Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 23:31:24 -1000 From: "Dayle K. Turner" (turner@hawaii.edu> Subject: HTMC Super Hike 1--for the record
Today, Pat Rorie and I led an outing dubbed a "Super Hike," the first of its kind for the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club. Completing the by-invitation, members-only hike were Hiroshi Sakae, Ken Suzuki, Carole K. Moon, Lita Komura, Mike Algiers, Rob Geer, Wing Ng, Steve Poor, and Carl Crimbring. Dr. Torrey Goodman, a non-member (she plans to join soon) hiking on an unofficial status, was an energetic and welcome addition to our group.
Ken, Carole, Lita and Wing wanted to begin a little earlier than the rest so they met me at the Waimano trailhead at 6:30 a.m. and I transported them to the head of the Manana trail where they began hiking at 6:45. It was raining in the mountains when they departed but skies were blue over Pearl City and further makai so we had hopes the weather bureau's prediction of brief morning showers followed by mostly sunny conditions would be correct.
After seeing them off, I headed down Palisades and back to the end of Waimano Home Road where I waited for the arrival of Pat and the others. By 7:50, the rest of us had assembled, signed in, listened to a pre-hike briefing by Pat, and jumped in my Cherokee and the Pat-mobile for the ride up to Manana.
We were hiking by 8:10 under continuing gray skies.
The ascent of Manana went without a problem, with the cool, drizzly weather minimizing the need for water consumption (Wing and Rob told me they didn't drink at all until reaching the summit). As we had agreed beforehand, Pat stayed with the front group of hikers while I manned the sweep position. Pat and I also maintained periodic contact via his 7-channel, 2-way radios. Great communication tool.
Hiroshi, Carl, and Pat blitzed up the trail and by 11 all three had summited Manana, turned right on the crest, and advanced past Eleao and the junction where hikers often proceed down the wrong ridge. At just past 11, Wing and I were the last to complete the Manana ascent and waiting for us there were Torrey, Steve, Mike, and Rob. Ken, Lita, and Carole had departed the summit clearing minutes before to begin the crest crossover section.
At 11:20, Wing and I began the crossover, with Torrey, Steve, Mike and Rob a few minutes ahead. The summit winds were blowing with moderate force but not as strongly as last week's 35-50 mph blasts. As we approached Eleao around 11:45, the cloud cover lifted for 15 minutes, allowing us clear views of Waihee Valley below and Kaneohe Bay beyond it. Earlier, I had promised Ken, Carole, and Lita that the clouds would relent and my vow was fulfilled, albeit briefly.
Unlike last week, today there was no going off on the wrong ridge because we had heavily marked the go-astray junction at last Sunday's trail clearing. At least half a dozen pink ribbons presently mark this spot (courtesy of Ken) and today I even planted a metal stake (actually a piece of a bicycle frame pump) as a more permanent marker so future hikers hopefully won't go the wrong way.
Past Eleao, clear skies gave way to socked-in conditions. And then came the rain accompanied by increased wind gusts. Wind-whipped rain in one's eyes while carefully negotiating the precipitous summit crest makes for interesting hiking conditions, to say the least. But we all completed the crossover without a problem, Wing and I being the final ones to reach the Waimano terminus, arriving at just past 1.
Everyone else was waiting for us there, save for Hiroshi and Carl, who had reached the Waimano summit at 11:45 or so and continued together on to the trailhead together.
After a lunch/rest break at the Waimano summit, the last of us were Waimano-trailhead bound at 1:30. Although long (7.5 miles), Waimano is gentle and I promised myself to take the descent easy to lessen the pounding on feet and joints. Fortunately, no one was in a big hurry on the way out and for the most part we hiked together, enjoying each other's company. Wingo was in especially fine stead, hiking with energy I have never seen from him in the past. Even though his pants were ripped from crotch to ankle, a result of a gymnastics balancing maneuver on the summit crossover, to his credit he good-naturedly endured our playful teasing about his tattered attire.
A few minutes before 5 p.m., Super Hike 1 of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club was history with all participants completing the outing without injury or incident. Mahalo to Mike for giving Pat and I a lift back to our vehicles at the Manana trailhead, to Ken for post-hike refreshments, to the trail clearing gang for their work on the summit section (several hikers today commented favorably about the swath on the crest), and to everyone who turned out today.
Super Hike 2 will be Konahuanui to Olympus. Pat and I look forward to leading another successful adventure for the club.
--DKT