We took the non-tourist route to Papakolea from the east side and a short hike to the top of the cinder cone for a cool view of the Green Sand Beach from above.

The first time we came to Puu O Umi Natural Area Reserve was in 2013. Since then the grassland has now been converted into a corridor of Koa and Ohia trees. They have improved the entrance and the grass has taken root against the wash out spots along the 4WD road. The views along this tramp are still as amazing as ever - with clear skies showing all three mountains (Kea, Loa and Hualalai). Occasionally, you can also spot Haleakala across the channel. This time it was super windy but sunny. A great day to be out on Kohala.

We had a 5.7 magnitude earthquake on the eve of Lunar New Year with it's epicenter close to the town of Na'alehu. We felt the jolt and several aftershocks in Kailua-Kona as well. The following day, we hiked out to Twin Pits along the Mauna Iki Trail inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The initial report from USGS said that there was an intrusion underneath Kilauea, and there were many quakes detected beneath the Southwest Rift Connector, where Twin Pits are located. The ground in this area are deforming and being uplifted by flowing magma underneath. Although the 5.7 quake ( initially classed as 6.3) was not related to the intrusion below, it did caused many cracks above the surface of the old lava deposits, or tephra. Some of these cracks were very visible.

On the south east flank of Mauna Kea is a very red colored hill that stands out at about eight thousand feet. This cinder cone is called Puu Kole. To get to the trailhead one must have a 4WD, traversing the R1 route for 3 miles from the visitor center. I guess you can also walk it. Its a fairly easy hike up and around the crater - just be careful with the sharp lava at the start. The views from the top are incredible.

Are you bored doing the Koko Crater stairs? Well, this is a hike variation on the rim of the Koko Crater tuff cone. It starts from the south rim, just before the Koko Crater Botanical Garden. Once on the rim, you get a fantastic view of the surroundings, and the thrill of walking along the sometimes very narrow rim of the crater. Nearing the top, there is a 'trail' that steeply descends to the eroded Arch, and ends at the bottom near the highway at Eternity Beach. Going up (or down) the steep section of the Arch is always a thrilling experience, no matter if it's your first time, or your hundredth.

There are a handful of trails ( official and non-official) that will take you to the top of the Ko'olau Range. Hawaii Loa Ridge is one of them - located in a gated community on east Oahu. This ridge is one of the three Triple Crown of Ridge Hiking on Oahu, the other two being Wiliwilinui and Kuliouou. My top favorite is this, as it is never crowded and challenging enough to make me suffer a little. The trail cuts through many hills and forests, and the last section entails very steep climbing, with many eroded sections and loose soil. You get sweeping views on the way up, not just at the top. To get into the trailhead parking lot, the driver of the vehicle needs to have a valid Hawaii State driver's license. The parking gets full fast especially over the weekends and public holidays.

Many hike the Koko Head crater rim but not many will actually do the entire rim. To complete the entire rim, one has to descend into a gulch and ascend back onto the rim. It is rough and requires some rock scrambling. The views are incredible and you might even catch a whale or two breaching. For us, it was just another day in paradise until we got back to where we parked and lo and behold, a parked vehicle exploded and went up in flame!

This hike is located on the most western part of Oahu. It is best done during the cooler winter months as there is little to no shade from the sun. On this long MLK weekend we did just that. As expected, there was a huge crowd, on the trails and on the beach. The trail was very muddy, especially in the initial section due to the recent heavy downpours that caused many landslides, fallen trees, and flash flooding on Oahu. Kaena Point had its share of inclement weather with many sections of the trail under water, washed out or littered with fallen rocks. The best part for us is getting to the top of the top most pillbox which overlooks the entire point. Since it was a cool day, we hardly broke a sweat and enjoyed spending the pleasant and windy day out. Overhead, there were many Hawaiian Laysan Albatross soaring above us and this was the added treat to the hike.