate access to old trails has enhanced our inventory of hikes. Additionally, conservation projects by Bishop Estate, U.S. Army, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and DLNR have established new impediments to trail access. The conservation mentality equates hiking on existing trails with the spread of alien botanical species and the destruction of native botanical and biological species. HTMC does not agree with this but our reasoning has fallen on deaf ears.

Mahalo to those members who contribute their valuable time, money, donations and energy to protect, maintain and repair our beloved Clubhouse. Thank you to members who spend their Sundays working to clear the trails for the upcoming HTMC hikes. Thanks to those members who serve on the various committees and take care of routine Club business. The Club is blessed to have an abundance of members who volunteer to coordinate hikes every weekend. I wish to thank every hike coordinator for providing a safe and enjoyable hike for members and guests every weekend. HTMC is wonderfully unique because of you, the member hiker who loves our Hawaiian trails and mountains. Every weekend, the outings are enjoyable in every respect, regardless of the weather, because of you, the member. I find it extremely encouraging to see new members on hikes and especially refreshing to see new and current members taking the lead in club hikes and functions. The involvement of the membership is what keeps HTMC alive and thriving.

Mahalo nui loa to all volunteers and supporters of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club. We have been about hiking and good fellowship in the outdoors for the past 90 years. This year has been successful in the continuation of our history. Thank You to each and every one of you for being the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club.

Treasurer: John Hoover reported the Total Operating Expenditures for 1999 was $8,037.61 and the Total Operating Income was $13,570.61 yielding a net gain of $5,532.77.

Accountant: Marcia Stone presented the club's asset and capital balance.

Corresponding Secretary: Patrick Rorie reported that during 1999: 70 information packs, 79 hiking schedules, 18 applications, and 8 letters were sent out. Three e-mails were answered and $69.50 was taken in.

Recording Secretary: Jay Feldman by this report, indicates that all Board of Director's monthly minutes for 1999 and the 1998 annual minutes, plus their attachments, are currently on file at the clubhouse.

Membership: Justin Ohara by this report indicates that as of 12/31/99 there were 246 single, 63 family (x2 =126 members), 103 life time, and 2 associate members for a total of 477 members which is 19 more members than last year.

Trails: Steve Brown reported that during 1999 there were 50 Sunday and 22 Saturday hikes. Of these 21 were members only. Average attendance was 37 people, 22 of whom were members. Two campouts and four super hikes were conducted and five new trails were opened.

Trail Maintenance: Mabel Kekina reported that during 1999 the trail maintenance crew cleared sixty trails. There were a total of 68 people who helped during the year. Mabel named and thanked each one of them for their assistance.

Schedule Committee: Grant Oka reported that schedule meetings continue at Thelma Greig's house on the second Wednesday of each month.

Property Management: Alex Broadfoot reported on the maintenance and repairs to the clubhouse during 1999. He indicated that even though robbers on several occasions had removed valuables from the clubhouse, member donations had been sufficient to maintain a net gain.

Investments: Stuart Ball reported that the market value of our investment increased 16% during 1999.

Web Site: Jim Yuen reported that our web site had over 4,000 visitors this past year and that we currently list our hikes, hike schedules, newsletters, photos, and answer email from that site.

Na Ala Hele: John Hall reported that his focus at NAH has been to emphasize access to trails and to encourage dialog with the new Bishop Estate trustees, especially about re-opening closed trails.

Public Relations: Grant Oka reported that the PR Data Base was updated in 1999.

Newsletter: - No Report, Clubhouse: - No Report, Entertainment: - No Report, Librarian-Historian: - No Report, Conservation: - No Report, Da Kine Kokua: - No Report , Landscape: - No Report.

Grant Oka announced that 1999 was the last year of his and Stuart Ball's terms as club directors. He assured the membership that they both would remain very involved in the club's activities but that it was time for some 'fresh blood' to help guide our hiking and mountaineering. He proceeded to open the floor to nominations. Dayle Turner, Myra Dombrowski, Nathan Yuen and Jay Feldman were all nominated as new board members. Nathan and Jay declined and the nominations were closed. Dayle Turner and Myra Dombrowski were both acclaimed unanimously as the club's new directors to begin their service at the next board meeting scheduled for April 19, when the board will select their officers.

