Beyond the Sandbox: Hanauma Bay Rim

Fence surrounding the communications transceiver

DATE: 1 June, 2010
TOTAL TIME: 2.5 hrs
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARTICIPANTS: Myself
REHIKE VALUE: 5

Hanauma Bay reserve is closed on Tuesdays by the way. No one would have probably stopped me if I climbed down from the ridge into the bay... I started this hike at high noon, parking at a nearby neighborhood. With my usual hiking pack on my back and Linkin Park in my ear, I tackled the hike in earnest.

I wasn't working on a tan; I just didn't expect it to be blazing hot

This girl was hauling ass up the hill so, being competitive, I didn't waste too much time taking pictures

It was blazing hot, just how I like it on a short hike. The trail was pretty well traveled and dry. About halfway down the south rim, I took a right toward some fishing holes. Someone left a cooler out there with water and cooking pans. Tempted, but I had already wasted enough time taking pictures. There were two volcanic craters on the rim, now filled with trees. Apparently, they were revered by ancient Hawaiians as sacred places, but I didn’t spend too much time in the area.

Wrapped up fishing gear on the ocean shelf

Silence dominates the atmosphere on the crater floor

The view was as expected and pretty much a mirror image of what you get from the highway. What interested me the most were the various colors of terrain and rock. If it weren't for those, I probably would have dozed off and fallen into the ocean or whatever you do when you fall asleep while walking. Besides the large areas of generic dry rock, there were huge sections of red rock, black volcanic rock, and a massive mosaic of I have no idea what type of rock right above the south end of Hanauma Beach. A NASA rover would have had a field day.

Black volcanic rock strewn everywhere

One can see how the color changes up the terrain

The climb back out was dry and fairly steep, but really nothing to worry about. Probably would have been easier had I packed light. I just can't seem to break the old Army habits..."Better have it and not need it, than need and not have it." Sometimes, I feel like I really 'need' a hot chick in a string bikini for a hiking buddy who hands me beer and wipes the sweat off my forehead.....