Spring 2009 - Issue 5

The Silversword: Home > Arts and Entertainment > Christian’s Hike of the Month

Christian’s Hike of the Month

Christian Vetter, Photography Editor

 

Kalana‘ahane Trail is one of the most rigorous trails I’ve hiked in Hawai‘i to date. Starting with an approximately 3-mile introduction hike on the Kamananui Valley Road, a partially maintained dirt road, Kalana‘ahane veers off and continues for another 5.5 total miles, to an elevation of 1,400 feet. This made the complete hike almost twelve miles in length. Kalana‘ahane becomes a steep and slippery all-day affair. Naps and beers were necessary after its completion.

Page 1 2

Jasper Kjar Cruttenden, a friend from “down under,” does his best Tarzan impression during the first leg of the hike on the Kamananui Valley Road. This portion of the hike is wide open, flat and honestly, mostly uninteresting from an aesthetic point of view.

Cruttenden is suggesting that we missed the turn for the Kalana’ahane Trail. He throws accusations at me for messing everything up, ruining his day and even going so far as to get him up early for a terrible time.

After an already long walk, we finally reached the turn-off to begin the true destination: Kalana‘ahane Trail. Apparently we didn’t miss the turn after all. Cruttenden apologized for his mean words. We made a short stop to drink most of our water reserves (ouch), have a snack and meditate on what awaited us. These hikers had no idea how exhausted we were going to be just mere hours later.

The once wide, flat roads were replaced by winding, twisting and weaving branches that constantly had to be dodged. My beloved (hated) roommate, Griffin Wurtz, is trying to figure out the best way to proceed into the dense woodland.

This is the last stream that had to be forded before the last portion of the hike. Over the length of the Kalana‘ahane Trail, the creek has to be crossed 28 times. The maintenance of the trail ends at this waterfall. A sign warns those who decide to continue the trek upward, telling novices not to continue.

Next Page