The clubhouse was tented for termites by Advance Termite and Pest Control, Inc. in March of 2000 for the total cost of $1,096. They did an excellent job for an excellent price.

Jack Telaneus recommended that the membership approve the clubhouse's phone be switched from pulse to tone. He said that though it would cost a few dollars more, that it would be well worth the cost. The suggestion was seconded and following open discussion approved unanimously by the membership. Grant will call GTE and have the change implemented. Dick Davis recalled that the decision was reached with much greater efficiency than the one made years ago when it was decided to switch the kitchen stove from kerosene to electricity.

1. Joyce Tomlinson announced that thanks to Grant's big Five-0 birthday, cake and ice cream was available for everyone after the meeting. Significant applause followed her announcement.

2. Nathan Yuen reminded everyone of the upcoming HTMC 90th Birthday Party and Kupuna Night to be held at the clubhouse on April 22 starting at 5pm.

3. Steve Brown gave his personal and sincere thanks to all trail coordinators who made the club and its continuing activities possible. He then handed out HTMC letters of appreciation to all of them present. Raucous cheers and applause ensued.

4. John Hoover suggested a special thanks and note of appreciation for the untiring efforts of our accountant, Marcia Stone, who keeps HTMC financially balanced. His suggestion was received with whoops and applause for a very low profile club officer who is one of our most precious gems.

5. Brandon Stone announced a botanical oriented hike to Wai'anae Kai next Saturday.

6. Mabel Kekina provided the new quarter's hiking schedules to hike coordinators.

7. Grant announced the passing of three members this past year: Chuck Godek and Randy Borges, two excellent, classic hikers; and Bob Hurlbut a generous and well liked member.

8. Dick Davis stood to thank Alex Broadfoot and the membership for their excellent rejuvenation of the clubhouse. He told us that many years ago the clubhouse had gotten so rundown that the membership had considered selling it. He was glad that idea was never consummated given the enjoyment the membership is getting from the clubhouse's improved condition. He also spoke of a hidden spring near the start of Castle trail, and a cabin that used to be located nearby. He said he was especially encouraged by the continued effort expended by motivated members to open new trails and keep those we have hiked for decades open and available to the hiking public. He was exceptionally pleased with the continued excellence reflected by the HTMC and its hiking membership.

9. John Hall moved that with Dick's commendation fresh in our minds that it was time for adjournment. Seconded and acclaimed.

Meeting Adjourned: 3:58 PM

[The publication of the Minutes of the monthly meeting of the HTMC Board of Directors, begun with the last issue, will be discontinued. ED]

On April 19, 2000, the HTMC Board of Directors met, with the first order of the meeting being the election of Board Members, and the reappointment of Club Officers, Committee Chairs, and Hike Coordinators.

Patrick Rorie was elected as HTMC's new president.

Dayle Turner was elected as new vice-president.

John Hoover was re-elected as the club Treasurer.

Marcia Stone was re-appointed as Accountant.

Patrick Rorie was re-appointed as Corresponding Secretary.

Jay Feldman was re-appointed as Recording Secretary.

New Committee Chair appointments are as follows:

Deetsie Chave as Library/Historian.

Grant Oka and Joyce Tomlinson as Investments Co-Chairs, to become effective in early July.

All former Committee Chairs were re-appointed, as were all former Hike Coordinators.

Patrick Rorie

The Opae'ula Watershed Project is a proposed 150-acre fence enclosure on the Ko'olau summit between the Pe'ahinai'a Trail and an unnamed ridge to the north, to be constructed by the Army on land leased from Bishop Estate. It will encroach upon the final half mile of Pe'ahinai'a and along the Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST) for 500 meters (approx .31 mile) above Kaluanui.

