Kona, Naturally!

Hawaiian Trail on Proposed Motorsport Site

2007-03-16T19:57:00.001-10:00

Looking mauka and makai.

Two more photos from KaLaeMano hike

2006-08-26T08:50:00.000-10:00

KaLaeMano (Shark Point) as seen from end of trail across north fork of 1800 lava flow:

Detail of a'a lava:

Hiking Kona - Kiholo South - Part 3: KaLaeMano

2006-08-25T19:08:00.000-10:00

The a'a trail ends up on this 2000 year-old pahoehoe (smooth lava) flow. KaLaeMano (Shark Point) is the name of a small geographic feature about three-quarters of a mile south of where the a'a ends, but is also used to refer to the general area framed, north and south by the split 18000 Ka'upulehu lava flow. There are low cliffs in some areas. Be sure to carefully select your way in and out of the water. Reef shoes are a plus. But the water is inviting:

Away from the bare rock at the shoreline are dramatic black and white rock beaches, and, above that, white sand:

And big swaths of brilliant green and pink, the native Pohuehue:
There are campsites and firepits carved out of the keawe forest. Plenty of firewood that you'd pay Lowes $10 a bag for. There is also a very good fishing site somewhere near.

Hiking Kona - Kiholo South - Part 2: A'a, a'a, and more a'a.

2006-08-16T19:24:00.000-10:00

When you take the trail at the far end of Luahinewai Beach. For the next mile or a little more you are walking on a very well-made Hawaiian trail through the very rough a'a of the 1800 Ka'upulehu flow, complete with smooth ocean rocks. The a'a flow provides a rough, elemental environment which, although picturesque:

or:

Or even:

By the time you see the end, you'll be glad. Remember bare lava + sun = hot. Bring lots of water.

The end of the trail and a glimpse of KaLaeMano:

Hiking Kona - Kiholo Bay going south - Part 1: Luahinewai

2006-08-14T17:41:00.000-10:00

I started the story of this hike here.
Anyways, at the south end of Kiholo Bay
a trail goes to Luahinewai, the legendary cool pond where Kamehameha's rival, Keoua, who missed having all the vowels in his name by one "i", bathed ritually on his way to being killed by Kamehameha's men at Puukohola. Sometime, probably in the Ariyoshi years, the state gave someone, no doubt with political ties, the right to not only build a house right next to the pond, but restrict all public access to the pond. Nice pond, though.

To get to Luahinewai beach you have to cross a short trail (10 minutes) across a'a lava (1800 Ka'upulehu flow). Bring plenty of water.

About halfaway to Luahinewai is this little isolated beach.

Hiking in Kona: Kaloko National Historic Park

2006-07-30T20:07:00.000-10:00

Between the "official" entrance to Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park anf Costco Road is the "old" entrance to the park, that goes down to Kaloko Pond. Park at the end of the road and walk to the left. The beginning of the trail goes through this grove of Milo trees. Since it's a federal park, it's thousands of times better maintained than a state or county park.

The work on the fishpond wall continues, but you can walk part of the way out, up to the sign that says "Do not enter." The stonework is very nicely done.

Picnic tables, trash cans and tiolets are available at the end of the road.

Most of the trail looks like this. The ocean is always 20-50 feet away, to the right.

Official Website

Update: Lehua in Pu'uAnahulu Forest

2006-05-14T17:04:00.000-10:00

As I predicted here, the ohia lehua in the Pu'uAnahulu Forest are in full bloom.

Here is a yellow ohia lehua.

Close up, the structure of the yellow flowers.

Hikes in Kona - Kiholo Bay (south end)

2006-05-13T20:10:00.000-10:00

There is public access to Kiholo Bay off Queen Kaahumanu Highway at about the 83 mile marker. At the bottom of the hill, go to the left, not straight ahead. At the far south end of the area you can drive to, there's a trail where the grey sand meets the 1800 a'a flow.

The trail crosses the a'a to a small secluded beach, a larger secluded beach with Luahine Pond
behind it, and, after crossing a couple miles of a'a, it reaches KaLaeMano (shark point), the subject of this 2000 Hawaii Supreme Court case.

Kiholo Bay, looking north from the south end.

Nature Hikes in Kona - Easy - Pu'u Anahulu forest

2006-04-30T15:46:00.000-10:00

Two tenths of a mile North of the 18 Mile Marker on Rout 190, Hawaii Belt Highway, AKA the mauka road between Kona and Waimea. Is an entrance (There's another entrance on the makai side of the highway, .3 miles South) to a state conservation area, used for hunting. The gravel road makes the hike easy for anyone.

