A new route up Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a

A view of PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
Williwilli flowers at PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii

Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a is a cinder cone on the slopes of Hualalai volcano. The name means “many-furrowed hill,” and it’s a place I like to walk at least once a year, but it had been a while since I was up there. Usually, I go there in the spring when Jacarandas and other flowers are blooming. I also try to go in the early morning, since the area tends to cloud up during the day and the wonderful views become obscured.

A couple of weeks ago I made a late decision to do the hike again since the weather looked unusually good. I got there around 2pm and it will come as no surprise that I spent the first 15 minutes of the hike taking photos of Williwilli flowers on a tree about 20 feet from where I parked! (More of those in a few days.)

Silk oak flowers at PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii

The trail follows an old road up the hill past Silk Oak trees, at the tail end of their flowering and sporting a deep red hue I hadn’t seen before. Turn around, and there are good views of Maui to be had. The old road peters out near an old blockhouse, now lacking doors and windows, which offers shelter to livestock on the ranch here. Off to one side is an old quarry, which cuts into the side of the hill. Usually there are goats in this area, but I didn’t see any on this day. Farther up is what’s left of Tamaki Corral, which dates back around 100 years.

A view of Maui from PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
An old blockhouse on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
A warning sign beside an old quarry on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
Tamaki Corral on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii

Not far after the corral, the trail climbs steeply toward the top. This was where I found a change in the trail. Whereas before the trail was an out-and-back up a steep slope to the top, now a loop has been created. I took this new option to the top where, on this remarkably clear late afternoon, I had great views of Maui, Kohala Mountain, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai. A new sign at the top welcomes hikers to the nearly 4,000 foot summit, and there’s a survey marker at the top riddled with holes, not from gunfire, but to let the wind blow through. There are also a couple of benches where one can sit a while enjoying the views (weather permitting). The hike is steep in places, but not difficult, though not everyone makes it back alive!

The trail to the top of PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
A sign at the top of PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
A survey marker on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
A bench at the top of PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
Old bones on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii

I followed the old trail back down and ran into several sheep, which have the run of the land up here, as the sun dipped behind the ridge.

The trail down from PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
Sheep on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
The sun dips behind PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii

One other difference I noticed with this afternoon hike was the proliferation of birds. There were large numbers of finches, mostly Saffron Finches flitting about, preparing to roost for the evening. Yellow-fronted Canaries were all over the tree tobacco flowers. I also saw, and heard, several Erckel’s Francolins doing their usual fine job of blending in with the vegetation.

Finches on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
A yellow-faced canary on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii
An Erckel's Francolin on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii

And as I walked back down the hill towards my car, the late afternoon sun still shone, illuminating grasses alongside the trail.

Grasses on PuuWaaWaa, Hawaii

Posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more walks here.

Advertisement

15 thoughts on “A new route up Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a”

  2. Pingback: Wiliwili tree | Graham's Island

  3. kzmcb

    I love the williilli flowers. They’re a lot like grevillea and I want to reach out and taste the nectar. What a great day to get those views and see those bright canaries. A fair old altitude as well. Good on you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Graham Post author

      I’ll do a post on the williwilli flowers in a few days. As to altitude, I was thinking about dong another hike up Hualalai, which starts out from the same place, but that tops out above 8,000 feet so now I’m not sure. It would be a very long day!

      Like

        1. Graham Post author

          I go slower the higher and longer I get! It’s a combination of those two for that hike. The altitude itself isn’t much of an issue. That comes into play on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa which are both close to 14,000 feet!

          Like

  6. restlessjo

    Thanks so much, Graham! What a beautiful place. I really love that opening shot and the grooves and grasses. It sounds like a very successful afternoon. We have those silk oaks too and they’re lovely in flower.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.