Along the Trail
The Hawaiian Trail & Mountain Club Newsletter
January - March 2004
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*RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2004!*
***DUES ARE DUE***Single annual dues are $20, family dues are $30, and for $400, you can be a life-time member. Please make your checks payable to HTMC and mail to HTMC, PO Box 2238, Honolulu, HI 96804.
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IMPORTANT NOTICE - ANNUAL MEETINGThe Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club Annual Meeting for the year 2004 will be held on April 18th, the THIRD Sunday in April. Meeting time will be 1PM at the Waimanalo Clubhouse. This will be a very important meeting. Elections will be held, the future of the clubhouse will be discussed, and bylaw changes will be voted on. Please plan to attend.
CONTENTION OVER HAIKU STAIRS THREATENS ISLAND-WIDE TRAIL ACCESS
Editor[Many Residents of the community at the base of the Haiku Stairs are asking the city council to end plans to establish parking anywhere in Haiku Valley for hikers accessing the stairs. If this movement is successful, it will set a dangerous precedent, which could affect access to other Oahu trails. Many public trails are conveniently accessible only by parking in neighboring communities. If the Haiku residents get their way, other folks would have a strong case for asking that hikers be restricted from their areas also.
Elsewhere in this newsletter is an article which addresses the current problem and gives a brief history of the stairs. If you agree that the stairs should be opened to hiking and preserved as a unique outdoor asset, PLEASE CONSIDER CALLING, WRITING, OR EMAILING YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE YOUR VIEWS KNOWN.]
CLUB MEMBER SUMMITS MOUNT BAKER AND MOUNT RANIER
EditorHTMC life member Clement Aleka-Gorai reports that he climbed both Mount Baker and Mount Rainier during a two-week period earlier this summer. He cited perfect conditions for both climbs, "nights so clear it was like viewing stars in a planetarium, and days warm and sunny, with sea-level temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees." After summiting 10,778-foot Mount Baker on June 6, he tackled the much higher Rainier (14,410 feet), accomplishing the feat in four days.
"We began the climb at the White River parking lot (4,400 ft), and hiked up the Glacier Basin Trail for 3.2 miles, camping the first night at Interglacier (7,000 ft). The next day we continued upward along the Interglacier Trail, stopping at Camp Schurman, (9,500 ft). Starting at 1:30am the following morning, climbing via the Emmons Glacier route, we reached the Columbia Crest, the highest point on Rainier, at 8:43am. It was a great feeling to be standing on the roof of Washington state, where we enjoyed the view and the wonderful weather before returning to Camp Schurman and the descent the next day."For those who would like more information about the climb, Clement does not have email, but his address is 45-372 Mahalani Street, Kaneohe, HI 96744, and his phone number is 247-5743.
HTMC HIKES KIPAPA TRAIL
Richard McMahonHigh in the Koolau Mountains east of Mililani the Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge is the newest sanctuary to join the national wildlife refuge system. Running through the refuge, and providing its major access, is the Kipapa Trail. Built by the CCC in the 1930s, the trail was hiked regularly in past years by outdoor organizations and hunters. At present, however, the OFNWR is not open to the public, and the Kipapa Trail is no longer open to public hiking. However, in exchange for clearing more than six miles of the trail, refuge officials allowed 40 members of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club to hike the trail on October 19th.
Gathering near the Costco Waipio store, and led by refuge representative Keahialaka ("Rooster") Balaz, the "fortunate forty" climbed into five 4WD trucks and proceeded to make their way along dirt roads through farmland and two private ranches, before reaching the trailhead. Here the group disembarked, and after a short briefing, were on their way. For about a mile or so, the route continues as a very rough, root-crossed Jeep track, but then turns into a foot trail as it enters the bounds of the refuge.
The OFNWR was established to "protect and recover endangered, threatened, and other rare wildlife, and to protect native biodiversity." Inhabiting the refuge are fifteen endangered plant species, four species of tree snails, and rare native birds, including the Oahu elepaio, i'iwi, pueo, and several native honeycreepers. Enemies of these fragile denizens are pigs, which root up the forest, destroying plants and providing breeding puddles for mosquitoes bearing avian malaria, rats, which prey upon tree snails, birds and their eggs, and non-native plants, which crowd out natives as they compete for space and light.