Native trees abound, mainly Ohia Lehua and Lama. Both are looking good right now, thanks to recent rains. The lama have nice red-brown new leaves that fade to green as they mature. The lehua should be really spectacular in a week or two, though some are in bloom already.

Some of the lehua are just starting to bloom.

'Ohe Makai - Nice Native Hawaiian Tree That No One Knows About 2

2006-04-23T21:13:00.000-10:00

'Ohe Makai

15 feet or so off Hina Lani Drive (Costco Road)

Slideshow of nice 'Ohe Makai photos taken by Forest and Kim Starr on Maui

The plant isn't in bloom now, but here's what the leaves and blossoms look like.

Kona's Native Hawaiian Plants - A'ali'i

2006-04-23T20:58:00.000-10:00

This plant is 5 feet mauka of the upper road just at the beginning of the Hualalai ranch grasslands, the part with many, many, Kaulia trees but no fireline, or other measures to protect the trees.

Those are seed pods, not flowers.

Jacarandas in bloom.

2006-04-23T17:50:00.000-10:00

Along the upper road between Kona and Waimea, from a little past Kona Highlands to Puuanahulu, the jacarandas are in bloom. Jacarandas'
color contrasts nicely with the yellow flowers of the silkoak

Kona's Native Hawaiian Plants - Pukiawe

2006-04-16T11:59:00.000-10:00

From this morning's early hike, pukiawe fruit with morning dew. They do look a little like Easter eggs, so we're still topical.

Happy Easter/Happy Spring Festival/Happy April 16th!

2006-04-16T08:49:00.000-10:00

Sunrise over Mauna Kea from the crest of Hualalai, 3 hours ago.
Looking the other way, the shadow of Hualalai goes out to sea, dividing OTEC into shade and sun. Happy Easter for those who celebrate it, Happy Passover (is it supposed to be happy? if not, substitute "holy" or whatever). No jokes about the muslims, though (although I think one of the clouds in the first picture looks like Mohammed, but I won't say which one).

Kona's Native Hawaiian Flowers - Alahe'e

2006-04-15T12:54:00.000-10:00

As always after we get significant rain in Kona, the Alahe'e bloom. Alahe'e is the Native Hawaiian member of the coffee family, and the flowers and leaves look very similar. In Kona, they are common in the rough triangle formed by Palani Road, Queen Kaahumanu Highway, and Hina Lani (Costco Road). These plants are about 50' off Hina Lani about halfway up, across some nasty a'a, which I traversed in slippers (just part of the enormous sacrifices I make to bring my loyal readers (Hah!) these pictures.)

Alahe'e, as you can see, has nice shiny leaves, as nice as mock orange, and beautiful, fragrant flowers. For the next week or so you should be able to smell them, if you roll down your windows, between Kealakehe and town, and on Hina Lani. Alahe'e's also drought-tolerant. More people and businesses in Hawaii should use it in landscaping.

Hualalai - Kona's Mountain

2006-04-11T21:09:00.000-10:00

A nice sunset shot of Hualalai, Kona's 8,278 foot high guardian. Facts here.

Hawaii State Flower - Ma'o Hau Hele

2006-04-09T20:24:00.000-10:00

From Hawaii Revised Statutes:

§5-16 State flower and individual island flowers. The native yellow hibiscus (Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray), also known as the Pua Aloalo or Ma`o-hau-hele, is established and designated as the official flower of the State.

The ōhi`a lehua (metrosideros macropus M. collina), also known as the pua lehua, is established and designated as the official flower of the island of Hawai`i.

The lokelani, also known as the damask rose (rosa damascena), is established and designated as the official flower of the island of Maui.

The pua `ilima from the native dodder shrubs (sida fallax) is established and designated as the official flower of the island of O`ahu.

The mokihana from the native tree (pelea anisata) is established and designated as the official lei material of the island of Kaua`i.

The pua kukui, also known as the candlenut tree (aleurites moluccana), is established and designated as the official lei material of the island of Moloka`i.

The kauna`oa, also known as the native dodder (cuscuta sandwichiana), is established and designated as the official lei material of the island of Lāna`i.

The pūpū, also known as the momi, laiki, and kahelelani, is established and designated as the official lei material of the island of Ni`ihau.

The hinahina or native heliotrope (heliotropium anomalum, var. argenteum) is established and designated as the official lei material of the island of Kaho`olawe. [L 1988, c 177, §1; am L 2000, c 165, §3]

The Mao Hau Hele was elected state flower in a hotly disputed election, and contested vote-counting that ended up in a very controversial Hawaii Supreme Court Decision awarding the election to the Ma'o Hau Hele. The favored Red Hibiscus, Koki'o 'Ula 'Ula, always claimed that its defeat was a political decision and was the result of McCarthyism.

