New Hike “Stairway to Heaven” Hawaii

KFarm · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Next time I am in Hawaii I will defiantly try and hike this one.

Article
http://starbulletin.com/97/05/15/news/story2.html
Description
http://www.friendsofhaikustairs.org/FHS%20Description.html
Photos
http://www.pbase.com/avenirex/haiku
Photos
http://oahuhiking.com/album/Haiku%20Stairs/index.html
Hiking Oahu
http://oahuhiking.com/
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GTG · Posted: 12/15/2006, 3:20 pm Post subject: wow!

Nice hike there Goob. When are you going again? Going to do a writeup?

GTG
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KFarm · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 98 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

No sure. Just got back from a trip last June, but I am alway up for a trip to hawaii...
_________________
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.

John Wayne

Davis2001R6 · Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 5591 Location: Italy

Yeah I wanted to do that one while I was there. I drove by it, there is an awesome park to snorkel at just across from there. It's called Hanauma bay or something like that.

azbackpackr · Posted: 12/16/2006, 6:07 am Post subject:

I've been to Hanauma Bay on Oahu, and it was fun. But as they say in Hawaii, Big Island mo' bettah. (I know Davis200 went there for his job, didn't have time to go to any of the other islands. But if you are going there on vacation may as well skip Oahu altogether.) Kahalu'u Beach in Kona nice place to snorkel, safe to teach children there! I went there at least once a week when I lived there. I swam with turtles, thousands of gorgeous colorful fish, huge black and white "flying" mantas:
http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/TBI/Kahau/index.htm

The backpacking trip from Waipi'o Valley to Waimanu Valley on the Big Island is also pretty great!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/konaboy/83000640/ The only problem is the trail, which I recall was 14 miles from the parking at Waipi'o Overlook to the beach at Waimanu Valley, was very muddy and full of wild pig do, it rained all the time, and although you could camp on the beach at Waimanu Valley you couldn't swim there safely due to bad rip currents. The biggest waterfall there is huge, though, like about 600 ft. or something. Nowadays you have to get a backpacking permit, I've heard. It was worth the slog, though, glad I went there.

Camping in Hawaii is a generally a very damp undertaking, unless you go to the beaches in South or North Kohala on the Big Island. It is so dry along there you'll find cactus and mesquite trees, (called keawe--Kay AH vay) but this also makes for more comfortable camping. You'll feel right at home if you're used to camping in Arizona!

DesertRoux · Joined: 10 Jul 2004 Posts: 397 Location: Scottsdale

I am going to be in Maui this July. My wife and I are attending a wedding and decided to make it a vacation as well. We are bringing our 6yr old daughter and leaving our 2yr old with my mother. I am scared to take the 2yr old on a 6 hour plane ride. Laughing

I am looking forward to taking my ladies out on a couple nice hikes. If anyone has any recommendations I'd be appreciative.

We are going over to Lanai and rent a jeep for the day. I did that last time and it was a blast.
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Davis2001R6 · Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 5591 Location: Italy

Take the drive out to Hana one day. Sorry didn't get a chance to do any hiking on Maui.

Al_HikesAZ · Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 263 Location: Scottsdale, AZ

mick · Joined: 04 Mar 2004 Posts: 40

DesertRoux -I would recommend taking a jeep on the Hana Highway and stopping over in Hana for a night. That way you can take it easy on the way -stopping at red/black sand beaches and lava tubes. Relax on Hamoa beach in the late afternoon. Then the next day go to O'Heo Gulch -Seven Sacred Pools -you can swim here in July and there is a neat 2 mile hike up to the 400ft Waimoku Falls through bamboo forests.
When we went up Haleakala volcano it was shrouded in clouds and you couldn't see anything. You may have better luck in summer. Also on Maui I would recommend the boat trip to Molikini. Safe for the little one too. Enjoy your trip!

Suz · Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 3186

I heard there is a huge fare war going on. It's only 25 bucks to island hop and free with one place if you do it on Christmas day....wooohooo.

Davis2001R6 · Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 5591 Location: Italy

I second everything that Mick just said, we did a boat/snorkel trip out to Molikini as well, that was lots of fun, a long day on the boat though. If you have time the trip out to Hana would be worth the 2 days. It was a LONG day doing it in one, over 12 hours and mostly driving. We had NO problem driving that road in the rental car. They say not to and that it's not covered under some insurances for rentals, but compared to any dirt road in AZ it's in great shape. I take back my comment of not hiking while I was there, we did stop off at Seven Sacred Pools, but it was late in the day and started raining as well. I'm sure that area is worth a few hours exploring and hiking up canyon.

DesertRoux · Joined: 10 Jul 2004 Posts: 397 Location: Scottsdale

Thx for the recommendations everyone. Last time I was there it was with a old high school buddy and we really were not all that productive. I think my liver is still healing. Heres a pic of one of our favorite beaches. Good times. At least what I remember...

http://i13.tinypic.com/2a5i16a.jpg

I've heard great things about the road to Hana, but in my two times to Maui I have yet to make it.

azbackpackr · Posted: 12/19/2006, 5:07 am Post subject:

Maui no ka oi, Big Island no ka oi, however you slice it! I wanna go back. It will have to wait a few years.

For cheap hotel in Kona try the Manago in Captain Cook. It's not walking distance to the beach, but as you can see the rates are unbelievably cheap. And you'll need a rental car anyway on the Big Island:
http://www.managohotel.com/rates.html

We used to go to the Manago for dinner a lot. Family-style dining, Japanese food, you get what they are serving that night. It's fun, and a bit of an adventure. Very nice people who own the place also manage it--an owner may also be your waiter. It is the real Hawai'i. Me ke aloha ku home o ka ha lu'u.

mmacmike · Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 123 Location: New York

My wife and I are going to Hawaii in May for our 10th wedding anniversary. We're going to the big island for 5 days, Maui for 5 days and Kauai for 4 days. This is our 3 time back. When you get away for the developing commercialism this place truly is paradise.

Al_HikesAZ · Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 263 Location: Scottsdale, AZ