The Haiku Steps: Caught on the Stairway to Heaven

I've wanted to do this hike for a long time. Unfortunately, its another hike that has been closed for quite a while. This one is very different though, it consists of steps and ladders that lead up the side of a nearly vertical mountainside just outside of Kaneohe, near where the H-3 comes out of the tunnels.

I had to get up really early and was at the trailhead and climbing the fence (yes, breaking in...) to get on the road by 7 a.m. I didn't know exactly which road to take once I got in, there were several leading different directions. After a couple of mistakes, I found what I thought was the path and headed up a dirt trail. I ended up at a fence where I could see the steps but not get to them! Back down that hill and up the road a little more until I found another path...this one ended up leading to the steps.

I started out on the bottom steps and started climbing up. Soon I could see that there were other people on the steps, heading down towards me. I kept climbing up, but then I looked up to see where the other hikers were. One of them had a silver badge...crap! He made a "turn-around" motion, so down I went. He turned out to be a pretty nice guy (for a security guard) and just told me I couldn't hike up the stairs. I don't know what time they get out there, but earlier than I want to get up.

I took Tim there to see the different old Coast Guard buildings, the place they shot some scenes from "Lost" (has the Dharma Initiative symbol!) and the swimming hole, but we didn't try to go up the steps. The first pic is of Tim on the later trip in June.