East and West Pillbox Exploration: Sunrise and Sunset

Hiking on O'ahu is fun and the views are stellar, but sometimes I like to take it up a notch and experience some favorite past hikes at sunrise and sunset.  I've seen trails that I've been on numerous times change with the season---fruits appearing and disappearing, plant overgrowth, or mud from wet weather can really change a familiar trail---just as going for a sunrise or sunset hike can change an ordinary trail into a sit and stay awhile for the view trail.

Recently I took the family to a westside favorite, Pu'u O Hulu (or the Pink Pillbox Trail) in Maili, for a sunset hike.  The benefit of doing this hike at sunset is twofold---it is less hot late in the day while trekking up the mountainside, and the artistry and colors from the actual sunset of course.  

We weren't the only ones to have this bright idea.  We found the trail was filled with other hikers looking to capture a Hawaiian sunset from the top of this beautiful westside mountain top.  There were other kids, four legged furry friends, and Instagram junkies looking for their next great photo op (guilty!).

  

We got lucky with the cloud coverage and the hues of pinks and yellow that lit up the horizon as the sun slid into the ocean for another night.  We stayed just long enough to enjoy the sunset glow over Maili and Makaha and then quickly headed down before becoming engulfed in total darkness.  We did pack flashlights for everyone, but rocky trails, darkness, and five year olds don't mix.

If you find yourself looking for a westside sunset adventure, check out the Pink Pillbox---pink skies, pink pillbox, pink cheeks from exertion.  Hope you like pink.

Just as the sunset hike on the westside provided stunning colors over the ocean, so too did the sunrise hike on the Eastside at Makapu'u Pillboxes (same hike as Makapu'u Lighthouse, but with some off trail-ing).

It was easy to convince my boys to entertain and participate in the idea of a westside sunset hike...sunrise...not so much.  I wasn't keen on going off trail by myself, so luckily, my best friends daughter was excited to wake up early (probably more pumped about after hike coffee than anything, but I'll take it) and start the day with a 2.2 mile loop that started on Kalanianaole Hwy outside of the gates and normal parking for the popular Makapu'u Trail.  Why?  Because not too handily, the gate/park doesn't open until 7:00 a.m....long after the sun has risen.

So, my fifteen year old hanai niece and I parked the car on the side of the highway, shimmied through the gate, joined a scattering of other early morning hikers and began our trek steady up the Makapu'u incline.  We both agreed that it's a good thing the beginning part of our trail was paved, as we could barely see---no early morning rock tripping needed!

For this hike, I was excited to both experience a sunrise hike and check out more of the pillboxes that I was only teased with the last time I did this trail.  In all the years of hiking this particular trail, I had never gone rogue and investigated the rocky trails that lead to a series of old WWII military bunkers on the top of this hillside.

Waking up at 4:00 a.m. was totally worth it.  The views that I can't seem to capture with my iPhone (shockingly) were peaceful, bright, happy, and gorgeous.  I would definitely do this hike at sunrise again---let me know if you are interested.  The wind was not as bad at this early hour and we were able to see the lighthouse in use, lights blinking, as we sat on top of the war bunker (pillbox) taking in the first light of the day.  

After we felt sufficiently satisfied with the rising sun, we ventured on from the first pillbox to the remaining pillboxes on the non coastal side of the trail.  Of all the bunkers I have seen on various hikes, these were definitely in the most disrepair.  There are even signs warning of imminent collapse.  And still we could tell that they have been walked on, in, and around many a time---graffiti being one of the clues leading us to this conclusion.

As we left the final bunker, we headed down the side of the mountain along overgrown grass, some waist high kiawe plants (wear long pants if you plan to go this route), and a ton of cactus.  We felt as though we had left O'ahu and entered the western mainland desert (luckily there are no snakes in Hawaii!).

Hiking explorations don't get old, but they can become routine and mundane, so changing it up with some extra scenery at sunrise or sunset, really brings new life to familiar trails.  In the battle of East vs. West, I'm not sure who would win.  I guess I'll just have to keep trying different sunrise and sunset trails---one battle I'm happy to participate in.