Drive up Mt Ka'ala Road?

[gcoleman]

Aloha, everyone,

I was rolling around on Google Earth, looking around O'ahu for places I hadn't been before and found what looks like a really neat trip up some mountain roads to Mt Ka'ala. Mt Ka'ala Road begins on the northcoast, at rt 930, and heads south into the mountains. It looks like it ends at a military installation way up in the mountains. (Bing Maps shows different views of the same road, and both views look beautiful.)

Has anyone driven up this way? Are there any restrictions due to the military location up there? Maybe you can only go so far? What are the road conditions?

Mahalo,

G

 

[gcoleman]

No one?

Shy?

Has no one been up this way?

Anyone on O'ahu right now willing to try this road trip? And report back? With pictures?

It looks like it gives some spectacular views.

G
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[slum808]

I believe the road you're looking at is referred to as Kolekole pass. It connects two Army installations and is normally closed to public use. I haven't been up there but have heard the views are great.

 

[DaveNV]

If it's the road that goes over Kolokole Pass, you need military privileges to get onto the base. I also believe when we were taken over it about 15 years ago (pre-9/11), the driver (Active Duty Army) still had to get a special permit from the base authorities, because it required opening and closing a couple of security gates. So it's not as easy to get through as it might seem. Nowadays, with security tighter than ever, I don't know if they'd allow someone to access the pass at all.

That is, IF this is the same road you're talking about.

Dave

 

[gcoleman]

Here's map coordinates...for Mt Ka'ala Rd.

Nope....according to Google Maps, Kolekole Rd starts in the Schofield Barracks installation as Trimble Rd, then does a neat bunch of jigs through the mountains and pops out on the west cost after going through what looks like an arsenal, and turning into State Highway 780.

The road I'm talking about starts out on the north coast, as a left(south) turn off west-bound Farrington Highway (Rt 930). You can enter these coordinates into the Google Maps search box, and it will take you there.

21.568914,-158.146949

Then you can follow the road south into the mountains.

Looks neat...I wonder if anyone has been up this way...

G
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[DaveNV]

I wonder if anyone has been up this way...

Well, obviously, I sure haven't. Will be curious to hear what you learn about it.

Dave

 

[slum808]

I've driven past that area and never knew that road existed. From Google maps streetview it has a white gate that looks locked. There's a sign on it, but its too blurry to read. There's lots of muddy tire tracks entering the road, so someone must use it.

 

[gcoleman]

Mt Ka'ala road...the mystery continues...

Dang, I didn't think to look at the street view! There is a gate there and another gate at the diagonal that intersects it just east of it.

Now the puzzle will be to discover who controls the gate, and see if it's possible to get permission to go through it. Maybe the Police Department knows. Or maybe there is something written on that sign, too blurry to read from here.

It looks like there is a some private property, and even some residences, and some nature preserves, along this road long before it runs into the military installation, so maybe there is access to some fraction of the road for locals or hikers.

Too bad there are no street views up this road, although some folks have previously put photos on the map that show views from further up the road, closer to Mt Ka'ala. And there appear to be hiking trails up that way, with some photos attached.

This mystery may just have to wait until someone can get there to look around.

Mahalo, everyone!

G
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[slum808]

From a google search of Mt Ka Ala road. Its a government controled access road. It does talk about the views from hiking to the summit but didn't say how you get access.

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/nars/reserves/oahu/mountkaala

Looks like you can access the summit from an 8 mile hike starting on the southwest side of the mountain.

http://easyhikerhawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/mt-kaala-waianae-kaala.html