Kaunala Loop Trail Plastic Pot Tragedy!
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(regular)
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Read the end of this description as you will see why 'Tragedy' is in the name of the cache! An easy to find but long drive to this trail.
From Honolulu, take H-1 West, then H-2 North, past Wahiawa, Haleiwa, Waimea, and then right after Waimea Bay and Falls, turn right at the Foodland supermarket and go up Pupukea Road until you reach the gate at the end of the road. Then park (dont think you need these coords but here u go: 21 38.780N, 158 01.734W) and go thru gates to walk up to the state signs, map, and logbook indicating the trailhead. This is a loop trail, with signs along the route, and well marked. A very enjoyable trail. This trail reminds me of the trails in town (Waa'hila, Judd, Manoa Falls, etc.) that are easy to follow. Fairly busy, as we always see at least 3 sets of folks on the trail.
A pleasant surprise. I like this trail. Way out on the north shore, i didnt expect such an organized trail, like the ones in town. If you do a search on the web for 'Kaunala Trail,' you can read all the info and see the nice pictures. I understand the boy scouts use this trail as a camping ground, and the Army trains nearby. you will see and hear the blackhawk helicopters flying above.
Although the trail is clearly marked, this trail has the most uprooted and fallen trees i have ever seen. they're everywhere. and you have to go over and under some of them, as they have fallen on the trail. in fact, our hiking club almost got 'killed!' We were on the trail and then we heard a 'ba-rack', 'cr-ack', 'whooosh!' We saw the large 'Y-shaped' branch fall ahead of us, onto the trail. You'll have to walk over it at 21 38.781N 158 00.973W. If we had been 1 minute ahead on the trail, we probably would have been hit! The strong winds are a contributing factor. So beware!
Another notable on this trail is the amount of strawberry guava trees! A summertime treat! This trail has the most i have ever seen. Gloria in our hiking club makes us guava jam with them. yum! Even more ripe fruit than the Pali trail. So if you like to pick and eat while you hike, you will enjoy this trail. I found that the dark red ones on the trees early on the trail were sweeter than the ones toward the top of the trail, which were bright red, bigger, and sour! YMMV! There's a few yellow guava and lilikoi (passion fruit) trees, and some nice orchids too.
There's three tiny streams you will cross on the trail, and only the second stream had any water trickling thru when we went, the other two were bone dry. Must be the dry summer this year.
You'll reach a big clearing at the top, it can be quite windy, we had lunch there and you can enjoy a view of the coastline, much like you would see on the big island. cool. And if you look carefully, you will find a toilet in the forest :o at 21 38.636N 158 00.326W.
Kent in our hiking club discovered it, kinda freaky. Be thankful we didnt hide the cache there! eeeew!
A bit further, and you will find a picnic bench with shade, still has the great view so we should have lunched there!
Then you will probably run into motocross bikers and mountain bikers on the dirt trail.
My standard plastic pot cache. Not much is in the cache, just some whistles, so this is more for the seek, than the booty. Of course, a great place to rest a travel bug and whatnot. This is the first time i have revisited my cache the next day (see below), so i was able to take 3 readings, on 2 seperate days, and so i posted the middle value. didnt realize how much it can vary from day to day, satellite to satellite...
Now here is where the 'tragedy' part of the name of this cache comes in. While placing the cache, i seemed to have dropped my Motorola yellow/black walkie talkie. I searched and searched but the brush was kinda thick there. I kinda destroyed the vegetation in the area, but luckily it grows back fast. I even went back the following day, armed with a metal detector, spent an hour searching, to no avail. So potentially, this could be one helluva 'bonus' cache if you manage to find it! I used the radio while hiding the cache, so i know i had it then, and then i discovered it missing, shortly thereafter, at 21 38.872N 158 00.951W. Go ahead and log if you found it, as i would be curious if anyone finds it and where it turned up! Guess i could give you a reward if you decide you dont want it. I have the charger if you need it. My little ploy to have someone find it for me! Heh. :P
If its summertime, on the drive back down, you can turn right, to Kahuku, instead of left (back to town) at the Foodland intersection and go down a few miles more to the street side stands for some awesome Kahuku watermelons! Yum.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nf lbh nccebnpu gur pnpur nern, nccebk. unysjnl gueh gur ybbc. gur genvy cngu orpbzrf n h-ghea, n yrggre 'N' vs lbh jvyy, naq evtug ng gur gvc bs gur 'N' vf jurer lbh arrq gb irre bss gb gur fznyy uvyy naq genvy. Lbhe pyhr jvyy or n gerr jvgu gjvar nebhaq vg. :)