Oahu Exploration: Kealia Trail

Here we are again, trekking across rocks, up mountains, into the clouds, through tall grass, in the rain, and back again...all in the name of exercise and exploration! And family time!

It's the weekend, so that has come to mean, "What trail are we adventuring through today?" We (meaning me) chose Kealia Trail in Mokuleia. There's not much out here, beach of course, a few homes, the Dillingham Airfield (home to SkyDive Hawaii), and this trail---known to those who call this area home as "Switchbacks". 

This was another "first time" for us. I was excited to try a trail behind an airfield, I knew we would get to see some cool planes, gliders, and helicopters on our hike. By the end of our journey we were literally at eye level with the planes! 

As with any hike that takes you up the side of a mountain...it is bound to be an uphill struggle. I was feeling especially weary today with the ragged rock terrain underfoot. It might be time to invest in hiking boots. I used a walking stick for the first time on this hike and felt like a true hiking pioneer barreling through and over rock after rock after rock. 

As usual, I have some things I observed along the trail.

Tips for the Trail:

1. Water. Can't say this enough. This hike takes you up 1000 feet. So yeah, you get thirsty.

2. If you are allergic to bees, bring your overpriced Epi-Pen. We saw not one, but two and half bee-nados. That's right, if shark-nado can be a thing...then so can bee-nado. Luckily we managed to escape unstung! 

3. Parking is free, plentiful, and a little ways from the official start of the trail. You are parking in the lot behind the Airport Control Tower.

4. Picnic. Bring one. There's a covered table complete with graffiti and Instagram hashtags and user names scrawled all over it! 

5. Camera. Views of Mokuleia, Haleiwa, Dillingham Airfield, the Pacific Ocean---you'll want to capture them all. And maybe a few snaps of you and your hiking entourage.

6. If you are a bird lover, whether the man made kind or the nature made kind, you will see both! We observed an Erckel Francolin (a real life partridge in a pear tree!) and of course five varieties of Gliders. (honolulusoaring.com) We even watched a military Chinook and two Black Hawk Helicopters practicing landing.

So, even though there are clearly a lot of positives to this hike, I'm good, and never need to do it again. Switchbacks was not for me. Of course, this was a unanimous favorite among the boys. Go figure.

We climbed this mountain! ⬇️ (Objects in I-phone photos may appear smaller than they really are!)