Monday, September 23, 2013

Tiki Ridge to Unnamed Peak to Puʻu Kawiwi

Except for one or two times where my parents took me as a baby (which I don't remember anyway), I've never been to Waiʻanae. After the many years I've lived on Oahu, I never had a reason or desire to head out to that side, until this past weekend when Nick and I decided to check out a trail marked as "extreme" on David Chatsuthiphan's site, Unreal Hawaii.

We saw the pictures from David's post, Pu’u Kawiwi, No Name, Tiki Ridge, and were eager to try the hike ourselves. You might notice the title of my post is in the reverse order from David's, and that's because we accidentally did the trail backwards from what was planned. We felt like this backwards route changed the difficulty of the trail significantly, and we found ourselves descending some steep and hair-raising sections that would have been easier the other way around. Either way, this hike should only be attempted by experienced hikers who aren't afraid of heights and climbing. There is a significant amount of climbing on this hike in addition to some steep parts on the way up to the ridge, so make sure you're in shape and bring lots of water.

True Manamana - The complete trail

This write up is long overdue. Aaron and I headed over to the Kualoa area to check out the True Manamana trail about a month ago, but I hadn't gotten around to writing about the adventure. Reaching the True Manamana trail involves first reaching the turnaround on the regular Manamana trail, which is a long and strenuous trek to begin with. Not wanting to go through the same experience as the last time we went on the trail, we made sure to pack extra water. As a warning, the True Manamana hike is said to be one of the hardest and most dangerous on the island. You'll need to be able to handle thin, crumbly sections with steep drops on both sides. Wind gusts may come and go abruptly, throwing you off balance, which can be dangerous on this trail. Despite those threats, the hike is very fun and provides some nice views on clear days.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Olomana - Down the third peak

I had been wanting to check the entirety of Olomana off my to-do list for quite some time, and not just the usual trail where you back track after reaching the third peak; I wanted to see how the trail looked going down the third peak and try to exit through the entrance of the Olomana trail.

I checked out a little of the hike down the third peak earlier but was on a time budget because our group didn't have time allotted for potentially getting lost in the dense forest that's sandwiched between the golf course and the mountains. This time, however, we made sure to start early in order to factor in any extra time required to find our way out of an otherwise un-trekked trail, as far as I know.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Moanalua Saddle to Haiku Stairs Hike

It's been quite some time since I've gone on a new trail and a trail worth writing about. Nick wanted to check out the Moanalua Saddle trail and hook up with the stairs so we could get down. I have to say, because of the terrain and likeliness of severely hurting or killing yourself on this hike, it's definitely one of the most crazy and extreme hikes on the island. Compared to True Manamana, I thought this hike was more difficult.

You're pretty much traveling on a narrow path that consists mainly of loose dirt and rocks along with far drops on either side. Depending on the weather, you might also need to deal with intense gusts of wind. If it rains, this hike may not even be possible. You shouldn't attempt this hike if you are afraid of heights or are not sure of your hiking abilities.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Electric Skateboard Calculator

Electric Skateboard Speed Calculator

This calculator is intended to help you find the theoretical maximum speed for an electric skateboard. It takes motor kV as an input because it is aimed more at electric skateboards, but it may work for electric scooters and electric bikes.