Although six miles long one way, the Kipapa Trail is one of the easiest approaches to the Koolau summit. Unlike many of the grueling, up-and- down routes of other trails to the top of the Koolau, Kipapa is a gradual, consistent upward climb, never strenuous and always spectacular. As the trail rises through the forest, alien plants begin to dwindle and more native flora appear. Small groves of loulu palms are scattered along the slopes of the ridges, and ohia, koa, alani, and ohe, are all well represented.
After joining the Koolau Summit Trail, Kipapa finally tops out at 2,786 feet, with a stunning view over Oahu's windward coast. All of Kaneohe Bay spreads out directly below, with unique views of Moli'i and Apua Fishponds and Mokoli'i Island (Chinaman's Hat). The overall panorama extends from Kahana Bay all the way to Makapu'u Point. It is one of the finest scenic views on the island, and the visibility on this day was perfect.
Following a leisurely lunch, it was time to begin the six-mile return to the trailhead. The gradual descent offered the opportunity to enjoy sweeping vistas of Pearl Harbor and the Waianae Range.
Although, as previously mentioned, the OFNWR is not open to the public, the refuge management does allow volunteer service trips into the forest to maintain the Kipapa Trail and to remove invasive weeds. It seems reasonable, that in exchange for trail clearing and weed removal, the refuge could allow periodic hiking on the trail by responsible organizations, such as the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club and the Sierra Club. No damage to the refuge was caused by the trip described above, which could serve as a guide for future access.
If you are interested in volunteering for service in the refuge, or in allowing restricted access to the trail as described above, you may want to write to:
Oahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex
US Fish and Wildlife Service
66-590 Kamehameha Hwy, Room 2C
Haleiwa, HI 96712 Phone: 637-6330
CONTENTION OVER HAIKU STAIRS
EditorResidents of Haiku Village are up in arms over what they consider an invasion of their community by trespassing hikers climbing the Haiku Stairs before they are officially opened to the public. At a community meeting at Windward Community College on August 20, city and state officials heard residents of the Hokulele subdivision complain that hikers have descended on the area on weekends, "trashed the neighborhood, sworn at residents, and walked through people's yards" attempting to reach the still closed attraction. One member of the community presented a videotape of hikers climbing over No Trespassing signs and showed one of them actually "mooning" the person taking the video.
Originally commissioned as a naval radio transmission station in 1943, the Haiku Radio Station served in that capacity until 1958, when it became an OMEGA radio navigation station. In order to build, and then later maintain the huge OMEGA antennae stretched across the valley, and its associated structures on the ridge, a wooden ladder, and then later a metal stairway was constructed from the base of Haiku Valley to the summit of Puu Keahi a Kahoe, 2,800 feet high. With the transfer of the OMEGA mission, the Coast Guard took over the station in 1972.
Under Coast Guard management, hikers were allowed to use the stairs by permit, and after a 1981 episode of Magnum, P. I. featured a chase scene on the stairs, interest in the attraction exploded. Coast Guard records show that up to 20,000 persons were climbing the stairs annually. Then in June 1987 vandals decoupled three sections of the stairs, sending them crashing to the valley below, and the Coast Guard closed the stairway to public use. But the official closure and the damage did not stop use of the stairs. Clandestine climbers strung fixed ropes between the missing sections, and hikers sneaked through fence holes and around barriers, resulting in sporadic citations and apprehensions
When the OMEGA station closed in 1999, the federal government surrendered jurisdiction over the valley to city and state entities, and use of the stairs once more boomed, although without official approval. Convinced by outdoor enthusiasts and organizations, such as the Sierra Club, the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, and the newly formed Friends of the Haiku Stairs, the City and County of Honolulu decided to repair the stairs and open them to the public. A contract was let, and at a cost of $875,000 the 3,922 stairs were made structurally safe.
