Capturing the Moment

  Diamond Head Crater looms just behind the bustling tourist district of Waikiki here on Oahu. The tallest part of the crater rim is only 762' above sea level but the hike up can make it seem much higher. The trail winds up from the bottom of the crater floor about 8/10ths of a mile to the summit. Lea and I headed out early in the morning to tackle this hike before the hot sun made it even more difficult.    We were pretty lucky, it was a cold morning and lots of clouds kept it overcast almost the whole way. The clouds also made the landscape pictures even more dramatic. We had a few photo stops on the way up but for the most part Lea and I trekked up with no problem. I made sure to take Lea up the extreme path to the top; 99 stairs straight up, a spiral staircase through the bowels of an old military bunker, a squeeze out of the bunker, and a loop up to the very top. The view was amazing!   From the top we could see Koko Crater on the southeast coast all t...

Bo and Holland   One of the wonderful things about living in Oahu, Hawaii is that so many friends and family stop here on their travels. So from time to time I get surprise calls from long lost classmates, friends of friends, or in this case my cousins! I was pretty surprised to hear that my cousins Josh and David where here with their families and my Aunt Linda and Uncle Bruce. I don't get to see them very often since I have been working and living around the world so I jumped at the opportunity to catch up. Josh and I figured out that it had been 15 years since the last time we saw each other! So crazy how time flies. And after a wonderful Hawaiian style dinner at the Side Street Inn, and a wild bit of surfing at Waikiki Beach, we did a little flying of our own...in a helicopter! Erica and David Diamond Head   For many of them this was their first time up in a helicopter. Everyone did great. I've seen Maui and Molokai from a 'copter before but never Oahu. ...

View of the reef Diamond Head Crater   The Hawaiian islands are amazing places for geologists to study. The islands are all volcanic, and formed over a hot spot in the middle of the ocean thousands of miles from the nearest land mass. These huge shield volcanoes are eroded over time and become weathered green peaks like those seen on Kauai and Oahu. Sometimes after the main shield forming eruptions have ceased, these volcanoes go through a rejuvenation eruption. These resurgent events formed some of the most well known formations on Oahu. Diamond Head and Punchbowl Crater are two formations that occurred a million years after the main volcano of Ko'olau became inactive. And both are examples of tuff cones, formed when fissures opened up under the reef which allowed magma to come into contact with the shallow ocean water. This built up steam which resulted in a huge explosion, sending pumice, ash, and limestone thousands of feet up. Diamond Head Summit The particulate...

  There are always new spots to explore, secret beaches to find, and solid surf spots to test out here on Oahu. My latest find was a real beauty. While thousands of tourists are climbing up the trail to the top of Diamond Head crater, just behind it locals are climbing down the cliff to a beautiful strip of sand fronted with some well formed, easy going waves.   There are a few breaks over the patches of reef which spreads out the crowd. And there is almost always a crowd. During the winter months this south shore break is great for beginners and intermediate surfers but I hear it can get pretty wild during those big summer south swells. From on top of the cliff it is easy to see the reef below the surfers.    The beach here winds down the beautiful coast, filled with palm trees, towards the million dollar estates of Kahala. Only a few people were strolling the beach. It is a steep trail to get down to the sand but well worth it for this little piece of se...

Start of the Hike   The bustling district of Waikiki can easily overwhelm the senses with all of its high rise resorts, fancy eateries, and expensive shops. Luckily a quiet piece of nature sits just beyond the concrete jungle. Diamond Head crater has always been a famous backdrop for Waikiki pictures but the crater is worth exploring up close.    Being so close to the city, the trail that winds its way up the crater rim to the summit of Diamond Head is one of the most well trodden paths in Hawaii. However, once you pass through the tunnel to the inside of the crater all the noise of the city is gone and a huge green field replaces buildings. When it rains a lot there can even be a beautiful little pond inside the crater depression.   Diamond Head Lighthouse The Royal Hawaiian in Pink                            The path heads up in a switchback style...