Pu'u Pahe'ehe'e P300

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Pu'u Pahe'ehe'e is a minor summit on the west coast of Oahu in the town of Waianae. Much of the volcanic ridge is surrounded by private property, but on a tip from Nandor the previous day, there is easy access via an old chinese cemetery at the base of the west ridge. There is an access path to the cemetery from Waianae Valley Rd, between two homes. There was no actual trail that we found, but there are slightly beaten down paths through the grass that makes it somewhat easier than a pure cross-country effort. The biggest dangers are the rocks hidden in the tall grass that can trip one up easily. Prudence suggests slower than usual travel across such ground. We climbed the spine of the ridge up to a municipal water tank, then continued more steeply up behind that. The gradient eases off after about 1/3mi and the second 2/3mi is a more leisurely stroll along the summit ridge with fine views in all directions. On this particular morning there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the crest of the Waianae Range to the east was displayed in all its rugged glory. There are three points of nearly equal height along Pu'u Pahe'ehe's ridge. The first, and lowest, is reached in half a mile. The highest is furthest east, a short distance west of the old USGS survey station set on a concrete base. There are several places where old barbed-wire lying across the path can trip you up - Jackie took a good spill here, drawing blood from her elbow but mostly injuring her pride. Boyfriend Ryan was along for the fun, not exactly his cup of tea, but he was a great sport about it. There were at least three place where we found bones from a medium-sized mammal scattered about. At first we thought these dogs, but later realized they were goats. Three live versions had been seen bleating on the north side of the ridge, running off when they detected our presence. After returning back to the jeep, I drove us to the nearby 7-Eleven for Slurpies, an old bribe I used back in the day to get the kids to go on hikes with me. Good times.

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