Temporary access to the stairs was arranged through the grounds of Hope Chapel, where parking would also be provided in its spacious lot. Official opening was set for October 2002, but was delayed when a Circuit Court decision found the state negligent in the fatal 1999 rock slide at Sacred Falls, primarily due to poor signage. As city lawyers studied the issue, hikers, egged on by all the publicity and impatient with the delays, began accessing the stairs through the small Hokulele neighborhood, creating the present tensions.
The Haiku Stairs are a unique outdoor asset. Nowhere else in the world is there a ladder-way of 3,922 steps soaring into the sky, scaling a nearly vertical cliff and ending at a spectacular overlook 2,800 feet above beautiful mountain and coastal scenery. The closest example would be the klettersteigen and via ferrate of the Alps, but these are for experienced climbers, and are located deep within the mountains, far from populated areas. The Haiku Stairs, on the outskirts of Kaneohe, are easily accessible to Oahu residents and tourists, and provide a safe, thrilling adventure for sure- footed individuals not bothered by fear of heights
Based upon the number of users over the years, both legal and illegal, it is clear that the Stairs will draw large numbers of residents and visitors, and will generate considerable income if user fees are charged. The concerns of residents of the local area can easily be put to rest if access and parking at Hope Chapel can be re-examined. The chapel's ample grounds are well removed from the surrounding neighborhood, and hikers will proceed from the parking area along the maintenance road paralleling the H3 viaduct directly to the stairs. At no time will they need to enter any of the neighborhoods along the way. To insure that this remains the case, fencing between the maintenance road and Haiku Village (mauka of Puone Place) must be repaired, as must fencing mauka of the former Omega station itself. Funds could come from user fees.
Residents of the area, especially in the Hokulele subdivision, have good reason to complain about the past actions of some thoughtless and inconsiderate persons disturbing their neighborhoods to access the stairs. However, closing the stairs permanently, as some of them have advocated, will result in the loss of a priceless outdoor asset which will continue to be enjoyed by Hawaii residents and visitors for generations to come. The organizations mentioned above are working to eliminate trespassing in Haiku Village and trespassing on the stairs themselves until they are officially opened.
All concerned, city and state officials, landowners, residents, and outdoor organizations have an obligation to work together to insure that this marvelous resource is not lost. Just as we must find a way to reopen Sacred Falls, we must find a way to open the Haiku Stairs. In the meantime, if you are a hiker, please do not trespass on the stairs during this critical period.
If you would like to help insure that the Haiku Stairs are opened and preserved as a valuable outdoor resource, you may wish to join the non profit Friends of the Haiku Stairs, PO Box 4715, Kaneohe, HI 96744. Check their website at www.friendsofhaikustairs.org
CLUB HOUSE OPINION POLL RESULTS
Jay FeldmanThe fourth quarter newsletter was accompanied by an Opinion Poll meant to inform and ask, among other things, if a majority of members favored renovating or replacing the HTMC clubhouse. Here are the results:
One hundred and fourteen Opinion Polls were returned from 500 members by the cutoff date (12/01); that's almost a 23% return. By combining the numbers for "Strongly Agree and Agree" and "Disagree and Strongly Disagree" percentages for agreement and disagreement were determined. For example, 101 responses indicated disagreement with selling the clubhouse and property (#4); that is 89% of the returned 114 Opinion Polls. Everyone did not respond to every question.
Summary of responses to questions 1-5:
Responses were almost two to one in favor of tearing down the existing clubhouse, replacing it with a new one. Almost everyone was opposed to selling the clubhouse and property, and three-quarters were opposed to a pavilion style replacement clubhouse.Percentages for questions 1-5:
89% disagreed with selling the clubhouse and property, while 4% thought we should sell. 78% were opposed to doing nothing, neither replacing nor renovating the clubhouse, while 13% said we should take no action.73% opposed building a pavilion style clubhouse, while 16% liked the idea of a pavilion. 61% agreed that we should tear down and replace the clubhouse, while 29% did not want to tear it down. 32% thought we should renovate the clubhouse rather than replace it, while 59% disagreed with renovation.
