16 • July 2018 www.hawaii-forest.com
During a Maunakea Sunrise Tour on July 8, one of the guests, Lixin Lin, captured the glow from the eruption flow in Puna visible from the Visitor
Information Station. SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY
Some might ask, is there
nature on an island with over
a million people? Hawaii
Forest & Trail answers with a
resounding yes. After 25 years
of building an acclaimed reputation
on Hawaii Island,
Hawaii Forest & Trail will
launch nature adventures
never before offered on
Oahu. Months and months of
research and discovery have
led to tour itineraries that
include many hidden spots.
Guests will soon have the
opportunity to forge personal
connections with nature on
the island of Oahu — Hawaii
Forest & Trail style.
Hawaii Forest & Trail Vice
President Jason Cohn sums up
the reason for expanding to
Oahu, “Even though Oahu is
urbanized in many places, its
landscapes are densely populated
with incredible and
captivating stories. Stories,
ancient and contemporary,
are waiting to be shared
with our visitors. We think
Oahu has our type of visitor,
someone looking for authentic,
accurate and compelling
revelations about place. Our
newest tours will share our
passion for the natural and
cultural history of place and
educate visitors to help conserve
Hawaii’s environment.”
He added, “We’ve established
partnerships with
Oahu landowners to allow
tours to places that have previously
been inaccessible.
Our owner Rob Pacheco’s
love of the aina and passion
for Hawaii’s natural world
shines through in our latest
tour offerings. Hawaii Forest
& Trail is set to launch three
new nature tours on Oahu
this fall— “Farm to Forest,” a
mauka and makai journey in
Waianae; “City Volcano and
Rainforest” an active adventure
to Hawaii’s famous
and hidden highpoints; and
“Birds and Wildlife of Oahu,”
whose itinerary will change
with the migrating seasons
of birds, whales and turtles.
A ‘Farm to Forest’
tour preview
Oahu has been described as
a sharp contrast between the
ancient and the modern. The
Farm to Forest Tour journeys
into a special place in West
Oahu, through ancient and
modern ways, with stories, old
and new, of a peopled landscape.
With exclusive access to
private lands Hawaii Forest
& Trail’s guests encounter
an authentic Hawaii place.
Discover and meet the natural
and culture landscape of
Waianae, its historic sites, its
caretakers of the aina, taste
food fresh from the field, and
marvel at breathtaking vistas.
Replenishment, inspiration
and perspective await
those seeking storied places
and experiences on Hawaii
Forest & Trail’s nature
adventures on Oahu.
out of the van and took a
moment to appreciate how
unique of an experience it
was, to be in the shadow
of Hawaii’s most sacred
mountain.
Before leaving, Cabral
drew our attention to a zigzag
trail on a different peak
nearby. He said that is considered
to be the “true summit”
for Maunakea.
Final leg
Cabral ended our morning
journey at the historic
Humu‘ula Sheep Station at
the corner of Saddle and
Maunakea Access Roads.
No longer operational,
a dilapidated structure
and pavilion are all that
remain. However, it is not
void of beauty with green
and forest trails to wander.
It was at the pavilion
that Cabral fed us breakfast
burritos and where
I had an opportunity to
speak with all of my travel
companions and get their
feel for the tour.
Seventeen years ago,
Kimberly Randolph of
West Palm Beach, Florida,
was on a Maunakea sunset
tour when her husband
proposed to her. Now, she
was back with several of
her family members as they
celebrated her nephew’s
high school graduation.
While the 2 a.m. wakeup
call was early, Randolph
said it was worth it to see
the stars and sunrise.
“We get nothing like that
in our area,” she said. “I’m
glad we could come back
as an entire family again.”
Jim Notter, Randolph’s
father, said they had no
plans to do the sunrise
tour. But while they were
at their hotel, it was suggested
to them by the
concierge.
“All of a sudden it was
like, ‘Why not!’” Notter
recalled.
For Notter, the highlight
was the awesomeness of
Mother Nature.
“Just to stand out there
and see beauty, it’s the definition
of beauty,” he said.
Notter added the
company and the tour guide
also made the experience
memorable.
“We had a well-made
stew,” he said. “We were
sitting next to people
from Scandinavia to
Pennsylvania. And the driver
was knowledgeable and
loves his job.”
Also impressed with
the tour were Mike and
Mary Leatherman of
Pennsylvania. As we sat eating
breakfast burritos and
sipping on coffee at an old
sheep station, Mike said the
stars were his favorite part
of the tour.
“Being up here, you realize
how insignificant you
really are,” Mike said.
Mike added that Cabral’s
presentation was good. He
also enjoyed the size of the
group.
Mary agreed. She thought
Cabral’s timing was perfect.
“I don’t think it’s much
of a tourist trap — it’s more
educational,” she said.
Story by Tiffany DeMasters,
West Hawaii Today
Hawaii Forest & Trail Celebrates 25 Years
/www.hawaii-forest.com
