On Saturday, September 21, the Kona Hiking Club will hike up Pu’u La’au Road to the summit of Ahumoa, a large cinder cone visible from the Saddle Road. This hike is an easy to moderate 4 mile (round trip) hike on a 4-wheel drive road with some rough and deep ruts. The hike will take approximately 2+ hours. The elevation here is approximately 7000 feet.
Ahumoa is located on the southwest slope of Mauna Kea within the Ka’ohe Game Management area. We will be entering a hunting area – it is important to stay on the road/trail and dress appropriately in bright, colorful clothes. The route passes through open Mamane-Naio-Iliahi native dry land forest. Common native forest birds and the endangered Palila (Hawaiian finch found no place else in the world aside from the upper slopes of Mauna Kea) may be sighted in the vicinity of the road. On a clear day, walking around the summit of Ahumoa offers 360-degree views of the Big Island.
We will meet at 9:00 a.m. near the Kilohana Hunter Check-in Station at the 43.5 mile marker just off Saddle Road (Hwy. 200). When coming from Kailua-Kona on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, turn left and the check-in station is on the right side of Saddle Road. Directly across Saddle Road (on the left side), is a large graded area where we will meet and leave most of the vehicles. Park on any unvegetated area adjacent to the road.
Hikers should wear colorful attire and hiking boots. Bring water (2 liters), sun protection, and lunch or snacks. You may also want to bring binoculars for possible bird viewing, and a hiking stick.
Participants desiring to carpool from Kailua-Kona may meet at Lanihau Center at 7:45 a.m., and depart no later than 8:00 a.m. Please park well away from the businesses in the corner of the parking lot near Daylight Mind. A club leader may not be at the carpooling area; so hikers should organize themselves for a timely departure. Visitors as well as residents are welcome to participate. There is no charge, but carpoolers are encouraged to contribute toward gasoline costs.
For additional information, please phone Kathleen at 557-9246.
PLEASE NOTE: All members are welcome to bring guests or pass on information about our hikes to other hikers. However, if you do so, PLEASE make sure that you direct them to the Kona Hiking Club website to review the hike announcement and description. We want to make sure that everyone is prepared for the specific hike we are doing that day, whether we’re facing mud, heat, cold, steep trails, rocky trails, high altitude, exceptionally long distances, etc. Mahalo for helping us keep everyone safe!
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