There are several trails which jut down from the Old Pali Highway. I am only blogging about one of them today.
There were several unique plants growing on this road. This flower resembles cross between a Bird of Paradise and a firecracker.
Some of these banyan trees look like good jungle gyms to climb up on the vines. Unfortunately I lack upper body strength to climb up them. So I just swung from them for a minute. I almost wish I had wings to fly into the trees. That would be make things easier.
This tree was easy to climb up. The trees along this highway are very beautiful.
Another trail I have been meaning to explore...
There were several creeks that follow the Old Pali Road. You wouldn't see them if you were driving in your car though. They can only be seen from a few bridges by pedestrians who peer over the edge.
Although this water looks clean, the water which runs along the Old Pali Highway is sometimes polluted. Don't drink the water here.
This is the stream crossing to the Judd Trail.
I love these Banyan trees!
Certain parts of the rain forest looked epic and jurassic. I almost half expected a dinosaur to come out of the woods.
This picture was taken from the Old Pali Road. The top of that mountain is Nuuanu Lookout.
In order to get to the Judd Trail you must first drive up Old Pali Highway. Then look to your right and after 3 minutes of driving you will see a line of cars next to a bridge. This is the Judd Trail.
The Judd Trail starts off on the Old Pali Road. Walk to the right of the sign.
Watch your footing as you cross the stream. You can either turn right by the sign or walk straight a few feet back and turn right. Don't turn down the trail on the left. Its not the Judd Trail. Its just some stream trail that I found a crazy homeless man living on. He likes to mutter to himself and throw rocks.
If you followed my directions, you will begin to walk on a lovely trail like this. The Judd Trail is a 1 mile loop through Cook Pine forest that borders a stream. Towards the 1/2 mile point there is a pond called Jackass Ginger Pond. You will find lots of people swimming there.
Baby Cook Pines
Quite a few pigs on the trail near Jackass Ginger Pool. (And I don't mean the animal variety.)
These ancient trees have been here long before I was born.
One tree is dancing hula
At some point this trail crosses with the Nuuanu Switchback trail. You can tell when you are getting close because you will suddenly find yourself in a muddy bog. Follow the signs so that you don't get too lost. Stay on the Judd Trail if you wish to complete the loop. If you have strong legs and don't mind heights, then venture onto Nuuanu Trail.
Nuuanu Trail
At the half mile point you will reach a junction. This sign says "Nuuanu Trail." If you want to hike up the Nuuanu Switchbacks to the lookout then follow this trail. If you wish to go to Jackass Ginger pools then continue to follow the Judd Trail that curves to the right.
The Nuuanu switchback trail is not an easy one. I wouldn't suggest children or those with a difficult time walking to progress on this trail. I once saw 4 elderly women in their 80's with umbrellas to shade them from the sun attempt this trail. (This trail is in the forest and is completely shaded. You don't need a parasol or sunscreen.) They went up 10 feet and complained about the mud on their brand new white tennis shoes. Believe me, mud is the least of your worries on this trail.
This particular hike had dry conditions. I got lucky. Its usually a boggy mud bath.
The switchbacks are very pleasant at first. Look at this lovely view of trees. Makes you think that this trail is going to be a pleasant little stroll....
The hobbit's tree
The good thing about the mudd is that more exotic plant life can be found growing in its nutrient richness.
A brand new fern leaf beginning to uncurl itself.
As the trail steepens you begin to notice rock walls along the trail. These rock walls keep the soil from eroding and stop the trail from washing out.
Someone trying to be funny on the trail. I guess they felt you had to have balls in order to hike the Nuuanu Switchback Trail. This boulder was found on the easy part of the trail. There is plenty more hiking to go.
This is a natural rock wall
Ah yes, here is where it gets interesting. The forest is so dense that the darkness made it nearly impossible to capture any photos. This is one of the few photos that came out. The mud sucks you in about 5 inches. Hope you wore good hiking shoes and not flip flops. Those trees overhead have actually fallen off of the mountain and are just laying there. About a 1000 pounds worth of rotting wood waiting to break apart and fall on the trail below.
Right after this juncture is a tiny waterfall that runs off of the mountain. Be careful with your footing since the small rocks are slippier than what they appear. As creepy and dark as the forest seems, it is also very comforting to me. I love to hear the sound of the crickets and birds in this area. There are plenty of curious Shama Thrushes that sing and follow me up the trails. Another good thing about this part of the trail is that the forest canopy is so thick that hikers don't get rained on. It rained several times when I hiked this trail and I didn't get wet on the Nuuanu portion of the trail. The bad news is that mud slides and collasping trees happen without warning.
Halfway up you begin to get a glimspe of Nuuanu Valley. However, you still have plenty more hiking to go before you reach the top.
This is not considered steep yet.
Now here is a bit of steepness for the average Joe. Avid hikers wouldn't care and just swing on that rope like a monkey to the other side. For all normal human beings: Be very careful. This part is a dried up waterfall and it always has some sort of condensation and slippery moss on it. What the picture does not show is that this rock portion is jutting off the side of the trail and overlooks a 30 foot drop into the forest. So taking your time on this part is very important.
These beautiful endemic Hawaiian ferns were distracting me from concentrating on my footing as I crossed the rock.
Keep on going along your merry way.
Another endemic Hawaiian Fern
One of the trails maintenance people thought carving a mini staircase in a fallen tree would be a cute idea.
GETTING CLOSER!!!!
Try not to scratch yourself on these ferns coming up the trail. They are not soft and sweet as they appear in the picture. They are called uluhe ferns and endemic (native) to Hawaii. Their sap has some kind of irritant and their stems are extremely sharp.
Time to do your happy dance! You made it and didn't fall of the trail!
This was the view from the lookout. A little disappointing after all of that work getting up those switchbacks. This particular day there was a fire in Nuuanu. The smoke further obscured the view. That is a view on Waikiki.
When you look back towards the chair you will see another ocean view from the other side of the island. This is a view of Kaneohe.
Endemic species only found in Hawaii can often times be found on top of trails. This is the ie'ie fern. I never saw one bloom until I reached the top of this trail.
