Postby Bozu » Mon Dec 08, 2008 2:13 am
Thanks for posting the pics.
Whoa I haven't been up the "creek" as we say in Wahiawa for years !
We spent a lot of our childhood hiking, fishing and exploring the upper North fork. We'd catch dojo (loach) for bait and toss em out at Boy Scout Island for some lunker bass. Ah the good ol' days... Catch some smallies, hunt for crayfish, dive in the cold water to cool off and then make a small fire and toss on an open can of pork n beans. We would warm up by the fire while the pork n beans would slowly boil over the sides of the can.
Man, just like in a Ernest Hemingway story.
If the water level was just right, we would sometimes bring along those cheapy inflatable air mattresses and try to float down stream. The rocks would tear the mattresses up pretty quick, but it was fun while it lasted.
We'd usually started from the dam (not the Lake Wilson dam) which is accessed from the trail at the very top of Wahiawa heights at the Karsten St. water tank and hike up stream from there. The farthest I've hiked was probably about a mile above the small concrete dam. I don't think the residents in the area allow people access to the trails via their backyards anymore.
It's really beautiful up there in the "creek". But please be very careful of the flash floods that frequent the area. Even in the summertime, especially in the summertime. It might look like a picture perfect Hawaiian day, but beware of those mauka showers. It doesn't take much rain on ground that is already saturated to trigger a wall of water bulldozing its way down the creek. Believe me... been there done that.
We were luck to get to high ground and skeedaadle outa there.
I've gone down to the creek after a big flash flood and seen the vegetation flattened along the steep banks at least 10 feet above the normal knee deep water height.
In the recently posted pictures I see that the water color is quite stained to muddy color. It would be prudent to keep your eyes and ears open for potential trouble in those conditions. Sometimes you can hear the creek water flow getting louder before you see any significant water level rise. Make sure you have quick and easy access to some higher ground, preferably on the Wahiawa side that you entered from.
Have fun but come home safe !
Bozu