I received an invitation from Army environmentalists to walk the intended fence-line, and the visit took place Friday, Feb. 4th and Saturday, Feb. 5th. Originally, the environmentalists had me penciled in for a Thursday morning chopper ride with them, but in an effort to save as much vacation time as possible, I opted to take half a day off Friday and backpack to the area. Fred Boll and I met in Waikele at noon on the 4th and drove to the Poamoho Trailhead. A big mahalo to him for the ride. We found the road to Poamoho to be in excellent shape, having dried out since the rains earlier this year. I made final preparations for my trip as Fred turned his truck around and headed back to Mililani. At 1:10 p.m. I continued on foot enduring humid (unobstructed sun, sweltering heat) hazy conditions. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the hike of Poamoho wishing I had time to drop down to Poamoho stream for a refreshing dip.

A few words about the Poamoho Ridge Trail. It is the flagship and pride of the State DLNR, despite the fact that one must trespass on Castle & Cook land to get to the forest reserve boundary. Although it hasn't been cleared in a while by the State (prisoners), it is still relatively open, and is the shortest distance to the Ko'olau summit of all the central leeward Ko'olau trails. Furthermore, it contains a lovely campsite "nestled in a gulch on the leeward side of the summit ridge"*, is the opening leg of a magnificent super hike (Poamoho-KST-Schofield or Waikane), and its terminus is only half a mile from a new cabin. "The trail passes through some truly wild country and ends at a windy overlook with one of the best views on the island. The variety of native plants on the upper section is especially good. You can also see native birds, such as 'apapane and 'amakihi."**

At approx. 2:45 p.m. I reached the Cline Memorial (still devoid of its faceplate), and, shortly thereafter, climbed to the top of a hump on the summit ridge (elev. 2,520 ft) for a breather and to put on gators. Clouds off the windward pali obscured views in that direction, but I had decent visual clarity to leeward of the nearby pu'us (convoluted topography) and of the Wahiawa plain in the distance. Leaving Poamoho behind, I headed north along the KST at 3 p.m. bound for Pe'ahinai'a (lit. "beckon to the fish") and a rendezvous with Army environmentalists.

Along the way I noticed quite a bit of pig dung on the footpath, plenty of fresh hoof marks, but that the trail was not as muddy as when Gene Robinson, Roger Breton and I used it in late November of last year (not that the trail was mud free, far from it!). Further ahead, numerous crimson 'ohi'a lehua blossoms caught my attention, and I recognized fresh boot prints in the mud going in the opposite direction (I would find out later that the boot prints belonged to Joby Rohrer and Kapua Kawelo, two of the environmentalists, on a mission to find rare native flora in the Helemano drainage).

At 4:05 p.m. and completely fogged in, I arrived at the "windy grassy area covered with landing mats"* (an Army landing zone (LZ) 100 yards north of Pe'ahinai'a). Take a look at the map on page 107 in Ball's "Backpackers Guide". The dotted line heading west above map point K represents the Pe'ahinai'a Trail. The landing mats are between Pe'ahinai'a and map point J. Five Northface aqua-colored tents and a blue/yellow eureka hobbie tent sat atop the landing mats. The area is normally extremely windswept, but on this day almost still conditions prevailed, creating a quiet, eerie feel to it. No one was around, so I dropped my pack and set up my slumberjack bivy a few feet beyond the landing mats. With plenty of time remaining in the afternoon, I walked back to the Pe'ahinai'a/KST junction (elev. 2,763 ft) and then explored down Pe'ahinai'a. The final half mile is wide open passing through low level, mostly native vegetation.

During my descent of the trail I encountered one of the environmentalists (Matthew) and a volunteer (Gus) coming toward me. I introduced myself and explained my reason for being in the area. I concluded with the statement,

"I'm here to walk the fence line."

"You're standing right on it!" Matt responded.

Without thinking of the repercussions, I shot back. "What a bummer!"

