Along the Trail The Hawaiian Trail & Mountain Club Newsletter January - February - March 1999

WELCOME TO OUR NEW CLUBHOUSE CARETAKER. Grant Oka	Before 1999, the Clubhouse will welcome a new caretaker, Melissa Scruton. She was one of two members who volunteered to reside at the Clubhouse as a caretaker. The Board of Directors are grateful to these members who are willing to put up with living around Clubhouse activities in order to provide a degree of security for the Clubhouse. Melissa is a regular hiker with the club and works as an elementary school teacher. Currently, Rob Geer resides at the clubhouse as a caretaker and Pat Rorie handles the duties of Clubhouse Chair.
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UNCLE GRANT WANTS YOU! John Hall	It will soon be April again, and time to elect new members of the Board of Directors of HTMC. This year, three members of the Board are up for reelection or replacement. We need some new blood, some fresh keen members with original, sagacious insight to serve on the Board. Please search your soul and let us know if the spirit moves you to run for the Board of Directors! Or finger some other worthy spirit that you believe would be ideal for this noble and exalted position. (Please obtain an assurance that your intended nominee is willing to run.) Send your nominations to Grant Oka, President, or to John Hall, Board Member, for presentation to the Annual Meeting. The Club also has a variety of committees that do much of the work necessary to keep the Club functioning. These range from Librarian­Historian, to Public Relations, Conservation, and committees that manage the clubhouse and keep it in repair, obtain permissions for our hikes, organize the schedules, run our web page, and a number of others. We need Chairs for a number of these, and willing and knowledgeable assistants to help with the work. Again, if you would like to contribute a bit more to the Club, contact Grant Oka to discuss where the need is currently greatest, and how your exceptional talents might fit into the picture..
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CLUBHOUSE WISH LIST Alex Broadfoot	The Clubhouse needs the following items. Your donation of a new or used item would be appreciated: lawn mower electrical wire refrigerator garbage cans fans table and floor types stackable plastic resin chairs If you can help us find any of these items, please call me at 945­3973. Our thanks to Peter Kemph for a stove, and June Miyasato for a washing machine and a twin bed. Thanks also to Arnold Fujioka, Dick Schmidt, Ralph Valentino, Charlotte Yamane, Mabel Kekina, Grant Oka, and Dave Sanford for items too numerous to mention. Our Special Thanks to Ralph Valentino for the lumber and hardware in our new stairs.
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NEW STAIRS AND ROOF Grant Oka	For the first 9 months of 1998, the stairs leading up to the 2nd floor of the clubhouse was in sad shape. It was leaning and threatening to collapse from it rotten wooden supports. Thanks to some very generous donations of materials, labor, personal expertise and sweat by several HTMC members, we have a new, sturdy and good looking staircase. Mahalo to: Ralph Valentino for his expertise in designing and supervising the building efforts. He also generously donated much of the material used. Property Manager, Alex Broadfoot for his labor and constant energy and loving care for the HTMC Clubhouse. Lester Ohara for his labor and the use of some professional quality tools. Dick Schmidt for his expertise and labor. Dick has a lot of sweat invested in the Clubhouse. Jay Feldman and Rob Geer for labor. All in all, an estimated 225 man hours were put into the new stairs. As one gazes down on Waimanalo from the top of the Tom­Tom Trail, there is one house with a very white roof. That's our Clubhouse! We had a roofing contractor repair some panels then spray some rust proofing paint as an undercoat. Then he sprayed an elastomer finish to seal up the roof. Let's hope our Clubhouse roof will stand up to this year's La Nina winter. The cost for this less expensive alternative to roof replacement was under $3000. Our next big expense is termite tenting. So far, our baits indicate no ground termites are present on our lot.
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COMMERCIAL USE OF OAHU TRAILS Richard McMahon	The following is an excerpt from the October 5th edition of the Honolulu Star Bulletin. "The Department of Land and Natural Resources has announced that it will accept applications from tour operators to use public trails as part of a one­year pilot project. The state is trying to manage use of the trails and generate funds from fees to maintain them. Under the program, pedestrian traffic on six trail systems on Oahu will be limited to two groups of 12 persons per day. Tours will be permitted Monday through Friday, from sunrise to sunset, at a cost of $3 per person. The department says there are 85 public trails statewide, of which 37 are included in the permit program. Permits will be granted provided that trails are not damaged by discarding of trash or picking of protected plants. Visitors and residents alike should be encouraged to use island trails, but there are limits to the numbers that can be accommodated. Hanauma Bay is an example of how a resource can be spoiled through overuse. The permit system is a start at dealing with the problem of protecting the trails." Reading the above article from the Star Bulletin can cause confusion--are there 6 trails or 37 trails that will be available for commercial use? Curt Cottrell, Na Ala Hele director, has confirmed that there are only 6 trails on Oahu that commercial tour groups can use, they are Kealia, Hauula Loop, Maakua Ridge, Kalawahine, Pauoa Flats, and Manoa Falls. As at present, local hikers will have open access and pay no fee.
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SUPER HIKE # 2 Richard McMahon	On Saturday, August 15, 1998, co­coordinator Pat Rorie and I joined a hardy group of club hikers in Manoa Valley for Super Hike II. The day's route started at the Manoa Falls trailhead near the Lyon Arboretum. From there, we ascended a shortcut trail that bypassed the junction near Manoa Falls and connected with the Aihualama Trail in an area populated by a healthy stand of bamboo. After climbing Aihualama's well­traversed switchbacks and tramping through the not­too­muddy Pauoa Flats area, we took our first rest break at the Nuuanu Lookout, where we enjoyed a nice view of the reservoir below and massive Pu'u Lanihuli high above the far side of Nuuanu Valley. Some of the faster, more energetic hikers rested only momentarily at the lookout and then continued on, bound for Konahuanui, at 3,105 ft., the alpha peak of the Koolau Range. One by one, the rest of us followed suit. From the lookout, we endured a lung­expanding ascent to gain one sizable pu'u and soon afterward another. What followed was a pleasant level section on the open ridge with nice overlooks left to a hidden valley above Lulumahu Falls and right to a verdant gully that feeds Manoa Falls. The summit ahead was inundated with clouds, but we remained hopeful the ocean of white would be gone by the time we reached the top. After the level segment, the trail resumed its steep climb to Konahuanui. From the lookout, the distance to Konahuanui is about 1.5 miles with an elevation gain of approximately 1,500 feet. Some of faster folks needed about an hour to cover the distance while the rest completed the ascent in an hour and a half. Breezes wafting over the top and a distinct lapalapa tree and its trademark light green, fluttering leaves were certain signs the summit of Konahuanui had been acquired. Unfortunately, the clouds hadn't dissipated when we topped out, but we were hopeful we'd have views at some point during the two­mile crossover to Olympus. The hike along the summit crest, as one might expect, was exhilarating. Pat and I had hiked the route a week earlier to do some clearing and to put up some markers, so we knew the trail was passable. And as it hadn't rained since, we didn't have to deal with muddy conditions. About 20 minutes into the crossover, the clouds lifted and spread before us was the splendid sight of the Koolau summit spine to Olympus, Lanipo, Pu'u o Kona, and beyond. To our left lay expansive and verdant Maunawili Valley where we spotted some folks hiking hundreds of feet below on the demonstration trail. To our right was Manoa Valley, where we'd begun and where we'd end our trek. To sum up what we saw­­fantastic. During the crossover, the group was spread out a fairly sizable distance. Some of us stopped to eat lunch at a distinct grassy bowl where we watched some of our colleagues pressing on a mile beyond. I always look forward to lunch breaks, not just for the chance to switch into kaukau mode to replace burned calories. These breaks, in addition, are nice opportunities to rest up for the remainder of the hike as well as pleasant times to talk story with other hikers. Such was the case that day. From Konahuanui, the crest drops steadily to about 2,000 feet before regaining elevation to Olympus (2,486). Just before the low point of the crossover is a razor­like section where we had to inch our way through an ironwood tangle with sizable dropoffs left and right. Actually, the ironwoods were welcome, since we'd have to negotiate a crumbly, exposed razor­edge if they weren't there. Just past the ironwood ridge is another tricky spot we've dubbed the "sedan­sized rock"­­a notched boulder, about the size of a Toyota Corolla, where care must be taken to avoid a long fall down the windward pali. A cablerope is available for assistance at the rock, and we all made it past this obstacle without incident. With these challenges behind, what remained was a 30 to 40 minute roller-coaster climb to Olympus followed by a descent of Waahila Ridge to the steep, well­tramped Kolowalu Trail, which we went down to return to the Woodlawn area of Manoa. The last hiker emerged on Alani Drive at 5 p.m. ending another beautiful and thrilling day in the mountains of Oahu.
