Koko Head (AKA, the ultimate stairmaster)

This post is about one of the most deceptively difficult hikes here on Oahu.  Koko Head Crater hike seems like it should be pretty straightforward and easy.

"A hike on an old rail bed? No problem!"

"1.5 miles round trip?  No sweat!"

"I climb 2 flights of stairs to my desk every day, so this will basically be the same."

"I did Diamond Head yesterday. Koko Head is basically the same, right?"

Wrong.  This hike will destroy your legs and make your heart pump out of your chest while vertigo threatens to rip you right off the side of the mountain.

OK, so it's not that bad.  However, most people underestimate this hike for one reason or another, and you find them on the side of the trail halfway up sucking wind as though they were climbing Everest. 

This hike has 1,048 old railroad ties that act as stairs.  To put this in perspective, the Statue of Liberty has 358 stairs, and the Tower formerly known as Sears in Chicago has 2,109 stairs.  Hiking Koko Head is like climbing the Statue of Liberty thrice, or ascending halfway up the Willis Tower.

Standing at the bottom of the hike looking up at the feat that lies ahead, one can quickly regret the decision to come out here at all.  However, you see so many other people of all ages and levels of fitness, so you tell yourself it's not going to be that bad.  Up you go.

The trail starts off relatively flat and gains elevation gradually.  You tell yourself you are doing awesomely well.  You start climbing a little faster, maybe even taking two stairs at a time.  Then the hard parts really kick in.  Before you are 25% of the way up you will swear to yourself the air is thinner up there.  It's really not.

Before long you will be telling your hiking partner that you need to stop to, um, admire the view.  That is a good excuse because you will quickly get some nice views of Hanauma Bay and East Oahu.  Your friend will only buy that excuse so many times, so you will have to think of a better one before your lungs fail you again.

At this point, you probably wish you had decided to go snorkeling instead.

So you press on.  About two thirds of the way up you come to an interesting decision point.  Here you find a small rail bridge.  Well, it looks small, but there is quite a drop.  So your choices are thus: try to cross this bridge that will make you feel like you are in an Indiana Jones movie, or take the easy path that only kids and dogs use.

Safety standards?  We don't need no stinkin' safety standards!

After you take the side path and meet up with the rail again, the hike only gets tougher.  The climb gets more vertical, and the steps seem farther apart. The first time I did this hike, I had to stop about every 10 steps or so to catch my breath.  You will want to rest frequently.  Please resist the urge to shove those health nuts that have already sprinted past you about 5 times while doing laps up and down.  (Is this fun to them?)

I feel your pain, #23

One more hump to go and you can see the goal.  You probably have never been happier to see a dilapidated, graffiti-ed old building as you approach the summit.  Once you reach step #1048, you are so proud of yourself for accomplishing this and so elated by the stunning views that you almost forget you have to do the whole thing again, but going down.  You then wish there was a zipline here to take you all the way back down.  (How cool would that be?!?!)  I swear Honolulu County is missing out on a great money making opportunity here.

At the top of the railway, you have some side paths that lead to stunning views of East Oahu and beyond.  Even though you just hauled up all those stairs, it's worth the little bit more for a very scenic place to suck down water.

Last time I was there, I noticed this Prayer Box.  I can only assume it is so you can pray to make it down without tumbling and hitting all 1,048 rail ties on the way down.

On the way back down, you might be pretty proud of yourself for making it all the way up the mountain.  You might also be thinking "remember that bridge I was scared of?  I think I'll try to cross it this time."  This is one of those times you need to tell your inner monologue to take a back seat.  If you think this bridge is scary going up, it is that much more so going down because of a thing called gravity.  Just take the side road again, but feel free to tell your beer buddies that you conquered that bridge like a boss.

 This truly is a fantastic hike.  It is a fairly short hike despite all the stopping.  It offers fantastic views of the island, and you will feel like a champion for making it all the way up and down again.  Way to go you.  Now head over to Kona Brewing Company for some beer and lunch.  You earned it.