Here are the specific results for questions 1-5:
1. The Club should do a major "renovation" on the existing clubhouse.
Strongly Agree = 15
Agree = 21
No Opinion = 10
Disagree = 39
Strongly Disagree = 28
Total Responses = 1132. The Club should tear down the existing clubhouse and replace it witha new one.
Strongly Agree = 34
Agree = 36
No Opinion = 10
Disagree = 14
Strongly Disagree = 19
Total Responses = 1133. The Club should not take any action and just continue current repair and maintenance on the existing clubhouse.
Strongly Agree = 3
Agree = 12
No Opinion = 6
Disagree = 50
Strongly Disagree = 39
Total Responses = 1104. The Club should sell the clubhouse and property and use the income for other purposes (indicate below):
Strongly Agree = 3
Agree = 2
No Opinion = 7
Disagree = 23
Strongly Disagree = 78
Total Responses = 1135. If the clubhouse is torn down its replacement should be a simple lockable pavilion similar to those built by the city for the canoe clubs, with no resident or facilities for overnight stays.
Strongly Agree = 5
Agree = 13
No Opinion = 10
Disagree = 39
Strongly Disagree = 44
Total Responses = 111Question #6 did not ask for a specific response and most people circled one or more of the choices; some people numbered them in order of importance. All responses were treated the same ("security" was only counted once though mentioned twice) with the following results:
6. In either renovation or replacement what should be emphasized? For example: energy conservation, appearance, security, comfort, meeting facility equipment, kitchen appliances, security.
Security = 73
Meeting Facility = 63
Energy Conservation = 48
Comfort = 47
Appearance = 36
Kitchen = 37Summary of responses to questions 7-11: Three-fourths of the responses agreed with renovating the Hau Tree arbor and
continuing a live-in resident. Almost three-fourths agreed with replacing the tall palms. Over half the responding members agreed to assist with either replacing or renovating the clubhouse.Specific results for questions 7 - 11:
7. I personally would assist with either the replacement or renovation of the clubhouse.
Strongly Agree = 19
Agree = 41
No Opinion = 23
Disagree = 18
Strongly Disagree = 5
Total Responses = 1068. Regardless of the course of action taken, the renovated or new clubhouse should have (a) live-in resident(s) and provide overnight accommodations for club members.
Strongly Agree = 45
Agree = 39
No Opinion = 11
Disagree = 13
Strongly Disagree = 3
Total Responses = 1119. Regardless of the course of action taken, the clubhouse should provide ramp access and bathrooms accessible to handicapped individuals.
Strongly Agree = 30
Agree = 39
No Opinion = 14
Disagree = 17
Strongly Disagree = 8
Total Responses = 10810. The tall coconut palms on the property are now very old (over 60 years), potentially dangerous, and costly to trim. It would be wise to replace them with low-growing palms or other low maintenance trees.
Strongly Agree = 39
Agree = 42
No Opinion = 12
Disagree = 13
Strongly Disagree = 7
Total Responses = 11311. The Hau Tree Arbor should be renovated (which might include: protection from rain, improved lighting, new tables and chairs, etc.).
Strongly Agree = 32
Agree = 57
No Opinion = 20
Disagree = 1
Strongly Disagree = 2
Total Responses = 112Question #12 asked for comments, ideas and suggestions. Members offered many, here is a representative sample: Let the palms go gradually, cut only the dangerous ones, replace with fruit trees or low growing palms. Have only one live-in resident perhaps with spouse or partner, don't allow sleep overs. Have an additional toilet in the lady's room, have a first aid room, lockers for gear, handicap access on first floor only, more bathrooms, need storage and workshop, build an imu, deck all around the second floor, equip for multimedia presentations. Replace with island style beach house, keep old historic building style, rustic in appearance and feel, keep character of current clubhouse, keep it funky not too fancy. Use durable materials, low maintenance should be a requirement, solar water heater, structural integrity paramount, concrete construction, fire resistant. Build off island, build in more remote part of Oahu, keep old building until a new one is finished. Add a hot tub.
