Old Hawaii
is hiding
close at hand
Moanalua Gardens Foundation
guides hikers through the rich
history of Moanalua ValleyBy Pat Gee
Paradise Found
Special to the Star-BulletinTo the untrained eye, the verdant growth in Moanalua Valley is wondrous to behold. But to purists who want to preserve the few surviving native Hawaiian plants in its forests, it's a depressing conglomeration of overgrown weeds.
Pauline Sato, an environmental educator with the Nature Conservancy, has lead hikes into one of the larger branches of Moanalua -- the lush Kamananui Valley -- for 12 years. She was once an employee of the Moanalua Gardens Foundation, which sponsors the hikes, but now serves as a volunteer hike leader.
So it's not that she doesn't enjoy the beauty of the greenery like everyone else, "but if we don't stop the invasion of weeds, the native forest will disappear forever."
"The whole thing is overrun with weeds -- it's depressing." she said.
Sato likened the encroachment of non-native plants into the valley to "pulling apart the web of life bit by bit." She and other conservationists are afraid Hawaii's uniqueness will disappear and "it will look like Fiji, or any other place on earth."Though there's nothing wrong with looking like Fiji, the things that are only found in Hawaii --the plants, animals, birds, snails -- are disappearing from earth. A whole part of Hawaiian history which has been here for millions years will be gone forever ... . And I don't know if anyone can bring back a full forest."
The purpose of the hikes is to foster cultural and environmental awareness, not only to offer recreation and exercise. Throughout the year, the nonprofit foundation offers guided walks that cover a leisurely three-mile roundtrip over a dirt trail.
Though individuals are allowed to hike without a guide over the private land, owned by the Samuel Mills Damon Estate, the foundation requires that groups make reservations by calling 839-5334 and donate $5 per participant. The next two group hikes are scheduled for Sept. 19 and Dec. 12.
The hike features the remains of early 20th-century house sites, a petroglyph covered rock, seven stone bridges and remnants of a lava-rock cobblestone road once traversed by horse and carriage.
Sato begins the hike by inviting her group to "take a walk back in time ... imagine yourself way back when -- in the 1900s, or the 1600s, or even longer than that."
Much of the information about the valley has come from an oral history passed on by chanter Namakahelu Maka'ena. She related the legends to her trusted friend, Gertrude MacKinnon Damon, a Scottish woman who had married into the Damon family and wrote everything down.
Sato said valley lore includes a visit from Kamehameha, who conquered and united the islands. Because so much of the valley's history and prehistoric remains were documented, the foundation was able to successfully fight the development of the controversial H-3 Freeway through Moanalua in the early 1970s.
Sato's desire to preserve native Hawaiian plants was spawned from her compassion for the animals she saw on the television program, "Wild Kingdom." She was determined "from small kid time" to save those animals. "I thought I would end up in Africa."
But her interests changed direction when she went to college in Michigan. Her studies included learning a lot about native plants growing on the mainland. "I felt embarrassed when I realized that I knew nothing about Hawaii's plants." She resolved to come back home to do something to preserve the Hawaiian environment "because if homegrown people from Hawaii don't do it, we can't expect outsiders to."
Non-native plants are brought in to an area by animals and birds, but the worst offender is man, Sato said.
As someone who never went hiking or camping in her youth, Sato's love for the outdoors is something she hopes others will make the effort to experience.
"I want all the couch potatoes to get off the couch and come out. Don't go shopping this weekend for a change; do something different," said Sato.
Paradise found ...
By Pat Gee
Special to the Star-BulletinI couldn't believe I had given up my leisurely Sunday morning routine of drinking cup after cup of tea and perusing shopping catalogs to go on a hike in the rain. That was one of two things I had dreaded when I decided to go on my first hike in more than 25 years: the rain. The second was having to go to the bathroom in the bushes.
Call me Sissy City Slicker, but I avoid places with no indoor plumbing like the plague.
And I hate the thought of getting lost or having a "Deliverance" type of encounter with perverted hooligans. (In the movie a group of guys are terrorized by two hillbillies in the woods.)
But here I was dressed in a in three-dollar bright yellow poncho-in-a-bag, never thinking I would actually have to wear it when I bought it. Although pictures of me in this Beyond Dorky attire could be fodder for blackmail, that darned thing saved my life.
I was dry during the muddy trek through Moanalua's Kamananui Valley despite a drizzle that lasted throughout the three-hour march. After adding a flannel shirt to ward off the chill, I was actually comfortable, and surprised to find myself having a good time.
I hadn't walked in the rain for fun since I was a kid who didn't have to worry about her perm frizzing up.
I wore shorts anticipating a hot, sunny day but long pants are recommended to protect against mosquito bites and scratches from thick brush.
My old tennis shoes with their smooth bottoms didn't offer much traction. But 59-year-old Marion Moody fared well with the same kind of footwear. Her saving grace was a walking stick. "It's like a third leg," said the Scottish woman, who is an avid hiker and 30-year resident of Hawaii.
Seven-year-old Bryson Paracuelles, a Volcano resident visiting with his mom, made no pretense of wanting to keep dry or clean. He jumped into every puddle and splashed through all seven streams along the way in his brand-new hiking boots.
His mom, Kuhea, said her son "has been waiting a long time for this." An environmental educator who had worked with our guide, Pauline Sato, Paracuelles said this was her son's first hike. She waited for Bryson to "come of age" so he could learn to hike safely, recognize the plants, and keep his footing.
James Kendricks, a conservation reserve officer and security manager at Ihilani Resort, regularly takes fellow employees on hikes all over the island. His group joined ours so they could hear the information Sato had to share, although he also brought a guide book the Moanalua Gardens Foundation puts out for self-guided tours through the valley.
A life-long hiker, he recommended people who don't join organized groups hike with at least one companion in case they run across "a bad element" (back to "Deliverance"), get hurt, or get caught in a flash flood.
The valley lends itself to visions of a romantic picnic under a large tree next to a sparkling stream. As the sun magnifies all the subtle shades of green watercolorists try to duplicate, I decide I would love to come back to enjoy the place where ladies in long, white, floaty dresses from another era once had tea parties in the garden. I would bring my china teacups, a large guard dog, and, of course, a roll of toilet paper -- just in case.
In the mood to get down and dirty? An excuse to
play in the mudIf the answer is yes, the U.S. Marines want you --at least for a few hours.
The 5th annual Swamp Romp takes place Saturday at The Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe Bay.
A publicity release warns "The five-mile course is not your typical fun run." Marshes, swamps, climbing walls, obstacles and mud, lots of mud, are waiting on the route.
Registration costs teams $72 and all members will receive a Swamp Romp tank top. Participants must wear long trousers or sweat pants and boots, regular athletic shoes are not allowed. The event starts at 7 a.m.
Proceeds from Swamp Romp benefit armed services recreation programs. For more information, call 254-7590.
Beginning next month, ESPN will air a new Hawaii mini-series called "Island Adventures." ESPN loves Hawaii
Team Unlimited has produced seven one-hour television shows on the sports, recreational activities, events and personalities in Hawaii. Featured subjects include free diving, hiking and hangliding.
Team Unlimited owns and operates more than 20 events and television shows and specializes in outdoor adventure.
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