The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-17

4
on Oahu, which. through the trail cut
/ recently by the HaIeiwa Hotel manage
ment, is comparatively easy, offers one
of the most picturesque trips on the
Hawaiian Islands, If the dweller in
| Honolulu looks at the Waianae range,
| to the westward of Pearl Lochs he will
see rising high above the rest of its
brethren a flat-topped peak-in fact the
outline of the summit is as perfectly ho-
| rizontal as is that of far-famed Table
Mountain of Cape Town. This is Ka-
iala, THE Perfumed Peak" which rises
4Q30 feet above the sea. The new trail
passes through the great Waialua plan
tation, which it leaves at one of the
reservoirs that wise management is
placing in every available locality,
thence winding along grass covered
| ridges, with here and there scattered
clumps of lantana and guava brushes.
Ancient cattle trails everywhere show
that this was once great grazing coun-
try. While thousands of young koa and
kukui trees springing up in all direc-
| TORS prove that the reforesting of the
| island can be accomplished naturally
| by simpfy shutting out the cattle.
| Higher and higher we climb, terra firma
becoming more and more rugged and
picturesque. On a knoll a half dozen
young pheasants fry off with an angry
whir, their number and plump condition
making the spertsmen of the party long
for the 18th of September. After fol-
lowing the summit of long ridge or
''hog-back'' we descend into a swale
filed with guava bushes which are
loaded with ripe fruit. The leading
horse snorts jumping to one side, as
five young squealing wild boars tear
madly down into the gulch. A hasty
shot with a revolver is unproductive OF
any result beyond the Fastening of the
speed of the porkers, if that be posi-
bic. From here the Climb begins in
earnest, the trail zigzagging up the face
of an almost perpendicular cliff, but so
cleverly has it been planned that the
most nervous are at ease. After about
a half an hour of this the putting quad
rupeds bring us to the top of a long
ridge which in graceful curves leads
almost in a direct line to the summit
of the peak itself. We traverse this for
over half mile, constantly ascending,
coming at last to an abrupt drop in the
ridge that makes further riding impos-
sible. Tieing up the animals we COM
mence the real work of the day, climb
ing upward, ever upward every step
bringing US nearer to the forest, which
looks cool and inviting. The sudden
bleating of wild goats from the ridge
opposite causes all to pause but look as
we would we could not see e sign of
the spiral horned mountain climbers.
A shot from the revolver, a 40 cal. Colt, |
which reverberated back and forth
across the ocean, started them however,
and we could see a dozen or more hasti- |
ly climbing the cliffs opposite. They
stopped for a last look on the top of
crag and then disappeared from view.
From the appearance of the ridge up |
which we are travelling it was the home
of Goatdom, trails and fresh signs be-
ing apparent everywhere. When tim
Der was reached We 1OOnQ II cnol !
enough, but the tangled tree fern and
other tropical vegetation did not help us
much, the canteen filled with spring
water being much in demand. Cor !
geous orange, pink and varied colored |
flowers unknown in the Iowlands greet !
ed US, while shrub, the leaves of which |
gave forth a delicious aromatic odor |
perfumed the air. Up and still up un- |
til we entered the clouds, the swirling |
volumes of mist cutting off all view |
for some time. AT last. after climbing |
over a knoll. we entered upon what |
was to all appearances q broad plateau, |
covered by most luxuriant tropical |
jungle which would have been impassi- |
BILE except for the trail recently cut. |
When our guide said, 1.-THE top" an
audib'e sigh of relief could be heard /
from he long line of Alpine climbers
extending in single file far back into
the dense fog. Shortly the clouds be-
gan 10 feel the effect of the trade wind /
and as they lifted we found that we
were in reality on top of the great
plateau on Kaala. where. although on
top of the highest peak on Oahu, we
could see nothing but a fiat field COW
cred with impenitrab1e jungle. a short
walk brought US to a small pond, filed
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