It was warm and muggy and I had packed extra water. Moving through the early section of the trail with the heat of the morning, I thought the extra water would be most helpful. But after about half an hour, just as the trail was becoming more complex and native, cloud cover moved in and with it sprinklings of rain. I kept my sunglasses on, with the hope they might ward off the rain. If you are already wet at the beginning of the hike, there is no need for it to rain, and if it does rain you don't care.
Some people just carry an umbrella.
I slowed and moved into observation mode. I'm not a plant person, but I can recognize many native plants and like most people have no difficulty recognizing natural beauty, especially when I find myself immersed in it, left and right, up and down, far and close. I felt reassured that this simple, readily accessible trail, right at the top of Aiea Town, continues to be absolutely magnificent. Simple yet startling. Happily, the on and off rain only served to keep me from overheating, and didn't overly muddy the trail.