[Caveat: Although there were no hanging chads, tabulation errors may have occurred. If so, it is doubtful they would alter the reported percentages by more than 1 or 2%.]
KOOLAU SUMMIT TRAIL HISTORY
Stuart Ball[This is the last installment of Stuart's series]
Summit Trail Hiking (1975-2001)
The two new cabins significantly increased Summit Trail use by hunters and hikers. On 11-13 October 1975 Richard (Dick) Booth led a Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club (HTMC) campout to Poamoho cabin. The club organized another backpacking trip to Poamoho on 28-30 May 1977. Booth's son, Philip led the trip and the hike to Castle Trail on the layover day.
For Memorial Day weekend 1976 HTMC scheduled a double traverse of the summit. Simon Sanidad led a group up the Lâ`ie Trail, along the Ko`olau Summit and down the Poamoho Trail with overnights at both cabins. A second contingent, including Jim Yuen and Beverly Haylett hiked the reverse route. The two groups exchanged greetings and car keys as they passed each other on the second day.
On 22 January 1978 seventy-six friends and relatives of Geraldine Cline hiked up the Poamoho Trail toward the summit. Each carried a small lava rock to build a memorial to Cline, an enthusiastic, dedicated HTMC and Sierra Club member, who had died in a car accident in 1975. Two weeks later ten people erected a rock obelisk at the windswept junction of the Poamoho and Summit Trails, one of Cline's favorite spots. Affixed to the monument was a plaque, listing mileages north and south to the connector trails.
Over eighty people attended the dedication of the Geraldine Cline Memorial on 9 April 1978, a typical windy, rainy day at the summit. Silver Piliwale gave the blessing in Hawaiian and in English. Participants draped leis on the monument and then trudged back down the Poamoho Trail.
In April 1979 Silver Piliwale, now 78 years old, attempted to repeat his summit hike of six years before. He and Jo Anne Brown started from Pûpûkea and spent the first two nights at the Kahuku and Poamoho cabins. Past Kîpapa junction the going was very slow because of rough terrain and afternoon fogs. The two, exhausted, out of water, and a day late came down the Aiea Ridge Trail instead of Moanalua Valley, as planned.
Brown, an experienced hiker, later recollected that she did not realize what she was in for when agreeing to join Piliwale. Despite the hardships she had pleasant memories of the trip: dining on steak the first night out; playing her nose flute in the evening; watching down feathers from Silver's old sleeping bag drift into their morning tea.
In July 1979 the Department of Land and Natural Resources came out with a new, glossy O`ahu recreation map. It described only 29 trails, compared with 90 in the 1968 map. Forestry had delisted the Ko`olau Summit Trail and about 60 others because of access problems and liability concerns.
After a 7-year hiatus, HTMC scheduled a Summit Trail backpack on Memorial Day weekend (26-28 May) 1984. Led by Stuart Ball, the trip attracted eight others, including Jo Anne Brown, the only one with previous summit experience. Off to a late start from Pûpûkea, the group struggled through narrow guava corridors and waist-high uluhe ferns. Past Lâ`ie junction descending clouds brought heavy fog and light rain. The stragglers finally reached Kahuku cabin well after dark. The group spent a wet, sleepless night as part of the cabin roof and floor were missing.
The next morning three people, hurting and ill-equipped left down the Lâ`ie Trail. The remaining six continued along the summit and reached Poamoho cabin in the late afternoon. The route was muddy and overgrown, but the spectacular views more than made up for the constant slogging.
On the last morning the group hiked together to Schofield-Waikâne junction under clear skies. Here four members took the Army trail down to Wahiawa. Ball and Paul Strona decided to continue along the summit and exit via the Kîpapa Trail. Past Waikâne junction the clouds lowered, and visibility dropped to near zero. The two pushed blindly on, losing the trail several times in the heavy undergrowth. About an hour before sunset Ball and Strona, tired, wet, but happy, reached an abandoned Naval communications site (now Waiawa prison) and a ride home.
