Pihea, HI

Hiked: 1/4/2023
Distance: 2.3 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 4284'
Elevation Gain: 712'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.5
Round trip time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: $20 State Parks Fee at Pu'u O Kila Lookout ($10 + $5/person)
Difficulty: Easy (muddy and slippery)

We drove to the top of Waimea Canyon and parked at the Pu'u O Kila Lookout. Cloud completely enveloped us so there were no views. Our target was Pihea Mountain, a short hike from the lookout, but it there was a steady mist coming down on a notoriously muddy trail. We started by dropping about 200' in the first half mile, using trees to control the slippery and muddy descent. We were in a full rain forest and the entire trail was sloppy. We gave up trying to avoid the mud and slogged through it. The trail rolled gently up and down, then we caught a glimpse of Pihea through the clouds and mist. The final quarter mile had a couple of short scramble sections that were tricky on the slick packed mud. Fortunately, there were ample, sturdy roots to propel our progress and at the end a metal fence for solid holds. We reached the summit and found a benchmark, but it was probably too popular for a register. There was a sign warning of danger and explaining the purpose of the fence. The sun tried to burn off the clouds, but they stubborning refused to part. It was tricky getting back down, and we ended up caked in mud, but made it back without a fall. We passed a few other parties on their way up, some better prepared than others. One lady had microspikes, a good idea in the rain. On the drive down, we stopped below the clouds to get a photo of Wimea Canyon. This was a fun, short hike, and worth the drive.

Wailua River to Secret Falls, HI

Hiked: 1/3/2023
Distance: 6.8 miles round trip on river and trail
Summit Elevation: 214'
Elevation Gain: 100'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.1
Round trip time: 4 hours
Recommended water: 20 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Kayak Wailua
Difficulty: Easy

Our first adventure on Kauai was a guided kayak/hike to the "Secret Falls" on the Wailua River. Secret is a joke because there are a dozen guided tours leading throngs of people to the falls every day. We booked a morning tour through Kayak Wailua. There were twelve of us on the trip and we took off from the Wailua Marina at the same time as another group. The first part of the trip was a 2.1 mile kayak paddle to the trailhead. The river is calm with no white water and no obstacles, except a couple of trees in the water. The only hazard was the large tour boats that run on the south side of the river, while kayakers/paddleboarders are supposed to stay on the north side. After some general instructions, he turned us loose and we reassembled just before the trailhead. We beached our kayaks and followed our guide up the trail.

The hike was 1.3 miles of maintained trail, though there were parts that were muddy and there were three stream crossings. One of the crossings was knee deep. Toward the end were some roots and rocks to navigate, and a short scramble section. The problem with group hikes is you move at the speed of your slowest member. In our case, it was a woman from Canada who had twisted her ankle the day before and was limping along on her wrapped ankle. We all felt bad for her, but she was a drag on our group and we frequently had to wait for other groups to pass while she caught up. Eventually, we got to the falls and it was a decent payoff. It was about 150' high and had a nice pool below. But, there were at least 50 people milling around putting the lie to "secret". After 45 minutes at the falls, we returned the same way. While launching the kayak for the return trip, I stepped into what looked like shallow water only to sink up to my knees in a leaf pile. My legs were coated with mud/leaves the rest of the trip. The scenery along the Wailua River and hike was beautiful, but I can't recommend this trip due to overcrowding. There are better places to go on Kauai.

2022 Retrospective

Josephine Peak

Hiked: 12/26/2022
Distance: 8 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 5558'
Elevation Gain: 1900'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.5
Round trip time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 48 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Clear Creek Ranger Station
Difficulty: Moderate

Leisa and I ended the hiking year on Josephine Peak (HPS #229). We got a leisurely start around 9:00 AM and had to park in the overflow lot at Clear Creek Ranger Station. A half dozen other parties were also getting ready or getting started up the Josephine Fire Road. The road is smooth and in great shape. The gain is steady but never steep as it switchbacks up the mountain. Near the top, it goes around the north side, then spirals around to the summit. There are some antennas on top, a full register, and a benchmark stamped "Mount Lowe". The official Mount Lowe is now near Echo Mountain, so Josephine must have been renamed after the mark was placed. Nice 360 views, especially of Strawberry Peak. We shared the summit with several other hikers, then made great time down. A pleasant hike in unusually warm weather.

Downtown LA, Catalina in the background

El Cajon (x3), El Capitan, Silverdome II

Hiked: 12/23/2022
Distance: 12.2 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 3675' (El Cajon), 3367' (El Capitan), 3177' (Silverdome II)
Elevation Gain: 4121'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.3
Round trip time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 100 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Wildcat Canyon Road
Difficulty: Strenuous

This was a training hike to log some elevation gain before year end. It was my third summit of El Cajon, and I picked up two new sub-peaks, El Capitan and Silverdome II. I parked at the normal trailhead on Wildcat Canyon Road and was one of a dozen cars in the lot. I followed the road up to the start of the trail. I had forgotten there were restrooms where the trail started, a nice convenience. I started at a brisk pace, going up and down the hills on the main trail. It's about 5.5 miles to the top of El Cajon and I made it in a single push. There was a new metal sign on the summit, but no register. The benchmark was still in tact on one of the boulders.

