Wa'ahila Ridge Trail

Writing the blog post about this hike was on our "to do" list since January, when we decided to celebrate 2011 New Year with a hike.  What took us so long to write this, we're not sure but better late than never.

After welcoming the New Year in a true Hawaii fashion by walking around our neighborhood with adult beverages and watching people set off the fireworks (most of which became illegal in Hawaii on January 2nd), we started the new year by hiking the Wa'ahila Ridge.  The hike starts in the Wa'ahila Ridge State Recreation Area and follows along the ridge separating Manoa and Palolo valleys.

The start of the trail is the hardest part as the path traverses through an ironwood and strawberry guava trees forest and the roots stick out on the surface.  After the forest the trail narrows and continues to climb along the ridge.  We were rewarded with views of Honolulu, Manoa, and Palolo valleys.

Palolo Valley

Palolo Valley

View of Manoa Valley and Honolulu

View of Manoa Valley and Honolulu

Wild Orchids

Christmas Berry

R is enjoying an apple at a turnaround point

The Wa'ahila Ridge trail officially ends at the intersection with the Kolowalu Trail; unofficially the trail continues through a restricted watershed area that ends at the summit of Mount Olympus.  Not knowing how long it would take us to reach the summit but that we would soon be losing daylight we turned around. 

This was a first hike that R brought along her birthday present, a Garmin Forerunner 405CX.