Ball returned to the Summit Trail twice in 1989. The first trip again took place over Memorial Day weekend (27-29 May) with Chuck Godek, Carole Moon, and Jason Sunada. Starting from Pûpûkea, the group camped at Lâ`ie Trail junction, Poamoho, and then came down the Schofield-Waikâne Trail. The trip featured a treacherous crossing of a fresh landslide near Poamoho and an incredibly windy, rainy night spent near the Cline Memorial.
On 19-21 August, Ball, Moon, and Sunada completed the Summit Trail section left unfinished in May. The group hiked to the back of Kahana Valley and then followed the Waiahole Ditch Trail to Waikâne saddle. The next day the three climbed to the Summit Trail in the mist and camped near the collapsed cabin with the rolls of rusted barbed wire. Past Pu`u Ka`aumakua the group had run into Godek and Albert Miller up for a day hike along the summit. The last day the three descended the Kîpapa Trail to Mililani Memorial Park where Godek picked them up.
For Memorial Day weekend (28-30 May) 1994 the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club (HTMC) scheduled another Ko`olau Summit backpack, the trip with a skill level of "masochist". Stuart Ball led nine intrepid club members up the Lâ`ie Trail, along the summit, and down the Poamoho Trail. On the first day the group hiked through a heavy rainstorm to reach the campsite by the helipad at the top of the Kawailoa Trail. The next morning the group moved out slowly under low clouds. Summit veteran Kost Pankiwskyj botanized briefly with Ken Suzuki, and then took the lead. The route was wet, rough, and overgrown; hikers fell off the trail or skidded into mud holes. Ball stopped at the Castle Trail junction to wait for stragglers and ended up camping there with Carole Moon and Deborah Uchida. Low on water, he spooned two quarts from the footprints of the lead group, which he hoped was at the Poamoho campsite by then.
The last morning under clear skies, the three continued along the Summit Trail to an enthusiastic welcome from the forward contingent waiting near the Cline Memorial. Given the hour, the reunited group elected to descend the Poamoho Trail, rather than the Schofield-Waikâne Trail as planned. Near the trailhead, HTMC trail maintenance boss Mabel Kekina met the tired summit hikers with drinks and snacks.
On 23-25 May 1998 HTMC member Patrick Rorie and Gene Robinson attempted to repeat Silver Piliwale's summit trek of 25 years ago. On a lovely trade wind morning the two quickly climbed the Lâ`ie Trail and began slogging south along the summit toward Poamoho Trail junction. In the afternoon under heavy clouds, Rorie and Robinson passed the neatly stacked remains of the Kahuku cabin, a victim of vandals and the elements. In the early evening the two reached the streamside Poamoho campsite and a welcome cache of food and water. Without sleeping bags both spent a cold, restless night as intermittent wind and rain pummeled their tents.
The next morning found Rorie and Robinson reveling in the panoramic windward views as they proceeded along the flank of Pu`u Pauao. Just after starting, they had passed the site of the Poamoho cabin, dismantled by Forestry Division because of deterioration. At the top of Pu`u Ka`amakua several friends joined them for lunch, bringing fresh oranges and needed supplies. The group happily toasted Piliwale and his achievements with red wine in plastic glasses. However, the euphoria did not last long. In the afternoon clouds engulfed the summit, and the "trail from hell" to Kîpapa junction was often overgrown, washed out, and hard to follow. As night fell, the two made a hurried camp on the Kîpapa Trail by the small stream below the summit.
On the third day Rorie and Robinson negotiated the narrow, roller coaster summit route from Kîpapa to Waimano junctions mostly in dense fog. After losing the trail briefly, they reached Waimano in the late afternoon. Here Robinson decided enough was enough and left down the Waimano Trail. Using his headlamp, he hiked several hours in the dark and reached home safely that night. On the way down, Robinson passed several friends hiking up to spend the night at the top of the Waimano Trail with the two. Having decided not to continue to Moanalua Valley, Rorie reluctantly headed down the Waimano Trail with his friends the next morning.
