Ka'ena Point Hike

Ka'ena Point Hike - a hike to the western tip of the island of Oahu.  You can approach the tip from the south or the west. We approach from the south side which made the trek about 4.8 miles round trip or 2.4 miles one way.  The trail was flat, dry and hot.  Bring water for this trip, should bring water on any hike, but this one had me gulping water down. 

There wasn't any hikers when we went, but a couple of bike enthusiasts  seemed to have biked all the way around the tip and where heading back to town.  The trail was eroded badly on one part, we had to climb uphill to get around.  I have no idea how they got their bikes back on the trail.

 There are a couple of blowholes along the way.  Below is one spouting. 

 At the very tip of the reserve they have an area for nesting shore birds and we were lucky enough to see some endangered beached Monk Seals.  My first thought, as an Inuipat Eskimo, was that man those seals are easy pickings and probably tasty.  But we did leave the seals along of course.

Below is a pic of the most western mountain edge on Oahu.  They have trails for people to walk in to protect the nesting birds.  We didn't get to see the birds cause it was off season.



Dorothy Creek Falls Hike - An Alaska Hike

My sister and I decided to hike to Dorothy Falls with all four family dogs.  Dorothy Creek Falls is located approximately 24 miles outside of Nome, Alaska on the Kougarok road.  You drive across the creek and find a small open area to park.  We hiked up along the ridgeline to Dorothy Falls.  But you start out following an old mining road and then start walking up the hill along the Valley to your right.

There is a nice elevation change as you are going up the hill.  There is no path laid and you walk freely across the tundra. Walking along the ridge means you aren't dealing with the small shrubs and brush that lines the sides of the creek.

 Dorothy Creek Falls is about a 1 1/2 miles from the road.  So its about a 3 mile hike round trip.  Its a fairly easy hike, not too long and a slight elevation change.

 After we left the falls, we just walked back down the creek.  We didn't care if our feet got wet.  It made the return trip alot faster then hiking back up to the ridgeline.

We were parked almost over by that old abandoned miner house.  Along the hike, you will see old mining tailings and pipes used for gold mining.