Winter Hike

The nice thing about doing sunrise hikes in Hawaii during the winter is that sunrise isn't until just after 7am (as opposed to just after 5:00am in the summer)!  Hawaii does not participate in Daylight Savings.  This was taken on a trail above Kailua and Lanikai - you can see one of the WWII pillboxes, with tiny Flat Island and Ulupa'u Head in the distance.  For more sky photos from around the world, please visit Skywatch Friday.

C: Can You See It From Here?

I snapped this bird's eye view of the offshore islands from the top of Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail.  In the foreground is Kaohikaipu Island, and rising up behind it is Manana (Rabbit) Island.  Farther in the distance are the Moku-lua, or twin islands as they are also called.  In the background you can see Ulu-pa'u Head with the islet of Mokolea off of its shore.  If you look to your left from this spot the VIEW of the Ko'Olau Mountain Range is equally stunning.  For more 'C' photos, please visit ABC Wednesday.

Lanikai Pillbox Hike

A girl sits on top of one of the World War II Pillboxes at Lanikai and photographs the sun as it rises over the ocean. 

Ka'ena Point: 6 of 7

Certainly the highlight of this hike (and really, the reason for it) was seeing a monk seal sunning itself at the very, VERY tip of the island.  I couldn't choose just one photo:)  The first one demonstrates how well-camouflaged they are when lying on the rocks.  We knew he was out there - we'd run into one of the Fish and Wildlife workers about five minutes prior and she told us where to look for him because he was quite hard to spot.  Even with her directions we had a difficult time finding him.  I was actually standing up on a pile of rocks taking these photos, and from here he appears to be in plain sight, but from the ground level not so much!

Ka'ena Point: 2 of 7

Ka'ena Point is one of the protected nesting grounds for the Laysan Albatross, or Moli, as they are called in Hawaii.  I learned some interesting things about them when we hiked there:

- They can weigh as much as 25 pounds, with a wing span of up to 13 feet!  (Hard to imagine when I first saw them nesting, but easy to see once they took flight!)

- They live 40-60 years and often stay out to sea, never touching land,  for up to five YEARS before returning to the island they were hatched on.  Once they find a mate, they are mated for life, and return to the same island each year just long enough to hatch a single chick before taking to the open ocean air again.

- Their nickname "Goony Bird" originated because they are very awkward on land, and have a hard time taking off and landing.  Nonetheless, they are very graceful in the air.

- An albatross in flight can be so perfectly attuned to wind conditions that it may not flap its wings for hours, or even for days, as it can sleep while flying.

Pretty cool, huh?

Ka'ena Point: 1 of 7

On the first day of 2011 we hiked to Pele's Chair, on the easternmost point of the island.  We thought it would be fun and fitting to spend the last day of 2011 hiking to Ka'ena Point, on the westernmost point of the island.  I read a description that included the phrase "scenic, remote, with stunning views of the impossibly blue Pacific" to describe the trail.  I agree - the water was a brilliant blue hue on this hot, sunny day!   Much of the coastline we passed looked like the photo here.  I am looking forward to sharing more photos and information about Ka'ena Point throughout the week - it is such a great place to experience natural Hawaii. 

Slipper Casualties

Lots of rain here lately has made for some very muddy hiking / walking trails.  These were just a few of the many abandoned slippers (flip-flops) that were stuck in the mud on the way to Pele's Chair.  I like the way the pair in the background was placed neatly together, as if the owner was taking them off at someone's front door :)

Bird's Eye View

There are plenty of scenic hikes on Oahu, and if you take the Makapu'u Trail to the top you will be rewarded with a sweeping view of the Kaiwi Channel, from Manana Island to Ulu-pa'u Head. It's Skywatch Friday, and you can see other skies from around the world by clicking here.