In November 1998 U.S. Army Environmental Division erected an exclosure fence leeward of the Summit Trail north of the Pe`ahinâi`a Trail junction. Enclosing about 7/8 acre, the fence protects the only true montane bog on O`ahu from damage by wild pigs. Sponsoring the project were Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (the landowner) and U.S. Army (the lessee). Biologists Joby Rohrer and Kapua Kawelo led the effort for Army Environmental.
In 1999 HTMC continued the tradition, begun in 1984, of conducting a summit backpack once every five years. The dates scheduled for this trip were 30 July to 1 August with Patrick Rorie and Dayle Turner as co-leaders. Signing up were ten other members, a good mix of summit veterans and neophytes. On the first day the group started early from the end of Pûpûkea Road under partly cloudy skies. Although a portion of the route had been recently cleared, the hikers still had to deal with the summit mud all the way to their camp at Kawailoa Trail junction. Here several members pitched their tents on the site of the Kawailoa cabin to windward of the helipad.
The next morning a light fog gradually dissipated, promising a fine day for summit hiking. On the trail early, the group quickly strung out with Turner near the front and Rorie bringing up the rear. The two leaders communicated hourly, using walkie-talkies to monitor the group's progress. After a muddy, but satisfying day, the last contingent reached the Cline Memorial in the early evening. About half the group camped by the small stream just down the Poamoho Trail, while the others opted for the new Poamoho cabin, recently built by Forestry Divison.
On the final day the group enjoyed continued fine weather for the spectacular windward stretch beyond Poamoho. Leaving the summit as planned, the hikers turned down the Schofield-Waikâne Trail and headed for home. In the early evening the hot and tired rear echelon emerged onto California Avenue, Wahiawâ to warm greetings and cold drinks.
On 25-26 November 1999 Patrick Rorie, Gene Robinson and Roger Breton again tried to duplicate Piliwale's 1973 summit trek from Pûpûkea to Moanalua Valley. Gale-force wind and winter rain plagued this second attempt right from the start. On the first day the three managed to reach Castle Trail junction despite the poor hiking conditions. On the next day Robinson left down the Poamoho Trail, and Rorie and Breton exited down the Waikâne Trail.
For Memorial Day weekend (27-29 May) 2000 HTMC again scheduled a summit backpack for those members who had been unable to make the trip the previous year. Leading the group of nine was Dayle Turner assisted by Thomas Yoza. Because of an extended drought the Summit Trail was relatively dry, allowing steady progress from Pûpûkea Road to Kawailoa Trail junction. Here the group camped at the cabin site and managed to find water in a small windward ravine nearby. In the late afternoon the wind picked up, flapping tents and making sleep difficult that night.The next morning the group started early as gusty trade winds pushed clouds across the summit. With less mud underfoot, the hikers maintained a sure, steady pace except through several clogged leeward sections. As the clouds lifted in mid-afternoon, the rear guard under Yoza was nearing the Cline Memorial. At the streamside camp Yoza, Stuart Ball, and Lynne Masuyama joined Roger Breton, who had hiked up from Hau`ula that day. The rest of the group spent the night in the Poamoho cabin. The third day dawned clear but extremely windy. After reassembling at the cabin, the group began the narrow, exposed traverse under Pu`u Pauao. Strong gusts slammed into the summit ridge, stopping the hikers in their tracks and throwing them off balance. Eventually, the group left the summit down the Waikâne Trail as planned. After a long road walk and a short shuttle, the windblown hikers enjoyed refreshments at Kay Lynch's house, before heading for home.
On 24 September 2000 a group of HTMC members climbed the Poamoho Trail to reinstall the brass mileage plaque on the Cline Memorial. At the top Jim Yuen and Ralph Valentino completed the job, while others explored along the Summit Trail in both directions. In 1987 the Club had replaced the original laminate marker with a sturdy brass plaque giving revised mileages. About ten years later the plaque had fallen off the monument to be rescued by a passing Fire Department helicopter and returned to Yuen.
