Temple Saturday

Instead of going for a hike this Saturday, Mike Duvernay invited me to the La`ie Hawai`i Temple for his step-father-in-law's endowment session.

I got to take some pics before the session started.

The Visitor's Center has a 1855 copy of the Book of Mormon in Hawaiian:

After wards we went to Giovanni's for some shrimp and Kat Duvernay's step-father made some pork adobo!

Stopped by the Kapa`a Quarry/Kawainui Marsh RC airplane field:

Rest of the pics:

Capital Place

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Had dinner with a new family in our ward, the Barton's. This is the view from their place at the top of Bishop Street downtown.

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You really should click on the pictures and view them in their original size.

Another family in our ward, the Arias' made empanadas. Really good.

Cheese:

Eggs:

Green Onions:

And some potatoes made these:

Sommer and Brooke Barton outside on the lanai.

Some pics from their lanai:

The Governor's office:

St Andrew's Cathedral:

The corner of Beretania and Bishop:

The State Capital:

Looking up Beretania towards Diamond Head:

The rest of the pics:

Koko Head...Not the Koko Head You're Thinking Of...

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Today Sommer wanted to do a short hike so we headed up the less traveled Koko Head hike, up and around the ridge surrounding Hanauma Bay.  Luckily it was a bright sunny day...and that made this trek very, very hot...

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There is a road that starts just at the entrance to the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve and heads up to the top of Koko Head. We started at the parking lot for the Koko Head Crater park, where you usually park to head up the tracks for Koko Head Crater. From the park we walked up a road toward Hanauma Bay and veered right up just past the bus stop and up past a locked gate toward Koko Head.

The road is short, only about one and a half miles to get to the top. Up at the top are some cell towers and radio towers.

At the top of the hill is an FAA radio beacon/transmitter.

The whole thing was fenced off with clear warnings not to trespass. At the middle was a large white transmitter/beacon, about 15 feet tall.

I really wanted to trek down and around the far end of Koko Head where there is a little loop that edges around a couple of crates hidden from view from the main road. In one of the craters is a very rare fern/clover, the Ihi‘ihilauakea, that grows only on a couple of places on O`ahu and Moloka`i. The ferns only germinate when they are submerged in water. Unfortunately for the ferns the Koko Head pond only fills about once every six of seven years!  Anyway, I wanted to hike down around the craters at the far end of Hanauma Bay.  Sommer didn't want to come, but after some prodding she reluctantly agreed to come down along the trail at the end of the road on top of Koko Head.

Unfortunately I led Sommer down the wrong trail that ended up one ridge over from where I wanted to go...and there was no way to cross over to the right ridge.  So, that trek will have to wait for another day.

Looking over the edge of the cliffs leading down to the ocean I saw a turtle!

He was even trying to race a kayaker...a modern day tortoise and the hare!

The whole time several helicopters buzzed all around and over head, including this police helicopter.

From up on top of Koko Head there are some great views of Hawaii Kai and Kohala, Hanauma Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Sommer pointing out the tracks going up Koko Head Crater.

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Rest of the set here.

Bonus...dinner:

Kanealole, Makiki Valley, and Maunalaha trails

Did the Makiki Valley loop today.  The Duvernay's and the Daw's, along with Arii Maeda came along with Sommer and I.

Some mushrooms along the way.

Berries at the end.