I descended back to the main trail, then took the signed trail to El Capitan. There was a metal shed near the top filled with trash. A metal pole marked the summit on a small boulder. I checked out the highest boulder on top and found no marks or register. It had a great view of Silverdome II, and I was tempted to head directly to it. However, with no trace of a use trail, I thought I'd probably regret it.

Final approach to El Cajon

El Cajon from El Capitan

Silverdome II from El Capitan
I returned to the main trail and dropped down and back up a few hundred feet to the saddle between El Cajon and Silverdome II. There was a short trail that led part way up Silverdome II, ending at three mine adits decorated with wreaths. Each went back only 20-30'. The next half mile or so was a moderate bushwhack. First, I started up toward the ridge, using boulders when possible. I tried to head around the first cliff on the right, but got bogged down in brush well over my head. Then, I headed left of the cliff and found lighter brush, mostly knee to waist high. I climbed up a false summit, then saw the true summit further away. The summit boulder was about 15', class 3 with good holds and minimal exposure. Below it, I found a register placed by Larry Edmunds in 2019. It only had 10 signatures, counting my own. Bob Burd signed it May 27, 2026. Now, I know his secret to prolific peakbagging, he is coming back from the future! Eric Newcomb bagged Silverdome II in 2014, so there have been others. I understand the dearth of visits, the brush can be disconcerting. I found a much better path on the way back. The descent had more gain than I remembered, but that was the point.

Bushwhack from here, lightest brush is left of the boulder line in the center

Summit boudlers

El Cajon from Silverdome II

Circle Mountain

Hiked: 12/16/2022
Distance: 2.6 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 6880'
Elevation Gain: 975'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.0
Round trip time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Recommended water: 20 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Lone Pine Canyon Road turnout
Difficulty: Easy

A storm the previous weekend dumped some snow in the local mountains. I thought I'd reacqauint myself with winter gear on an easy mountain just outside Wrightwood. I wasn't sure from the NOAA snow map if Circle (HPS #122) got 2" or 8" of snow, so I brought spikes and crampons for a game time decision. The snow appeared to be 2"-3", so I left with spikes and no axe. I found a good use trail all the way up Circle and footprints from recent days. The south face of the mountain was completely melted, but the trail went up the NW slope where snow still lingered. At the top, I found a metal triangle marker, but no register or marks. Marks might have been under the snow. There were two benches installed for viewing. One to the north, and one farther away to the east. I visited the east bench, then came back for photos on the summit. The round trip from the truck was less than 2 hours. I was alone on the mounatin the entire trip.

Eastern bench

Mecca Hill Benchmark (attempt)

Hiked: 12/2/2022
Distance: 8.4 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 1600'
Elevation Gain: 1250'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.0
Round trip time: 4 hours
Recommended water: 48 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Airport Blvd
Difficulty: Moderate (dangerous)

Mecca Hills are famous for their amazing geology and slot canyons, including the popular Ladder Canyon. Mecca Hill Benchmark is not the high point of the hills, but is difficult to reach from any direction. It is protected by badlands and broken terrain where topo maps and satellite views don't offer much insight. My friend Adam Walker found a route to the top of Mecca Hill on his second attempt, but it required climbing a loose, class 4 mud wall. It looked beyond my acceptable level of risk, so I tried to reach the same ridge line he used, but back at it's origin. I carefully studied the topo, and created my own route that deviated from his at the end.

I parked off Airport Blvd at a locked gate near the West Coast Sand and Gravel operation. Here is a Google Map from Palm Springs. I hiked past the gate toward Mecca Hill for about 2 miles before getting onto a snaking dirt road. Another mile or so got me to the base of the target ridge. I could tell as I approached it there was no easy way up. The start of the ridge was sandstone pillars uplifted vertically, wrapped in dried mud, and all of it severely eroded. I followed one of the canyons past the ridge and discovered one of the walls had collapsed, spilling giant monoliths into the path. I imagined this kind of collapse could happen at any time and anywhere on this mountain. I searched up a gully that I hoped would wind upward, but it ended abruptly at a 15' dirt wall. I returned to the ridge and spotted what I thought was an intentional cairn placed at one of the slot openings. I started up this slot, hitting class 3 early, and stopped at a large chockstone. It was an easy class 3 move to get over the chockstone, but I saw a crevasse on the other side of it, though there was a 3' ledge on the left. Everything felt too unstable and crumbled when I touched it. The ledge probably would have held my weight, but I was not feeling it. Had all of this been granite, I certainly would have continued. Instead, I flew the drone to get a better look at what was ahead. This slot might have gotten me to the ridge, but there were no guarantees. Maybe it was an easier way up, but I'm not sure. I doubt I'll make another attempt on this mountain, but I greatly appreciated the unusual geology.

Parked here

Start of the ridge

Wall collapse

Loooking back