[dan ze'l-ik-man] » hiking

Climbing Koko Head

Dan Zelikman — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:06:21 +0000

Climbing rail-road tracks into a dormant volcano? Yeah – just another typical Sunday around these parts.

Koko Head is a well know hike on Oahu. It’s a great resource for a quick workout for the type of people that aren’t into the whole gym thing (me being one of them). You get a challenging hike that’s quick (about 45 minutes round trip but leave extra time at the top) with a real nice view the whole way up.

It can get crowded, but there is an unspoken etiquette where folks going down have the right of the way. Most people have earphones or a hiking buddy so if you want some time to yourself – you can have it.

The beginning is a bit overbearing – this bad boy gets steeper with every step. You get into a groove at first where you find yourself skipping steps, until at one point you stop to catch your breath and realize you still have a long ways to go.

The summit is gorgeous. You can walk around a bit and get multiple views that are worth a snapshot or two. It’s a 360 degree view that you don’t want to miss.

Today was the first time I did the hike alone – it was really nice to sit in some quiet and let my mind wander. There are enough spots at the top to either find a group to chat with or find a quiet spot and reflect.

The one thing I recommend you do is to make sure you have plenty of sunlight when you’re coming down. I’ve done the decent it in the dark and it’s a bit tricky. Plus if you time it right, it’s nice catching the sunset on the way down.

I captured a few other photos in the slideshow below, I hope you dig them.

Kaua’i – The Kalalau Trail

Dan Zelikman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:04:57 +0000

In three simple words, Kaua’i is breathtaking. Kim and I agreed that it was one of our favorite places we’ve ever visited together and we hope to make another visit back soon. One of the elements we fell in love with immediately was the famed Kalalau Trail. As far as hiking experiences go, it had a little of everything. Endless coastal views that only get better the further you go, lush and unique plant life, private beaches, vast waterfalls, and friendly passerby’s who give you a smile and a nod as they go. We were even able to witness an authentic rain forest downpour after a storm pummeled us for over two hours! In some strange fashion, we loved it!

We were only able to hike four miles in, but we enjoyed every second of it. Thank you for checking out the video, I hope it gives you some incentive to visit the amazing island of Kaua’i.

A Challenging Olomana Hike – Peak 3 of 3

Dan Zelikman — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:27:38 +0000

Continued from the post, Peak Two.

This peak was no picnic. After two moderate peaks, this one takes it to the next level. After completing the second peak you have to rappel down a rocky path using a rope that someone (I hope they were good at tying things) tied onto a tree. The decent from Peak 2 to Peak 3 is the greatest elevation drop of all the ones you have to take. Then of course you have to climb Peak 3, which is the steepest and most difficult of them all. It’s steep, rugged, and definitely not for the beginner hiker. My only tip is to bring lots of extra water, and make sure you save some energy for the way back. Also… it’s one of the most fun hikes I’ve done on Oahu so go train, and go kill it!

The decent begins.

Jack going down.

After a tricky decent, the real challenge begins.

What goes down, must come up.

Sick photo op.

David Chat, deep in thought, and stuff.

A fellow hiker offered to take a shot of the Olomana Crew, we accepted.

Captain Jack.

Chat thinking twice about another risky drop.

Ropes make these drops a little less scary. A little.

A view along the way.

The Beast itself.

That’s all folks!

A Challenging Olomana Hike – Peak 2 of 3

Dan Zelikman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:55:46 +0000

Continued from the post, Peak One.

After some much needed rest, a bag of stinky beef jerky (stinky is a good thing), some trail mix and ice water, we decided to press on to tackle the second peak. We were beginning to get tired and a little hot, but the thought of turning back after one peak was too unsettling. Especially for our fearless leader David Chat, who had already reached the second peak on a previous ascent and was excited at the thought of a conquest of all three. I was excited at the idea of the conquest of more jerky.

Getting tired… but still climbing.

Lush ya’ll… lush.

Monkey business on the summit of the second peak.

Second peak done. We were only standing upright for the pic.

A view of the “butt-kicker.” Stay tuned for Peak Three…

A Challenging Olomana Hike – Peak 1 of 3

Dan Zelikman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:51:48 +0000

I’ve taken on hikes all around this planet. From covering the majority of the Adirondacks in New York to some of the scarier paths that dive into the pits of the Grand Canyon. Throw in the Blue Mountains of Australia, the Appalachaian Trail of the East Coast, and some trails off the beaten path in Scandinavia, and you would say I have a decent resume of hiking trials. Hawaii… that’s its own story altogether.

Hawaii has what seems to be an endless selection of hikes and trails that span from coastal views to plush rain forest. I’ve been doing my best to tackle them one by one (whenever the ocean is flat anyway) but I feel like I would have to live here for 30 years to even make a dent. But after tackling the three peaks of Olomana, my body may have to rest for a while before I get back on track.

Along with extreme elevation changes, Olomana has a number of different environments that you experience. I dug it.

A view from the top of Peak One. Even though it took almost two hours to get here, we’re not even close to Three. Yikes.

This hike is SERIOUS business. Please, no monkey business.

The descent begins… tackling Peak Two of the mighty Olomana. Stay tuned…

Pillboxes Ain’t Just for Old Folks

Dan Zelikman — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:30:35 +0000

I’ll be honest. Before finishing this hike I had no idea why anyone would call it Pillboxes. My initial impression was that it was a dumb name. So many of the hikes I’ve done on Oahu had beautiful sounding Hawaiian names and this one was called Pillboxes. I had my doubts… but they were quickly denied.
Both the outside and inside views had something to offer, and you got to see them quick. The hike was a steep initial climb, so the views progressed greatly with every step you took.
The terrain changed as well. From a rocky dry path to a country like tall grass filled area, the hike had a lot of variety to offer. There are several points that actually become thick enough that you have to navigate through it a bit. Kim wasn’t all to happy with the tall grass shards that kept poking her but I thought it was kind of funny.
As you come over the main ridge, Lanikai reveals itself to you with colors in the water you cannot describe. Since you are standing on the ridge you are completely surrounded by ocean and valley, so it’s difficult to pace yourself with the photos.
They each got to pick an island. And by the way, we figured out the whole name of the hike thing. Pillboxes: Small, low fortification that houses machine guns or antitank weapons; usually made of concrete, steel, or sandbags. So we checked them out, with our machine guns blazing.
After playing around in the boxes a bit, we had some lunch and posed in some ridiculous pictures that none of us are all too proud of. All this with some amazing backdrops to stare at. Pillboxes left us stoked for sure, good fun.