Ka'ena Point Hike

Hello everyone, it's the weekend!

Ka'ena Point is the westernmost point on Oahu "ka'ena" in Hawaiian means "the heat." No small wonder that. Both times I've hiked to the point have been in the sun with a hot wind on my shoulder, so to speak. The mountainsides are often parched and shade is sparse, but a number of animals and vegetation call Ka'ena home.

I hiked from the North Shore entrance with my sister back at the end of March. It says about 6 miles, I started the log late. We did a lot of stopping too (so I could take pictures) but it was lovely. And hot!

This is the hike I did today with my friend and her hubby. I only recorded us going one way. It was an earlier start so slightly less hot. But still hot!

The uneven road leads to a Natural Area Reserve for moli (Laysan albatross) and wedge-tailed shearwater, which is actually fenced off from rats and other opportunistic animals prowling nests. There are also a number of native plants inside the reserve under the same protection. Hikers have to pass through a double-door enclosure to get inside and must stay on a marked trail for the remainder of the hike.

Fun fact: Some ancient stories depict Ka'ena as the launching point for souls bound for the after life.

All right, I've actually done this hike in two parts. The first time I went with my sister from the northern entrance (and these are the pictures you will see below) roughly a month ago during the heat of the day. The second time, today, I went with a good friend of mine and her husband from the western entrance. Most of the other Hawaiian isles have a road that goes around the entire island. This is not the case in Oahu. Our roads dead-end at Ka'ena Point.

I participated in geocaching on today's hike rather than taking pictures, which I really enjoyed! Modern treasure hunting, ahoy!

A young Hawaiian Monk seal takes a nap in the sand.

Having done the entire hike from both sides, albeit on different days at different times, I can say that the western entrance is much easier to walk as the northern has potholes galore. However, the northern entrance treated us to many more welcoming little coves to explore and swim and we were treated to many more animal sightings. I'll make a list!

North Shore (northern) 2.5 mi; 5 mi round-trip                

PROS

-Faster to get to (less lights)                                              

-Plenty of native wildlife to see                                        

-Plenty of little private coves to dive into and explore                                                                

                                            

CONS

-It's hot                                                                       

-The terrain is really rough and four-wheel drivers are everywhere       

-No restrooms       

Waianae (western) 2.5 mi; 5 mi round-trip

PROS

 -Mostly even terrain for hiking

 -Less competition for parking

 -Less four-wheelers squeezing you out on the path

CONS

-It's hot

-The road is washed out toward the end, you'll have to do some minor climbing. 

-No restrooms                                                  

I highly recommend anyone who goes on these hikes to bring plenty of water and sun tan lotion and to leave early enough to beat the heat. I hiked the first time right around 11 a.m. and it was a scorcher the entire way. I'm not one to walk around with my shirt off unless I'm swimming, but I did that day. After swimming. Which was perfect after hiking the bulk of the trip.

LOOK--A WHALE!

Both entrances lead to the point and are roughly a 2.5 mi trail, which ends up being a 5-mile hike there and back again. Set aside a good 3 hours for this one. And seriously, the earlier you can trot this beast, the better. Not only will you get better parking, but you'll only overheat for maybe half the hike.

Ka'ena Point, the westernmost point on Oahu. If you look closely, you can spot two monk seals. Can you find them?

Other than the blazing sun, little shade, and bumpy terrain in spots, this makes for a nice hike. And the views are gorgeous!

Looking back toward Oahu, the path splits east and south.

The first time I hiked this trail, my sister and I walked from North Shore, which lies in this direction.

And for the second hike my friends and I came up from Waianae. 

Fun fact: The point was named after one of Madame Pele's, the volcano goddess, brothers.

My sister was game to go swimming in one of the inlets on my first hike and that was awesome and totally refreshing. The second time I got to geocache with my friend Michelle and her hubby. It's a lot of fun hunting around for the containers and seeing what little treasures are in them. It's also neat to see other people 'playing' this worldwide game and the last time the cache was 'looted' so to speak. 

Either way gets you to the point and either way has its pros and cons, but it is a hike I recommend all visitors to Hawaii (and residents for that matter) do, if not to take in the scorched western side, than to see some native flora and fauna and take a dip!

Happy Sunday.