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HIKING THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE John Hall	In early September, 1998, four members of HTMC flew to Montana to continue our on­going adventures on the Continental Divide Trail. Stuart Ball and I flew to Spokane and rented a car for the drive to East Glacier. Grant Oka and Reuben Mateo, who had spent the previous week hiking the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island with Joyce Tomlinson and Sandy Powers, joined us in our motel room about midnight. The next day we warmed up by taking a 15­mile day hike on the Divide Trail between Marias Pass and our room in East Glacier. We then drove the better part of 200 miles to leave one of our two cars at Benchmark, where we planned to exit from the Trail after an 11­day, 110­mile backpacking trip beginning at the other side of Marias Pass. On the third day, Richard, the amiable son of the woman who managed our motel drove us up to Marias Pass, refusing any payment for this service, and left us with our gear to begin the hike. The day began uneventfully under warm, cloudless skies, as we followed an old jeep road down a long valley. The road repeatedly crossed a small stream, but there was generally an alternate trail route that avoided the numerous crossings by staying high on one slope. We camped near the stream about 9 miles from our start, in mid­afternoon. I helped set up the tent that Grant and I were sharing, and walked down stream a ways to find a suitable pool in which to rinse off. Having found a spot deep enough to immerse my okole (while seated), I bathed, noting a whiff of wood smoke in the air. While dressing, I glanced up at the sun, filtering through the trees, and noticed with some surprise that it was blood­red in color. Although it was shining through some clouds, this did not seem normal, and I suddenly realized that the clouds were actually a dense plume of smoke that was pouring over the top of Elkcalf Mountain, a small peak that we had passed earlier in the day! I returned to camp to find my friends in a state of excitement, as they too had noticed the smoke, and in addition had found charred pine needles falling on our tents. It appeared that we were directly down wind from a major forest fire! The summer had been a dry one in northern Montana, with a failure of the berry crop on which the bears rely, and many small fires in Glacier National Park and the surrounding mountains. We did not know how rapidly the fire was approaching, although the wind did not seem to be very strong, and at first I felt that we should remain where we were, since there was a broad gravel flat on the stream at this point, with a few scattered shrubs but no trees. However, the map and the guide­book description indicated that there was a small pond and some marshy land about 1.7 miles further down the trail, and, after I brewed a rejuvenatory cup of tea, we decided to pack up and see if this might not offer us a safer place to ride out the fire. The pond proved to be an old beaver pond with a substantial 8 or 10 foot high dam, much overgrown with willows and marsh grass, surrounding its lower end. The clearing was significantly larger than the flat we had left and offered abundant, fairly deep water on one side and a wet, marshy stretch below the dam on the other. There was a semi­level, dry plot of grass near the middle of the dam where I thought we might be able to find refuge, with the pond right at hand to soak our sleeping bags in case we needed to crawl under them to seek protection from the heat (which the rangers later told us could reach 1500 F). By this time the smoke had gotten much thicker and we could no longer see the nearby mountain from which it was coming. We had no idea if the fire had crossed over it, or had perhaps leap­frogged ahead by igniting the forest nearer us with a wind­blown spark. As we were debating whether to move our gear out to the spot on the dam that I had found, we heard the "put­put" of a motor vehicle, and down the trail from the direction in which we had been moving, came two forest rangers on little one­seater, 4­wheeled, all­terrain vehicles. They were part of a work party that was replacing the roof on a Forest Service cabin at Badger Creek, about 2 miles further along our trail, and had been asked by the district office to patrol down the trail to within a mile of our trail­head, to be sure that no hikers were in the path of the fire. They suggested that we move another half mile up the trail to some large meadows, where, they felt, we could burn off the dry grass if the fire came too close, and find a secure spot in the middle of our own burned