Haiku Stairs Sunrise - August 4, 2012 (Coming Soon)

UPDATE:  Haiku Stairs is closed.  Access to the Stairs requires permission from numerous public and/or private entities that currently do not offer access, including the Board of Water Supply, City and County of Honolulu, and the State of Hawai`i.  Please support the efforts of groups like the Friends of Haiku Stairs to educate and pressure the State and City & County to re-open this historic and breathtaking treasure of Hawai`i.

Coming Soon:

Mariner's Ridge Sunrise - July 14, 2012 (Coming Soon)

Coming Soon

Kamehame Ridge Sunrise - July 9, 2012

Brinton called me Sunday night asking for a good sunrise "hike" for the Honolulu Hawaii Stake, LDS Missionaries to do in the morning.  I recommended Kamehame Ridge in Hawaii Kai as an easy hike with an awesome payoff in terms of view and sunrise.  Since Sommer had a 10 am doctor's appointment the next morning, I offered to guide Brinton and the missionaries for the sunrise hike.

We arrived at the lookout just as the sun started to peak above the horizon.

The missionaries lined up to take pictures with each other.

The sunrise did not disappoint.

Rest of the pictures here:

Koko Crater Sunrise - June 30, 2012

Brinton Johnson accompanied me for a sunrise trek up the Koko Crater tracks.

Despite starting early in the darkness, I just barely beat the sun to the horizon.

Koko Crater cast a long shadow as the sunrose.

After the sun topped out over the horizon, we turned back and headed down the tracks.

Makapu`u Lighthouse Sunrise - June 23, 2012

Headed up to the Makapu`u Lighthouse for a quick little sunrise "hike" last month. I started in the darkness before the parking lot was open. Parking on the side of the highway I made my way up the paved "trail" to the Makapu`u Lighthouse and lookout. I was once again all alone on the trail. Someone was camping (I assume fishing) at the tidepools because a moped was parked and locked to the whale watching sign near the top. I immediately wished I had taken my moped up the path instead of walking. I quickly made my way to the lookout and waited for sunrise.

Matt and Rachel locked in their love at the lookout.

The sunrise did not disappoint. The sky was on fire!

After the sun popped up over the horizon I took a quick self shot and admired a sunrise rainbow before pulling myself up the slight incline and rocks to the bunkers at the top of Makapu`u Point.

There was the usual graffiti and tagging in the bunkers.

The view from the top was amazing!

I made my way down the face of Makapu`u Point to Makapu`u Lookout overlooking Makapu`u Beach. On the way down I passed a tourist couple making their way up the face of the hill with no clue where they were going. I directed them to the trail heading up and made my way down to the parking lot and my car on the side of the road. No one was rock climbing, yet.

Thankfully my car was still in one piece! Another Saturday, another sunrise hike!

Rest of the picture here:

Pu`u Ma`eli`eli - June 16, 2012

Initially planned to hit up Ka`ena Point and check out the bunkers and cave at the point with Brinton and Maria Johnson. Brinton informed me Friday night that he had a 2nd year anniversary surprise for Maria on Saturday so he wanted to do a sunrise hike. I was excited because I've been wanting to catch the sunrise from Pu`u Ma`eli`eli since Sommer and I and the Daw's did this hike earlier this year.  Now I had an excuse!

We pushed off from Hui Iwa Place in Temple Valley at 4:30 am. The trail to the bunkers at the top of Pu`u Ma`eli`eli is short but kinda steep. It only took about half an hour of hiking in the dark to top out. I thought there would be a crowd at the top but thankfully we were the only ones watching the sunrise from Pu`u Ma`eli`eli that morning.

Within a few minutes the sun peaked over the clouds.

The sunrise from Pu`u Ma`eli`eli was spectacular!

Rest of the pictures here:

Lanikai Loop - June 9, 2012

Couldn't sleep Friday night (just found out the day before the Sommer and I were expecting triplets!). At around 3:30 am Saturday morning I decided I wasn't getting any sleep so I might as well go watch the sunrise. Hopped in the car and headed out to Lanikai and the Ka`iwa Ridge Bunkers. When I got to the first bunker it was still pitch black but the first bunker was packed with pre-dawn hikers. I made my was to the less crowded second bunker and set up shop to film and watch the sunrise.

I had forgot to charge the batteries on my DSLR (because I wasn't really planning on hiking this morning) and my back up battery was dead (forgot to charge that battery, too). The battery in the DSLR died just after the sun peaked over the clouds on the horizon.

I decided to head up Ka`iwa Ridge and do the Lanikai Loop. The rising sun created dramatic lighting on the Ko`olau.

Click to view large.

I turned left at one of the forks in the trail and turned back towards Bellows and the end of Lanikai.

I dropped down from Ka`iwa Ridge to Po`opo`o Place at the end of Lanikai.

From Po`opo`o Place it's a simple walk along Mokolua Drive back to the start of the Lanikai Pillbox/Ka`iwa Ridge trail head.

Rest of the pictures here: