Our friends in Hawaii love to hike and find all kinds of
great places to go. This trip, they rewarded us with a hike along the Hanauma
Bay Ridge. There is no shade. There is
wind. It is along a ridge line with fantastic views of the Bay. You can park at
Hanauma Bay and take the paved road around the Bay to the ridge line. We took a
different route and parked in a nearby neighborhood and entered from the road.
Short uphill to get to the paved section, and then climb. Where the paved road
ends near the power lines, you have to make a choice, stay along the ridge to
the left or head inland to the right. Both get you where you are going . . .
destination Hidden Bridge. We chose to follow the ridge line above the Bay. The
views were spectacular. We got amazing views of the Bay and great views of Koko
Head Train Path. (I am going to conquer that beast this time.) The path is red
dirt with minimal shade and it goes down and up and down and up and down.
We encountered this really beautiful plant that I couldn't resist taking pictures of.
We passed the ancestral home of the Ihi' Ihilauakea tribe. We paid respect to the elders. I felt we should be very quiet here.
Eventually we came across an opening in some bushes . . .and that’s my best description. And then it was clambering down a steep dusty hill with very irregular footing and rocks and crevices. Then, wham!!!
There it was. The Hidden Bridge. Years of water power against a wall of lava rock formed a bridge. The waves were incredible and you could feel the power continuing to erode the ground beneath us. Today, I did not venture to stand on the bridge. The waves were high and rough. Someone had already been swept off earlier that day and I didn’t really want to be taken out by helicopter. Honestly, I think I could have sat there all day and been mesmerized by the power and beauty of the ocean.
But, it was getting hot and I was hungry. As we headed back, we took the
inland route. It was steeper than the way in. It was scrubby and barren and
really, I could have been on the moon, because it surely doesn’t look like the
postcards of lush and green Hawaii. Again some amazing views, this time of
Waikiki and Diamond Head. Back to the power plant and thank goodness, downhill
on the paved portion and back to the car.
Next stop, LUNCH!!!
Sadly, later this evening, we had to drop the Hawaiians at the airport and we were on our own the next few weeks.
The pace is off, but the map and elevation seems pretty accurate. It was beautiful. I would do it again.
