To get there, you will pass through forests of guava, mango, koa,
ohia, bamboo and pine. You’ll see many birds (including the native
elepiaos, if you’re lucky), native plants, and even a Heiau.
Total distance is about 2 miles, and it takes us 2-3 hours to
get there and back, with stops along the way. Wear closed shoes or
boots, take plenty of water, and don’t forget the bug spray. For a
much longer and more strenuous hike, consider combining this cache
with the Hawaiian Kite cache and the Wiliwilinui Ridge cache. That
could make the Wailupe Middle Ridge Loop a cache trifecta.
Park at N 21 17.922 W 157 45.396. As the myna flies, the cache
is 0.8 miles from here, but you’ll need to hike a bit more than
that. You’ll find the trailhead behind the metal gate. Don’t be put
off by the overgrown monkey grass at the beginning of the trail; it
eases about .10 miles in, then the trail is fairly obvious the rest
of the way. Follow the main trail back into the valley. When in
doubt, look for the orange and pink ribbons.
At approximately N 21 18.616 W 157 45.332, you’ll see a large
mango tree on your left. Behind the mango tree is a native Hawaiian
Heiau. Soon after that you’ll pass through a bamboo forest. When
you leave the bamboo forest, cross the stream (usually dry). The
trail becomes narrower and a little less obvious in places. After a
couple of minutes on this winding narrow trail, look for 2 Ti
plants on the right that have orange ribbons. Go between those
plants and head uphill until you reach a plateau in a pine forest.
(If you come to a second stream crossing, you’ve gone too far.
Retrace your steps to the 2 orange ribbons, or do what we do and
take the even steeper route up to the pine forest plateau.)
At N 21 18.794 W 157 45.301 enjoy the views of the valley below,
ridges above and, of course, that big ocean. You are not far from
the cache. It’s also a good spot for a picnic. Between the view and
the cache, GPS reception is pretty spotty; head in the direction
your GPSr suggests (or use the hints below). There is good
reception at the cache site. In fact, where you can get good
reception you might do better to look for the cache than worry
about the exact coordinates. The cache is a standard ammo box.