** NOTE **
Trails are listed below solely as a guide and do not imply right to public access or safe hiking condition. HTMC accepts no responsibility for accuracy of the data listed below.
- Length: 12 miles round trip
Hike difficulty: advanced
Type of hike: ungraded ridge
Locale: Leeward Ko'olau Range above Tripler Army Medical Center
Access: open or premission required depending on the trailhead you use- Hazards:
- Sections of this hike require short but steep and often muddy climbs.
- Hiking to the summit and back can take from four to six hours.
- On a hot day you must have sufficient food and water (suggest a minimum of 2-3 liters).
Directions to Trailhead: The trailhead for the Tripler ridge is located above Tripler Army Medical Center. From Honolulu, drive on Lunalilo Feeway heading west and take the Puuloa-Tripler Hospital exit and turn right onto Jarrett White Road. Drive past the guard shack and past the hospital to the very top of Jarrett White Road and turn right on Harry Reasoner Road. You will see a partially paved road that veers-off from Harry Reasoner Road. Park your car here and follow the road on foot until it intersects with another paved road on the left. Follow the paved road with a chain across it to a radar installation. Follow the dirt road to the powerline tower where the trail begins through stands of strawberry guava.
Directions to Alternative Trailhead: Due to parking problems at Tripler Army Medical Center, the HTMC club hike no longer starts from the top of Tripler. Instead, the club meets at Moanalua Valley Park at the very end of neighboring Moanalua Valley. This alternate route shortens the distance of the hike but makes it more challenging as it requires a nice climb up from Moanalua Valley to gain Tripler Ridge.
From Honolulu, drive on the Lunalilo Freeway heading west and take the Moanalua Valley exit onto Ala Aolani Street. Drive to the very end of Ala Aolani Street until you reach Moanalua Valley Park.
WARNING:
Entry past the gate in Moanalua Valley Park requires written permission from the Damon Estate (official HTMC hikes acquire such permission in advance).Park your car in the parking lot and continue on foot on the dirt road for about 1/2 hour until you reach the number 12 signpost. Just prior to the post you will see a trail on the right marked with ribbon leading up a spur to Tripler ridge. You will enter Tripler trail about 1/4 of the way from its start behind the Army Medical Center. This spot should be well marked with ribbons, but even so, it is wise to familiarize yourself with this junction so you can to recognize it on the return trip.
Tripler Ridge Hike: This hike is a long and continuous uphill treck with excellent views of the valleys on either side of Tripler ridge ending in a spectacular view of the windward side of the island. The gradual inclination tends to make for a fairly easy ascent to the Koolau summit, but the length of the hike can make it very tiring. That, more than anything else, makes this an advanced hike.
The early portion of the hike is through heavily forested guava sections but the last third is mostly native flora with little overhead canopy. As a result you can expect a warm hike expecially on a hot summer day, hence the need to stay well hydrated.
As you begin the climb to the summit you will see on the left powerline poles coming up from the floor of Moanalua Valley. The power lines connect at the Koolau summit to triangular stanchions and plummet down to the windward side of Oahu. As you climb steeply up the mountain, you will eventually come to an open grassy area above the powerlines, where a trail comes in from below. This "powerline" trail leaves the valley floor from the dirt road you walked in on and is an alternative and much more difficult route to the summit.
After heart-breaking climbs to the top of two false summits, you see the true summit just ahead. After the final climb, you will reach a large open grassy area at the Koolau summit! If the sky is clear, you will have a commanding view of Kaneohe Bay and the windward coast with Haiku Valley and H-3 Highway directly beneath. Look around to see great views of Honolulu to the south and the Waianaae Mountains to the west.
For those who wish to make this arduous trek even more challenging, you may hike along the spine of the Koolau summit to connect with other trails. A left turn from Tripler ridge onto the Koolau summit trail will lead to the middle ridge of Moanalua Valley, Pu'u Keahi a Kahoe, and continues on to the top of Haiku Stairs. A right turn from Tripler ridge to the Koolau summit trail will take you to the summit of Bowman trail above Kalihi Valley.
But for those who have had enough, turn around and descend Tripler ridge the way you came. There are, however, several alternative routes back into Moanalua Valley including the previously mentioned "powerline trail". However, the easiest way back is to return the way you came--through the spur you orginally ascended (the number 12 marker). The other routes bring you to down further into into Moanalua Valley and makes for a much longer
hike out on the dirt road back to the park.J.Feldman & N.Yuen 8/03/99