Facial expressions usually don't lie, and I knew from Matt and Gus's reaction that I would not criticize the project again in their presence. Gus departed for the summit while Matt and I descended a short distance to the point where Pe'ahinai'a bends left before returning to its western course. He gave a spiel on what the Army is doing and the need for the fence.

"This region is so broad. Why can't the Army put the fence over there, off the trail?" I asked.

"Because we don't want to create another corridor through native plants."Matt replied.

From the distinct bend, the two of us backtracked to the junction with the Summit Trail. Matt pointed out a plot marked with PVC pipes used to test small amounts of various poisons to see if they could kill alien plants without harming native species. He also mentioned checking transects for pig damage, inspecting pig snares (a fun job <sarcasm>, especially if one discovers a rotting pua'a carcass), rat control, and native snail searches among other activities he and his colleagues engage in.

Before returning to base camp, Matt and I carefully climbed over a low hill to windward, where he showed me a rare native mint and a lobelia with leaves similar to cabbage. Remaining on the summit crest instead of dropping down to the KST, we reached the landing mats at dusk (6:30 p.m.) and greeted other Army biologists who arrived a short time later, including Vince Costello and Jordan Jokiel. Kevin, a U.H. grad student, also accompanied them. Last but certainly not least, Joby and Kapua entered the LZ, bringing the total number of campers to eight.

Dinner preparations commenced immediately within a circle of coolers, a propane lantern placed in the middle to illuminate the spot. The biologists joked amongst themselves similar to the way the HTM trail clearers do, minus the risque mouths, and we talked about the Danish women/Ohulehule debacle, the clearing of guava on the KST in Pupukea, and the Kawailoa Trail. I asked Vince, a hardy and experienced hiker, about Pe'ahinai'a, and he shared that it is best to start from the trailhead because the ridge splinters in the middle. That, along with the overgrowth, make it tough to tell if one is on the correct ridge if traveling toward Brian's mountain house from the summit (Vince has never completed the entire hike). According to Kapua, the environmentalists have been dropped by helicopter somewhere in the middle ofthe ungraded ridge trail where they established a campsite, but she emphasized that it is undesirable to clear Pe'ahinai'a, lest pigs use the footpath to reach the summit and inflict further damage to the territory.

Joby and Kapua gave a report of their findings in the Helemano drainage; specifically, the discovery (and marking) of some rare native flora, inviting pools, and nice waterfalls. Joby shared other miscellaneous information: the Army environmentalists make quarterly visits to the region; the fence will stay on the Ko'olau summit ridge whenever the KST winds in and out of gullies (the fence will not always be on the KST); the fence enclosure near the Castle/KST junction surrounds the only known mature bog on O'ahu (the Ka'ala bog is considered immature - perhaps Kost, Ken or Brandon can explain the difference) and contains several rare native species; the company selected to install the fence will begin this summer; Bishop Estate and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are footing the majority of the bill for the project with the State DLNR paying for supplies and the Army clearing and marking the fence route.

Friday night was one of the finest evenings I've ever experienced on the Ko'olau Summit. At 8:56 p.m. the sky became completely clear with only an occasional slight breeze present (often calm, quiet), a chill in the air. As a result, the group enjoyed excellent star gazing, featuring the Pleiades, Orion, Gemini to name a few. Later, the Big Dipper could be seen to thenortheast. Exhausted from a hard day of labor, the biologists retired for the evening inside their tents. Meanwhile, I hiked to the Pe'ahinai'a/KST junction to check out the views to leeward and identified the silhouette of a prominent ridge to the south and, in the distance, the city lights along the south shore. After getting my visual fill from that location, I ventured to the edge of the sheer windward pali fronting the LZ and could make out the silhouette of Mount Ohulehule with the Kaneohe city lights in the background! But the best thing about the view of the windward side was what I couldn't recognize. As I gazed down upon undeveloped Punalu'u, Kahana and Waikane valleys, I could see nothing but darkness - like the ancient Hawaiians long ago! Having only tramped a mere 5 miles to get to the campsite, I did not feel inclined to sleep, so I gained pleasure from my surroundings until midnight.

