I went on my first trail-clearing hike last weekend. (Hence, the weed wacker you see in the photo above.)

The hike took us into a remote part of Oahu.

At the end, a swimming hole.

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Not only was this my first trail-clearing hike, this was my first time hiking with the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club (HTMC). The club has been around for over a hundred years and they organize a hike every weekend.

One of the benefits of hiking with the HTMC is that they can get access to a lot of trails that are typically off-limits or behind locked gates. The Kawai’iki Trail is one such trail. It takes you several miles deep into a valley on the West side of the Koolau mountains. All on restricted land.

On this day the HTMC’s goal was to clear the overgrown parts of the trail and mark it with ribbons for an upcoming hike on February 12.

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Dennis, with two crash pads strapped on his back, pushes through California grass to get to the rock wall.

He hits the first move from the sit start on this overhanging rock wall. If you’ve never tried this type of thing, it’s almost impossible to explain how difficult it is to hold this position. But, believe me, it’s really really hard.

Justin, owner of Volcanic Rock Gym, put up some FAs (FA = first ascent. If you get an FA, that means you were the first person to complete a bouldering problem or route.)

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Last weekend I met up with the guys at this newly discovered bouldering spot called OZ. When looking for rock to climb, the most desirable feature boulderers look for is an overhang. (That’s why The Arch is so awesome.) You want to be able to start low and climb out from under the overhanging rock and then up the face. OZ has this. There’s a great overhang and the face of the rock goes up anywhere from 15 to 30 feet.

This place is for experienced climbers only though. The problems are hard and you need to be willing to risk having chunks of rock break off and fall on you as you climb. Climb here at your own risk.

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I got a really cool gift for Christmas last year. A set of some vintage photos of Hawaii.

Lanikai. (Compare to this.)

View of the Pali Lookout into Nuuanu Valley. (Compare to this.)

I think this is where the Pali Puka is. And I think the cars are on what is currently now the Pali Lookout. (Compare to this.)

Not sure where this one is.

Diamond Head. (Compare to this.)

So where can you get your hands on these vintage photos of Hawaii? Talk to the Hawaiian Superman. You can browse through the collection at HawaiianSuperman.com.

The temple sits at the base of the Koolau Mountains in Kahaluu (East Oahu).

It’s one of the best places to snap photos of koi.

There are ornamental details all over the place.

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If you like photowalking, you can’t go wrong making a visit to the Byodo-In. The temple sits at the back of a mortuary called the Valley of the Temples. It’s a replica of an ancient temple in Japan of the same name. This was my first time visiting the temple.

You can spend an hour or so walking around taking pictures. Once you start paying attention to all the details, you can find some very interesting compositions.

Get a new dSLR recently? The Byodo-In is a perfect spot to come practice your skills.

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