This plant is in the secret mauka native plant enclosure. More info here.

Driving in Kona - Jacarandas and Silk Oaks at Hualalai Ranch

2006-04-09T14:11:00.000-10:00

Between mile markers 30 and 31 on the upper road the jacarandas and silk oaks are in bloom. Purple and gold.

Jacaranda flowers.

Ala'a. Really nice native Hawaiian tree that no one knows about.

2006-04-07T18:38:00.000-10:00

Ala'a

Endemic to the Hawaiian islands; occurs in dry to mesic forest and diverse mesic forest, 780-3200 ft, on all the main islands except Ni`ihau and Kaho`olawe

Wood is yellow with black streaks, hard, straight-grained with faint growth rings; to 50 ft tall, 16 inch dbh

Important to Hawaiian culture; milky sap was formerly used as birdlime to catch small birds; the hard wood was used for house construction, `a`a (digging sticks), and spears.

This one, like quite a few others, is in the enclosure mauka of the upper road. The tree is really attractive, with or without the yellow fruit. The bark is light grey and smooth, the leaves are reddish underneath. A very nice tree.

Ohia at the top of Kaloko Mauka

2006-04-02T16:26:00.000-10:00

Nice close-up courtesy of my Panasonic DMS-LZ2. Near the end of the road by the entrance to the radio towers.

Wiliwili Update

2006-04-01T19:51:00.000-10:00

As noted yesterday, while driving past the native wiliwilis near Waikoloa and in Kaupulehu, near Puuwaawaaa Ranch, they looked remarkably good, considering the fact that the State has announced that they're DOOMED to extinction from a nasty little wasp. Anyway, even from medium close they don't look that bad.

Up close, however, the damage is clear: The "galls" from the gallwasps are pretty ugly. But the natives appear to be more resistant than the Indian Corals at Keauhou, which have few if any normal leaves. The natives had 50% or maybe more normal leaves. "Resist!"

Kona's Native Hawaiian Flowers - Puakala

2006-03-31T18:34:00.000-10:00

Just a few miles from Waimea along the upper road to Kona I found this patch of Puakala, the native poppy. Pua=flower, Kala="rough" as skin of Kala(Unicorn) fish. The scientific name is Argemone glauca. Note also the baby a'ali'i left front and center. The few days of rain we've had (in contrast to the rest of the state, which has had lots more) have brought the arid parts of the island to life. Even the wiliwilis at Waikoloa and Kaupulehu looked very good. Amazingly good. Is someone treating them? I'm pretty sure that the answer's "no" as regards the Ka'upulehu plants. I'll try for a closer inspection tomorrow.
The flower.

The new growth is pretty cool too. The fat pods are going to be flowers.

Hiking in Kona - Scenic Lookout on the upper road.

2006-03-27T11:18:00.000-10:00

Eleven miles or so from Kailua, on the upper road between Kailua and Waimea, is a scenic lookout, announced with pretty blue signs. There is good, relatively easy hiking on either the makai (ocean) or mauka (mountain) side of the highway. However, on the mauka side, there is a fence. The fence has been accordianed, and is easy to get over (just to the south of the south end of the lookout), but it is a fence. On the makai side, however, there is no fence.

The easiest way to access the hike (there is no trail) is to go over the rail at the far southern end of the lookout, between the end of the concrete barrier and the power pole. Go down the little embankment, turn left and walk along the retaining wall until you've crossed the lava channel. Then proceed downhill. There is no trail, but the lava along the rim of the channel is wonderfully smooth pahoehoe and is easy to walk on if you follow the simple rules of walking on lava: 1. Always, always watch where you are putting your foot; and 2. Concentrate on observing rule 1.

The hike features lots of intricate and cool lava formations, and, when we've had rain, lehua blossoms on the ohia trees. When the weather is clear (not today) you'll have a view of the coast from Kona airport to North Kohala and also Maui.

Kona's Native Hawaiian Flowers - U'ulei

2006-03-26T17:52:00.000-10:00

U'ulei, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, is the indigenous Hawaiian member of the rose family. This plant is in the Ka'upulehu native plant enclosure next to the mauka road between Kailua and Waimea, in the makai/ka'u corner. The recent rains have the U'lei and Alahe'e blossoming already, and the A'ali'i is ready.

The plant isn't exactly a bush or tree. The branches grow long, curving and sprawling.
It is the actual Hawaiian rose, though.

Snowy Mauna Loa from Kailua-Kona

2006-03-24T15:02:00.000-10:00

The South slope of Hualalai in front, Mauna Loa behind. From the Old Airport park. Looking Southeast.