Hiking is increasingly popular in Hawaii, which makes the newly published, updated and expanded edition of Stuart M. Ball Jr.’s 1999 classic “The Hikers Guide to the Hawaiian Islands” a timely holiday gift. Containing step-by-step descriptions of 52 hikes, it’s a must-have handbook for hikers and nature lovers who want to explore the scenery of Kauai, Maui, Hawaii island and Oahu and live to show and tell.
Hawaii’s steep, wet environment can be treacherous, and for every hike Ball lists difficulty level from novice to expert, and hazards from slippery, crumbly ascents and descents to seashore waves, stream crossings and waterfall pools, in which you can drown in flash floods or contract leptospirosis. Also described are native species, such as ohia, koa, iliahi and lama trees and birds, including the amakihi and apapane that can sometimes be heard and glimpsed from the Lanipo trail along Oahu’s Mauumae (wilted grass) ridge above Maunalani Heights.
Ball makes for an entertaining companion with quips such as that about Kalalau. The sheer hike, along the cliffs and in and out of valleys along Kauai’s northern coast, is the Waikiki of wilderness trails due to its popularity. Whether you’ve been there or not, you’ll want to go when he describes the stars over Kalalau Beach as you rest after the grueling 11-mile trek.
Included are early Hawaiian cultural sites and legends: For instance, Oahu’s Kaau Crater “may have been named after Kaauhelemoa, a supernatural chicken.” New hikes have been added and closed ones removed, such as Sacred Falls, declared off-limits after fatal rock slides.
Practical, concise and contemplative, “The Hikers Guide to the Hawaiian Islands” made this reader want to jump up from her chair and hit the trail — well-equipped, of course, with Ball’s recommended long pants, hat, sturdy boots, gloves, water, sunblock and mosquito repellent. Given weather, erosion, geologic and human activity, conditions change, so stay alert. Containing route maps for each hike and a well of color photos, Balls’ essential guide to responsible roaming brings you back to your senses.
“THE HIKERS GUIDE TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS”
By Stuart M. Ball Jr. (University of Hawai‘i Press, $21.99)
