Question: On Thursday we became aware of a helicopter circling continually over Diamond Head. Naturally, we thought it was another hiker going off the trail. And, again, Friday morning: continual flyover. Thursday night’s news mentioned “rockslides” on Diamond Head. Friday morning’s news did not mention it. And nothing in the paper. Would you know the real reason for this continuous helicopter, and how long it will continue?
Answer: There wasn’t a stranded hiker or a rockslide. The helicopter was used to remove potential rockfall hazards along interior slopes of Diamond Head crater, part of long-planned preventive maintenance contracted by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources that will limit access to the popular summit trail for the next few weeks.
“The reason for the helicopter work was to bring down bags of rocks and other debris material from the trail to an open area in the crater,” said Deborah L. Ward, a DLNR spokeswoman. “There was no recent rockfall/rock slide event that we know of in the area. This work is purely preventative based on our consultant firm AECOM’s recommendations.”
The helicopter was only scheduled to fly Thursday and Friday, so you shouldn’t be hearing it from your home anymore. However, work on the ground will continue until late November, closing Diamond Head State Monument’s scenic summit trail on most weekdays.
The closures are necessary for public safety because workers will be loosening rocks as they stabilize areas along the trail, according to the DLNR’s Division of State Parks. You can find the details of the abbreviated trail-access schedule on the monument’s website, 808ne.ws/dhmon, but here are the highlights:
>> Today through Nov. 16, the summit trail will be closed Mondays through Thursdays. Affected dates include today-Thursday, Oct. 30-Nov. 2, Nov. 6-9 and Nov. 13-16.
>> The summit trail will close at noon on Friday and Nov. 3 and 17. Hikers must be off the trail by 2 p.m. on those dates.
>> It will be open as usual from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays.
>> Thanksgiving week will have special hours. The summit trail will close at noon Nov. 20-22. It will be open regular hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) Nov. 23-26. Thanksgiving Day is Nov. 23.
As of now it’s expected that the “crater park” on the crater floor will remain open during most of the work. That includes the parking lot, restroom, visitor center, gift shop and lunch wagon, according to the DLNR.
Q: Does that new anti-smoking law apply to vaping, too? I might support it then. It’s ridiculous to see clouds … coming out of the car window of these drivers. I don’t think they can even see out the windshield through all that stuff.
A: Yes, the new Oahu law that prohibits smoking in a motor vehicle when a person under the age of 18 is present applies to smoking “in any manner or in any form” and explicitly mentions electronic smoking devices, commonly known as vaping.
Auwe
On Thursday I saw my first Christmas decorations go up at the movie theater. Even before Halloween! Why can’t we wait preferably until after Thanksgiving? — A reader
Mahalo
Please extend an overdue mahalo to Ernest, who found my golf clubs and shoes, which I had forgotten on the street by Aikahi Elementary School. Only after driving home did I realize that I had left them behind. I drove back to the location and found my clubs and shoes gone. Ernest saw me walking around and said he had taken my clubs and shoes to his house for safekeeping. From despair to disbelief, it’s an experience I will never forget, thanks to Ernest. — Grateful golfer
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