Silver Falls

After work, my co-worker said she was going hiking at Silver Falls in Oregon.  She wondered if anyone was down to go, and few of us said, "yes." 

We all went home to change into our summer weather hiking gear, consisting of shorts and tanktops, backpacks with snacks.  I took Trevor's K-Bar, a neck knife, a taser (you never know), granola bars, peanut butter sandwich crackers, pineapple juice, and water, a second cell phone as I knew I would be using one phone for pictures and the second phone could be backup in case of emergency.  I also brought rubber sandals and a hoodie.  I come prepared for the worst sometimes. 

I had never hiked in Oregon, so this was my first and I had not researched the trail.  It's a loop trail, thankfully.

Enterance to the trail head.  There were different forks in the trail but it is a loop trail, so easy to follow.

Dani, Aveline and Hannah.

The first fall we came across.

Me and the first waterfall

Zoomed in

Behind the waterfall

The first of a few breathers.  The water was great.

Jackson playing in the water 

A toy snake.  

We saw a few garter snakes, many chipmunks.  I don't think I'd ever seen a chipmunk in person before, so I was surprised at how small they were.  We waded in the water, and it was shallow and cold.  It felt good on bare feet.

There were few steep switchbacks, but benches greeted us a few times so we could cool down and relax before finishing the loop.  The trail is highly trafficked, but has many beautiful views.

'Aeia Loop Trail

Trevor chose 'Aeia Loop Trail for a moderate hike.  Back in the day, Trevor did some logging and removal of a few trees and clearing the paths in that trail, so knew the mountain fairly well.

The parking lot was beautiful and near a public restroom.  A mother hen was nesting in the grass but became nervous and walked away, with about 9 baby chicks following.

The beginning of the mountain trail was easy and pretty, with roots in the dirt to help guide your steps.  The plants were lush and green from the rain that always keeps the mountain moist.  Moss lined the wall of the mountain, the barks of trees, the crevices of rocks, and the ground below.  it was gorgeous.  Trevor introduced Ku'uipo to the Waiwi fruit  (pronounced vy-vee).  He cut one open and split half with Ku'uipo.  it was slightly tart with hard seeds inside.

The first height they reached had a bench and outlook over the cliff.  The trail continued into the woods, but Trevor and Ku'uipo stopped to enjoy this particular section of the mountain.  A couple joggers, with legs stained with mud, stopped to stretch and then continued on.  It was a clue as to what Trevor and Ku'uipo were about to explore.

They took to the trail which became muddied, and muddier, and at some points they had to walk through the mud or deep puddles.

Word of advice:  cleats, hiking boots, and/or hiking sticks would really suffice and is EXTREMELY recommend.  Make sure to pack a spare pair of shoes or slippers/flip-flops in your car or backpack.  You WILL get muddy and it IS dangerously slippery, especially on slopey areas of the trail.

The next incline Trevor and Ku'uipo found, had a fresh lilikoi fruit on the ground.  They looked for the tree, but only found the fruit.  It was Ku'uipo's first time seeing lilikoi.  She was so fascinated that it looked like a tiny melon.

On the way down the incline to the trail, Ku'uipo's walking shoes proved to fail her (hence the recommendation for cleats or all terrain hiking boots).  Ku'uipo slipped and had to jog out of her slip to avoid falling off the edge of the mountain.

Further into the mountain, the forest was thick with trees and rain.  The ground was soaking wet at times.  Trevor helped Ku'uipo through a few areas of the trail that could be potentially fatal if she slipped, as the trail was muddy and narrow.

Deep into the forest, fallen or cut trees blocked the walkway, and had to either be climbed over or crawled under.  Toward the last part of the trail, Ku'uipo and Trevor found an incline off the path.  it led to a beautiful view and allowed one to realize just how high up you really are.  H3 could be seen below and the cars were small like ants.  900 Feet.

Trevor and Ku'uipo declined and followed the trail out.  Soon enough, they were back to the first end of the parking lot which took an incline back up to the area they initially started.  The incline back to the vehicle was the hardest.

