Pali Twin Falls

I may have done the exact same hike two days in a row last week.  That's okay, since it was a twin falls, it only stands to reason that I would duplicate it.  Last week the weather was not my favorite.  I was beginning to feel like I was living back in Washington state with the constant cloud coverage, rainy days and nights, and the consecutive days of gray skies.  Despite the gloom and doom, I still had to get outside!

Washington weather in Hawai'i is good for waterfalls!  I went on a double waterfall mission...two days in a row.  The first waterfall excursion was with three other hiking gals that I met online through a Facebook O'ahu Hiking Group.  I had hiked several other hikes with one of the fellow hikers but was meeting the other two ladies for the first time.  We had a wacky, wet, Wednesday adventure together.  Our destination was a set of twin falls just off from the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout.

The hike to the falls is not very long, and in fact, half of it is along the Old Pali Highway (no longer in use), so you are walking along a paved pathway overlooking the windward side of O'ahu.  The trailhead begins to the right of the Pali Lookout (if you are facing the windward side).  Like two other  hikes that I have done from this same general starting point, this trailhead can also be identified by the "Danger" signs warning people not to go past the signs, or in the case of the Pali Twin Falls, big orange and white old road barriers attached to a chain link fence in an attempt to dissuade hikers/explorers from going further.

As we first entered the trail, I realized I had been on this road/trail years before when my youngest was a baby (during my first hiking craze).  I had previously hiked right past the turn off for the falls (not aware they were even there) and further down the paved road and into a forested trail.  This day was different however, and my hiking companions and I veered off to the right after walking down the road a short distance and into the mountains where almost immediately we caught a glimpse of a trickling waterfall.  That was day one.  Parked, met new hiking companions, hiked on an old paved road, saw a smidge of the twin falls, had a brief Christmas Sweater/Santa Hat photo shoot, hiked back out, and done. Straightforward and fun.

On trek number two back to the falls, it was actually raining while we were hiking and there were more fallen rocks on the side of the paved path and we could hear the water from the falls and the stream flowing as we approached.  My bestie and I were out adventuring on this day and we quickly made our way down the paved part of the trail and to the turn off for the falls.  I left my Christmas gear behind since I had already had my fun the day before.  And on this trek, I needed full use of my arms and my full mental attention as to not slip on any rocks during the multiple stream crossings.

It's amazing the difference a day and a rain can make for this particular waterfall hike.  I have experienced Manoa Falls, Waimea Falls, Hamama Falls, and Lulumahu Falls on more than one occasion, but never back to back and in the rain, so I couldn't really make a comparison as to whether or not they were flowing better or worse from one day to another.  The Pali Twin Falls is beautiful either way, flowing or not, but it is definitely more captivating and exciting when the flow is bigger and bolder.

This off the beaten path waterfall gem is definitely a hike that all ages and all hiking levels can take on.  There are no super steep cliffs to worry about or ropes or technical hiking things to think about.  I would just use caution and your best judgment if you go with kids for the slipping factor.  On the first trek we all made it in without falling, but as we were leaving we had a slip on the edge of the water and mud.  It wasn't anything serious, but it gave us pause and we tried to be a little more careful as we continued.  On my second trek to the waterfalls, again, we made it in without falling, but once again on the way out, both me and Sarah slipped and fell.  No injuries, other than pride, sustained and shockingly barely a spot of mud on our pants...my shoes were another story--- #hikingproblems

Pali Twin Falls is being added to my list of quick, go to hikes when I might not have anything planned or I want to show someone who is new to O'ahu a cool little hideaway.  It still amazes me that within minutes of driving from my house and within minutes of walking from the parking lot, there is such a lush patch of mountains, water, and greenery ready for exploring.

If you find yourself with an hour on your hands and you want to get out and explore a bit without overexerting yourself, the Pali Twin Falls trail is for you.  If you are lucky, you will catch more than a trickle and you may even catch a cool car to pose with in the parking lot afterwards...

                                                  Merry Christmas and Merry Hiking!