Saturday, February 5th, startled by the sounds of the environmentalists stirring about the campsite, I awoke at 7 a.m. and emerged from my canvass covering to a beautiful, crystal clear morning. Although no rain had fallen overnight, a heavy due accumulated on my slumberjack bivy. Going at an unhurried pace, we broke down our tents and packed up for the return to civilization, scheduled for the early afternoon. At 9 a.m., the sun shining brightly on the LZ, Joby, Gus and I headed north on the KST at a botanical pace to study plants, look for snails on marked trees, and walk the proposed fence-line marked by orange ribbon. Native holly, kopiko, kolea lau li'i (have small leaves and are abundant in the Ko'olau), 'akia (used as fish poison by ancient Hawaiians), ha'iwale (African violet family and very rare), ho'awa, mokehana were a few of the lesser known native flora we noticed on the way to the fence enclosure near the Castle/KST junction. The lapalapa trees "quaked", even at the slightest breeze, and 'apapane sang, much to our delight. Joby explained that the pigs love to eat hapu'u ferns and rototill in the soil, allowing teraleapus to gain a foothold. He brought to our attention the fact that plenty of mature loulu palms are visible but few if any babies exist because rats eat loulu seeds and pigs enjoy living around the base of the trees.

Regarding the fence, Joby mentioned that it will not encroach upon the KST until the Kaluanui region. However, prior to that area, it will pass close to the top of a waterfall notch to windward of a windswept grassy area. Corners are more difficult and costlier to construct, thus a straight path is always desireable. It is also difficult and more expensive to fence over drainages. To the west, the fence will cross two drainages but in order to save money and make the job easier for the fencers, the KST will be used instead of crossing drainages in Kaluanui. Furthermore, to use another corridor other than the KST would involve creating a 4-foot gap of disturbance through native vegetation (old ohi'a papa trees would be badly damaged or destroyed) because a skirt is needed to keep the pigs from digging under the fence. 500 meters is a small piece of the total fence length.

The KST separates Bishop Estate land and Kaluanui (State land), and while traveling this section my heart sank every time I spotted an orange ribbon tied to a tree limb near the trail. The three of us reached the place where the intended fence-line departs the Summit Trail and heads west at 11:38a.m. I recognized the mature bog enclosure not far away, visible to the north, and suggested we go have a look. En route to the bog, Joby pointed out a healthy group of lobelia gaudichaudii, normally found on the windswept windward pali.

After arriving at the enclosure (330 meters in length surrounding 4 acres, two years old in the summer of 2000), Joby, Gus and I walked slowly around it, inspecting flora inside the fence. The majority of the plants are low to the ground, including lehua makanoi (creeping 'ohi'a - easily identified by their crimson flowers), the cabbage leaf lobelia, ko'oko'olau, and native bunch-grasses. Three endangered, and a total of 100 species live within the enclosure. We agreed that a sign should be mounted on the enclosure informing the public of its purpose, and I made a point with Joby that the structure protects the bog while not encroaching upon the KST--a win-win scenario I wish the new fence would also achieve. The statement was well taken.

The three of us sat down to consume lunch following the examination, and Joby radioed the pilot of a Hughes 500 helicopter (like the one in "MagnumP.I.") to come pick us up. He then gave Gus and I instructions on what to do when the chopper landed. Talk about a joy ride! "Yee ha!" I thought to myself with a big smile on my face as the pilot whisked us away! I'm not a proponent of helicopters, especially those that are so annoying above the Na Pali Coast, but I had fun, and experienced a different perspective of the convoluted topography (the streamlets, ridges and low hills) from above. The pilot dropped us off at the LZ, but I had mixed emotions about flying out with the biologists. On the one hand, I looked forward to riding in the helicopter again, but the sunlight shining on the verdant slopes of Piei, Ohulehule and the massive ridge containing Turnover made them sparkle! I could have spent the rest of the afternoon and another night up there, no problem!

