Friday, April 22nd, 2011
By Alison and Kacie
Today, we hiked Manoa Falls to the end of Aihualama Trail. We saw a number of tourists in clothing ranging from men in collared dress shirts to women in dresses - the expressions on their faces described their regret in choice of attire for this muddy, slippery affair. The hike to the waterfall had satisfying views of the forest and a nice variety of plants, including lots of native Hawaiian plants.
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Tunnel of.....trees? |
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Ohia Lehua Flower (Native to Hawaii) |
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View of bamboo from below |
Most people hike Manoa Falls to see the waterfall. However, the waterfall only appeared to be nothing but a small stream of water trickling down a large cliff. Maybe after some rain the waterfall could be beautiful, but the waterfall we saw didn't satisfy our craving for a scenic view. It only took us about 20-30 minutes to get to the waterfall, which ended up being merely, an introduction to the hike that we did.
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Niagra Falls? Well, almost.... |
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Just hanging out by the Wonder... |
The Aihualama trail gradually took us about 1.3 miles up the mountain. Drops of water from the moist plants landed on our shoulders as we climbed through the lush forest. We walked along a weaving road dispersed with bamboo forests, native plants, and lots of mosquitos. At the end of the trail, we turned right on to another trail (about 0.75 miles) all the way to the top of the mountain. Although it seems short, the mountain side is steep and took a lot longer than originally planned.
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Start of Aihualama Trail |
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Trail |
Once we were at the top, we saw a breath-taking view of the valley. On the way back down, we made sure to avoid the piles of pig poop, while also focusing on not sliding down the mountain. One of us (Kacie) did end up falling and taking home a baseball-sized hole in her running shorts as a souvenir of the Manoa "Falls".
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More bamboo! |
The hike to the top of the mountain and back took us a total of 4 1/2 hours to complete. It was by far the longest hike, but when you're in good company, you forget all about the time or the challenge. We definitely wouldn't suggest going to the top alone (unless you need some seriously alone-time, then this would be perfect.) Take a friend or family member and use this time to really get a chance to talk to them. This hike can be as long as you like (you don't have to go 4 1/2 hours!!) because at any point you can turn around and go back down the mountain.
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Finally, at the top! |
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View from top |
More about Manoa Falls:
- CAUTION: Don't go in the water at the base of the waterfall, may have dangerous bacteria.
- Waterfall is about 150 ft. tall
- The size of the waterfall depends on the amount of the recent rainfall
- Manoa Falls is a popular hike, due to its easy access to tourists in Waikiki.
Bibliography:
"Manoa Falls." Wikipedia. Web. 14 May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manoa_Falls
Lundkvist, Mats. "What Are The Health Benefits Of Hiking And Trekking?" Buzzle.com. Web. 09 May 2011. http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-24-2006-91812.asp