area. We were a little reluctant to leave our nice pond, but assuming that they knew the country better than we did, we took their advice. The meadows that we found were occupied by some rather unhappy Black Angus cattle and did not look any wider than our beaver pond and a great deal drier, but the wind had shifted a bit and the fire seemed to be moving toward our left rather than coming straight toward us, so we decided to set up a temporary camp by the stream and eat dinner while waiting for the rangers to complete the 18­mile round trip to the trail head and return. When they returned they said that the meadow that they had in mind was a few hundred yards further along the trail, but that we appeared to be in no immediate danger and could camp where we were for the night. We spread our sleeping bags and pads on ground cloths, wanting to be under the stars where we could see any approaching glow in the sky and smell the smoke, rather than in our tents. We left everything packed as much as possible to be ready to leave quickly if need be. We had just gotten well asleep, when, about 10:30 PM, we once more heard the put­put of approaching vehicles and saw their headlights. The rangers were most apologetic, but told us that they had been told to evacuate the area and bring us out too. It seems that a spotter plane had flown over before dark and reported to headquarters that the fire was within a mile of the cabin. Since we were 2 miles from the cabin in the direction of the fire, and we (and the rangers on the scene) knew that the fire was nowhere near us at that time, we knew that this report was erroneous, but understandably, the people in the office wished to play safe, and so we were ordered to make a 4 to 5 mile hike, in the dark, over an unfamiliar trail that crossed in front of the approaching fire, up hill, with no maps. More exercise, in addition to the 11 miles under pack that we had already walked that day! A truck would be waiting at the top of the pass to evacuate us all. The rangers offered to carry our packs out for us on their vehicles, but had no room for our persons. Fortunately, there was a bright, 3/4 moon that night, and most of the trail was a primitive road, so after walking 3 miles or so by flashlight, we were able to finish the hike by moonlight, reaching the truck (after spooking a train of pack horses carrying the work­party's personal gear) an hour or so after midnight. A long bumpy ride in the back of the truck took us down to Palookaville, which metropolis proved to consist of one large shed, a few smaller ones, and a collection of corrals where the Forest Service maintained a base. The Forestry people were extremely accommodating and said that they had been ordered to take us anywhere we wanted to go. We THOUGHT of Honolulu, at this point, but decided to opt for one of our two cars. Benchmark was 200 miles away, and East Glacier 25, and the latter was on the road the foresters would need to drive to reach Choteau, their home base, so, at 3:30 AM we found ourselves once more in East Glacier, ignoring the No Vacancy sign on our motel, and awakening the still (surprisingly) amiable Richard to ask for a room for what was left of the night. [To be continued]
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REMEMBER SKIPOLE? Editor	In its December 4 edition, the Honolulu Advertiser reported that Erwin Jaskulski, 96, broke the world record for his age group in the 100-meter dash at the Hawaiian Senior Olympics. The event was held at the Kaiser High School track. Erwin, known to HTMC old timers as "Ski-Pole," because he hiked with two of them, ran the dash in 26.5 seconds--into the wind. He then turned around and did it again in 24.9 seconds with the wind. Congratulations, Ski Pole! It must have been all those years of HTMC training!
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COMING ATTRACTIONS Editor	Super Hike 3, from Waimanalo to Niu Valley, was accomplished on October 16, with Pat and Dayle again co­coordinating. That outing will be reported in the next newsletter. Super Hike 4 is tentatively slated for March '99. The plan is to ascend Laie, cross over on the KST, and come down Malaekahana. We will also highlight that trip in a future newsletter. Also upcoming, is the final installment of John Hall's report on hiking the Continental Divide Trail.

HTMC members and any other interested parties are welcome to submit articles to ALONG THE TRAIL, the HTMC Newsletter. Submissions may be sent in any of the following ways (E-Mail preferred):

E-Mail: Richard27@prodigy.com

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Mail: Richard McMahon
57-531 Kamehameha Hwy
Kahuku, HI 96731-2128