Ku'uipo at the trailhead 

A memorial left near the beginning of the trail 

Beginning of trail 

Ku'uipo's first Hawaiian fir tree

Roots.  they look like an obstacle in the beginning but are very helpful when the ground becomes slippery.

First wooded tunnel of many

Waiwi fruit

First real overlook, of many

Secluded area of trail, Ku'uipo became FREE

H3 freeway below

You WILL get muddy

Trevor's crazy ass, 900 feet up, over the side of the mountain.

Ku'uipo's first kiss in rain, ever

Ka'ena Point Trail Hike

Trevor and Ku'uipo went to Ka'ena Point Hiking Trail.

The trailhead begins on a dirt road where Farrington Highway comes to a complete stop.  There is a makeshift parking lot and signs that mention not to leave valuables in the vehicle and to lock your car.

The trail was muddy at 7am and Ku'uipo wore white running shoes, the only athletic shoes Ku'uipo has in Hawai'i.  They were given to her and she doesn't care whether they stay dirty or clean.  She did bring along a pair of flip-flops, or as the locals say, "slippahs," because her former walk to Kea'au Beach Park caused a gnarly blister to the back of her heel.

About a quarter of a mile into the walk, Trevor saw a spot he wanted to take a picture at, and realized his phone wasn't with him.  He had to turn back.  Ku'uipo could not keep up with his fast gait, So she opted to run to the car.  He mentioned the phone may be on the ground, on the top of the car, or on the dashboard.

Thankfully, the phone was on the dashboard.  Ku'uipo and Trevor commenced their journey into Ka'ena Point Trail.  When they got to the initial area Trevor realized his phone was missing, they took a picture.

The hike was mainly a muddy pathway with the occasional view of an old defunct railroad track and the beautiful Pacific Ocean banging against lava reefs below.

Along various areas were jeep and big truck owners doing plenty of fishing.   About halfway to the end, a few small trails off the actual trail were made and Ku'uipo and Trevor tried them.  Due to the large rocks and brush, these areas made perfect latrines for hikers and were apparent by the human waste left behind.  It's best to stay on the main track to avoid accidentally stepping in waste.

At about 75% to the end of the trail, the cliff and railroad tracks were destroyed by a tsunami in 1946.  At some point the driveable road becomes just a pedestrian width of trail and then becomes a bit more hazardous as you incline over the side of the mountain to head toward the Nature Reserve.

The Nature reserve is gated but entry is possible through double sliding gates.  Inside there are nesting Wedgetailed Shearwaters.  They are a grey bird that nestles in burrows in the ground.

Ku'uipo also saw and became excited over what she assumed were ginormous Seagulls.  She she mentioned seagulls didn't get that big in California, that the seagulls in California looked like pigeons compared to Oahu's seagulls.  Come to find out, they were not seagulls at all, but Laysan Albatrosses.

After passing the birds area, the end has an old bunker colored in graffiti.  Ku'uipo and Trevor spent time looking around from the bunker and enjoying each other's company in the form of PDA.

Trevor and Ku'uipo on bunker

Ku'uipo and Trevor with North shore side behind them

After some time on the bunker, a gentleman who was visiting with his family told Trevor and Ku'uipo to quietly view the monk seals below.  After a picture with the monk seals Trevor and Ku'uipo headed back to the beginning.

Monk seals

Trevor and Ku'uipo

Laupāhoehoe rocks (basalt stones)

Naupaka Kuahiwi

Kea'au Beach Park

I am basing my review on the "hike" due to a trail posted on AllTrails.com.

For someone looking for a hike, this is NOT a hiking trail. I got my satisfaction by walking 45 minutes to Kea'au. When I got there, the "trail" is a driveway to the parking lot. Kea'au is basically a scenic resting stop and park (no swings or slides) on a beachfront. Waves are big and beautiful.

 Beware. The closer you go to the water while in the grass, the swampier the grass becomes in certain areas, due to random ginormous waves. Great place to park and picnic.

Other than that, breaking in some white running shoes, they got dirty but I don't care because I didn't buy them.  They also gave me a blister on my right Achilles tendon.