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State officials Bill Pennington of Aiea brought his family for a day of hiking at Manoa Falls trail yesterday only to find it closed because of a landslide.
reassess risks of
Manoa Falls trail
Inspectors are looking at whether
or when the path might reopenBy Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.comHe wasn't too disappointed that they were turned away. "If it's not safe we obviously don't want to hike on it," said Pennington, who was with his wife, Carroll, and their two daughters, Paige, 4, and Caitlin, 9.
Manoa Falls, one of Oahu's most popular hiking trails, remains closed indefinitely after state officials discovered a 600-foot landslide on the right side of the waterfall. Yesterday, officials also closed the Aihualama trail, which feeds into the Manoa trail.
When and if the trails will reopen to the public is up to state Department of Land and Natural Resources officials, some of whom were surveying the scene yesterday by helicopter.
"We just want to make sure we have all the information together to see if it can be reopened," said Gilbert Coloma-Agaran, chairman of the state land board. He said it was too early to talk about whether the falls might be closed permanently and that a decision would probably be made within two weeks.
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Mike Markrich, department spokesman, said department staff discovered the landslide Thursday while inspecting trails in the area. Access to Manoa Falls was shut down the next day.Markrich said a series of landslides occurred as rocks, trees and brush broke loose at the 1,400 foot elevation level and fell down the cliff face, with most of the debris eventually landing at the pool area, around 790 feet above sea level.
"Whenever there's a trigger event like a heavy rain and wind, all of a sudden the clay becomes saturated and wet and unstable," Markrich said. "This trigger event will occur and the whole thing will come down."
Coloma-Agaran said the decision to close Manoa Falls had nothing to do with a Mother's Day 1999 incident when eight people were killed and dozens more injured at Sacred Falls State Park when a rock slide into the waterfall's pool fell onto hikers and sunbathers. The Sacred Falls trail remains closed.
The state is involved in a lawsuit over Sacred Falls in which plaintiffs argued it was negligent in warning visitors about the possible dangers. A judge's decision is pending.
"It (closing Manoa Falls) is something we would do anytime something like this happens," Coloma-Agaran said.
State geologist Glenn Bauer said the main threat at Manoa Falls is the debris that remains hanging along the cliff face.
Bauer viewed the area via helicopter for the second day in a row. He described the slide as "quite a drop, very steep" with trees "hanging by a thread with rocks behind them."
He said another big rain "would probably bring those down."
He said the department would not take any action to help bring the debris down.
"You gotta expect that with a waterfall you're going to see rocks falling," Bauer said. "These mountains are 2.5 million years old ... the material is weathered and when gravity takes over with water it's a natural process. It happens.
"We're trying to protect people, but everyone who hikes has to know there's some risk in hiking," he said.
Enforcement officers were posted at the head of the Manoa Falls trail yesterday to keep people out.
Hiker Francesca Kerrigan, along with a group of friends from Chaminade University of Honolulu, were among those turned away.
She said she hopes the trail will reopen "because this is an awesome hike." Besides, added friend Corey Steinbacher, closing it for good would just make it "more appealing" for thrill seekers.