Unfortunately, and all too soon, the chopper returned and transported Joby, Gus and I to a clearing near Bryan's mountain house. Between 2:45 and 3:15p.m. the pilot retrieved our gear and the other environmentalists, and by 3:30 p.m. we had piled into two 4x4 vehicles and were traveling on the Pa'ala'a Uka Pupukea Road bound for the Helemano Military Reservation. At 4:08 p.m. we pulled into the base yard near the entrance to Wheeler AAF in Wahiawa and began the gear cleanup process.

During the hosing down procedure, Kapua shared that she and those with her had found a total of 27 native tree snails throughout the day on an unnamed leeward Ko'olau Ridge. Eat your heart out Nathan Yuen! :-) Late in the afternoon, Joby and Kapua dropped me off in the parking lot of my condo complex in Waikele. Before bidding them farewell, I appealed to them one final time to consider sparing the Ko'olau Summit Trail from fencing.

Notes: Kapua Kawelo, Joby Rohrer, Matthew ?, Vince Costello, and Jordan Jokiel are among the hardest-working and most knowledgeable biologists on O'ahu. They have a real passion for preserving O'ahu's native rain forest. A big mahalo to them for allowing me to visit the Opae'ula Watershed Project. However, the Army has already messed up/ruined two superb hiking trails on O'ahu (Makua Rim and Ohikilolo Ridge) and now the Ko'olau Summit Trail is in danger. They view the existing trails bordering the Opae'ula Watershed Project (the KST and Pe'ahinai'a) as pig freeways, and desire to see them enclosed or clogged with a fence. The Opae'ula Watershed Project is a good and necessary endeavor. Nevertheless, the Ko'olau summit ridge is very broad in the region proposed for the project; therefore, it is feasible to locate the fence 20 feet or more to windward of the Ko'olau Summit Trail. It is true that native flora will be damaged or destroyed if a new corridor is established, but the Summit Trail must not be compromised - it is a historic trail built in the 1930's by the CCC with government funds for the public's enjoyment. Incredible human effort went into constructing the graded contour footpath.

I'm afraid the Opae'ula Watershed Project is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of fencing in the Central Ko'olau Range. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is in the process of acquiring the land between Kipapa and Schofield-Waikane for designation as a wildlife refuge, which almost certainly means more fencing. If the same strategy of fencing is used in that region (stay on the summit ridge when the Ko'olau Summit Trail winds in and out of gullies) then special places like the summit of Ka'aumakua and the terminus of the Kipapa Ridge Trail will be fenced. Randy Kennedy, HTM member and head of the State DLNR Natural Area Reserve System, has assured me that there will not be a lot of fencing in the Central Ko'olau. Perhaps not a lot, but certainly a significant amount. A vocal opponent of the proposed fencing of the KST, Keith Palmer (HTM member and conservation chair of the Sierra Club O'ahu Chapter) was originally scheduled to walk the intended fence-line with me, but a day or two beforehand, the Army sent the Sierra Club's Honolulu office a letter instructing Keith not to come. Finally, an overnight trip to the Ko'olau summit from Brian's mountain house via the Pe'ahinai'a Trail represents the ultimate hiking adventure on O'ahu. Gene? Dayle? Peter? Mark (Short)? Anytime you're ready!

REFERENCES * Ball, Stuart M., Jr. THE BACKPACKERS GUIDE TO HAWAI'I, University of Hawaii Press, 1996 and .** Ball, Stuart M., Jr., THE HIKERS GUIDE TO O'AHU, University OfHawaii Press, 1993.

ALONG THE TRAIL is a quarterly publication of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club designed to inform the membership of club activities and matters of interest to the hiking community. HTMC members and any other interested parties are welcome to submit articles to ALONG THE TRAIL. Submissions must be received by the 5th day of March, June, September, and December in order to appear in the newsletter published for the quarter, and may be sent in any of the following ways (email preferred):

E-Mailrichard27@prodigy.net
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FAX: 293-2603

Phone: 293-2554

Mail: Richard McMahon

57-531 Kamehameha Hwy

Kahuku, HI 96731