And Palikea of the Waianaes is a powerful place. The Hawaiians recognized the mysterious mana of this area. They located a heiau at the point. It was called Mauna Kapu or Forbidden Mountain. It guarded the beginning of the trail. Today we explore Pu’u Palikea.
The trail itself is not strenuous. It only goes up around 300 feet. It goes from Mauna Kapu to near the top of Palikea. Palikea is a tip of the Waianaes. The tip is at 3098 feet. Mostly it follows along the ridge top. At times it goes through narrow cliff pathways. It is pretty much straight up on one’s left. It goes straight down below on one’s right. This medium degree of difficulty makes it rather pleasant. Add to that its glorious views on a good day. One ends up with quite an enjoyable experience. The refreshing breezes, good exercise, and fantastic vistas combine for a natural high. One can look over one side of the trail and see the glistening waves off Makaha. On the other side is the panorama of the Ko’olaus. You can see down to Honolulu, Waikiki, and Diamond Head.
The stories and personal impressions gained here will stay with you. We learned how the area’s forlorn majesty remains. It remains from a history of environmental devastation. It was purposeful degradation of the ecosystem for human exploitation. The Hawaiians burned the native forest. This revealed the coveted aromatic sandalwood. Western ranchers bulldozed the soil down the mountainside. It covered the coral flats. This allowed more area for their plantations. They began to realize what they had done. They saw the land naked and parched. The streams were drying up. They attempted to reforest the land with alien trees. These began to spread and compound the damage. The Nature Conservancy now protects the decimated area. The Conservancy is actively involved in eradicating some of the most problematic aliens. They are creating safe areas for native plants to recover.
The amount of information on the rare native plants and cultural history may be a lot to try to remember. Many found very personal signs of the fragility and vulnerability of the area quite meaningful. For some, seeing the one example left of a native species created a striking impression. Others unexpectedly uncovered a nursery of rare native snails. They were tiny coiled shells. They were hardly more than a pinhead in size. Each dangled precariously from one leaf of an Akoko shrub. Others may have savored the story behind a mysterious notch. It was cut through the Pali or cliff at one point. This was an area where the women, children, and elders of the nearby villages fled for protection. They fled from massacre in the Hawaiian civil wars. Their warriors attempted to hold off the invading enemy. Many had to notice when they found themselves slipping and sliding their way down from the top. To hold on too tightly to a tree for support could mean breaking a limb of a precious native. Pu’u Palikea offers a hike and an experience. It is an experience that will stay with you for quite a while.