On 21 December 2000 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchased 4,525 acres in the northern Ko`olau Range from Castle and Cooke, Inc. Named the O`ahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge, the parcel extends leeward from the summit between the Kîpapa and Schofield-Waikâne Trails. The refuge protects critical habitat for 17 endangered species of native plants and four species of tree snails.
In May 2001 the `Opae`ula Watershed Protection Partnership (OWPP) completed a second pig exclosure near the Ko`olau summit. Enclosing about 150 acres at the head of `Opae`ula Stream, the boundary fence protects nine endangered species of native plants and two endangered species of O`ahu tree snails. OWPP is a joint effort of Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (the landowner), U.S. Army (the lessee), State Department of Land and Natural Resurces, and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Coordinating the project were biologists Joby Rohrer and Kapua Kawelo of Army Environmental Division. In July 2000 the Army crew began carefully clearing the fence line with the assistance of HTMC member Charlotte Yamane and other volunteers. Helicopters ferried all workers and materials, including a prefab rain shelter, to the site. To reduce the cutting of native vegetation, a 1/3-mile section of the fence line closely followed the Summit Trail. Rohrer and HTMC President Patrick Rorie worked together to minimize the impact of the fence on the original trail route. Army Environmental installed step stiles to allow hikers to easily follow the Summit Trail in and out of the exclosure. After completion of the boundary fence, the Army crew began to rid the exclosure of strawberry guava, an aggressive, alien weed.
A BIG MAHALO TO OUR VOLUNTEERS
Peter Kempf, Club PresidentOur volunteers are the greatest - and the backbone of our club. We would not have a functioning organization without them. Each and every board member, officer, hike coordinator, committee chair, committee member, and the dedicated group of trail clearers--all these people donate their time and efforts in support and furtherance of all our club activities. One way of acknowledging their contribution is to join in on one or more of these activities by contacting the appropriate committee chair. Come join the fun!
BYLAWS COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Steve BrownThe bylaws committee, under the able leadership of John Hoover, has met 4 (four) times towards the end of last year. It's difficult, but rewarding work, and we encourage any who are interested in this vital aspect of the life of the club to join us. We're very pleased with the results so far, but there's more to do. Our recommendations will be presented to the board of directors for submission to the membership for approval. The committee members are a great group of folks, and we do have the occasional chuckle to break the serious discussion.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday evening, January 6. If you'd like to join us, contact John for more information at jphoover@hawaii.edu or 528-1206.
HIKING BOOK CLUB
Carmen CraigThe book club lives on. It hasn't been a tidal wave but discussions about A Walk in the Woods have been trickling down the trails with the rain. There are some new books to consider for next quarter, but first, the rules:
1) Someone must suggest (and have read) the book, 2) The book must be in paperback, and 3) The book must still be in print.
Topics will include hiking, adventuring, foreign locales, and travel.
January "Beyond Paradise, Encounters in Hawai'i Where the Tour Bus Never Runs" by Peter Adler
February "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith
March "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz
Suggestions are needed for future selections. Please e-mail Carmen Craig at carmenc@hawaii.rr.com with your ideas. A list will be made and future selections will be announced in the quarterly HTMC newsletter and on OHE.
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REMEMBER THE CLUB'S ANNUAL MEETING: APRIL 18TH - THIRD SUNDAY IN APRIL
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NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS
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-Mail: Richard27@hawaii.rr.com
FAX: 293-2603
Phone: 293-2554
Mail: Richard McMahon
57-531 Kamehameha Hwy
Kahuku, HI 96731-2128
Bookmark The HTMC Web Page http://www.geocities.com/htmclub - or - http://aditl.com/htmc/
Hawaiian Trail & Mountain Club
P.O. Box 2238
Honolulu, HI 96804
Clubhouse: 41-023 Puuone St
Waimanalo, HI 96795
Phone: 259-5443
Comments may be sent to HTMC Newsletter Editor
or HTMC