La'ie Summit Trail





View from the summit.

Date - June 5th, 2010

Length - 12 Miles Round Trip

Time - 5 Hours

Short&Sweet - Long, boring, hot, and long.

    Woo, my first hike! I decided to join a newly formed hiking group to do something new in my freetime. Today, said group decided on La'ie, a name that has come to represent all that is not good to me. The La'ie Trail starts in La'ie of all places. I'm as shocked as you.







 Welcome to La'ie!

 I hitched a ride with Andrew (the hike coordinator), and met up with fellow hikers Mike, Samantha, and Kelly in La'ie. Upon our arrival, I found out you actually need permission to hike here, but apparently no one ever bothers to obtain it. You will know you are at the trailhead by the private driveway on your right that has about ten threatening signs to dissuade trespassers. The trail starts on a long hot dry road which pretty much sums up this whole hike in my opinion.

Everyone looks so happy!

    Soon after we began gaining elevation, we started running into group after group of disgruntled hikers. All of them had ventured out to do a side trail that leads to La'ie Falls, complete with swimming hole. Unfortunately for them, the falls were dried up. Suckers. Then again we weren't much better off. Leaving the La'ie Falls junction behind, we started the very very very very long push to the summit. I swear to god this trail has more ups and downs that a freaking squiggly line. Oh look the summit! Ha, just kidding. That's just false summit number 234. Everyone eventually decided to stop for a break/heart to heart where Samantha and Kelly decided they were turning back. The rest of us decided to continue to endure this crap. We finally reached the summit which was about as climactic as watching paint dry. The great thing about this hike is that it left me with low expectations for other hikes which made them so much better. Andrew said we could follow the KST (Koolau Summit Trail) to other places, but all I saw was an endless sea of ferns. Plus KST meant absolutely nothing to me then. Alas, it was time to head home.

Aka ---> this way to ferns.

    Fun time! Mike realizes he has Samantha's keys when we depart the summit. So he takes off running back in hopes of saving the girls before they bake in the sun. I started running soon after because I get so impatient on return trips. Andrew, on the other hand, decides to take his dear sweet time due to a busted up knee, courtsey of falling off a cliff in a previous escapade. A little more than an hour later, and I'M FREE!!! Next stop, Kahuku Shrimp stands and rock jumping.



A tree