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Your editorial urged that trespassing hikers who get into trouble should pay for the cost of their rescue (“Reckless hikers should pay fines,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Feb. 26).
Unfortunately, the editorial incorrectly referenced Haiku Stairs as a location of such rescues. In point of fact, no rescues have been required from Haiku Stairs as a result of hikers being lost or injured, despite numerous trespassers. Rescues reportedly from Haiku Stairs involve trespassing hikers who become lost or injured trying to access the stairs from unauthorized or unsafe areas.
Haiku Stairs is a relatively straightforward mountain access route. It is a stairway with railings on each side and is probably one of the safest hiking trails in Hawaii. You go up and you go down. It is impossible to get lost!
Under managed access, Haiku Stairs would provide a safe outlet for those wanting to experience the Koolau mountains without risking the need for expensive rescues. We look forward, with cooperation from city government, to making this unique, safe and rewarding hike available to residents and visitors alike.
Vernon Ansdell
President, Friends of Haiku Stairs
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