Oahu Hike Tales

Of the craters on the island of Oahu, the most familiar to residents and visitors are Diamond Head and Koko Head. Fewer know about Ka'au, a small crater tucked against the spine of the Koolaus. Early on this late-October morning, I had the good fortune to join 42 energetic nature trekkers on a Sierra Club-sponsored hike to this beautiful geological landmark in the upper reaches of Palolo Valley. According to Hawaiian legend, Ka'au was formed as a result of an unsuccessful island-unification effort by the demigod Maui. While attempting to consolidate Oahu and Kauai into a single land mass, Maui saw his efforts end when the magic fishing line he had been using suddenly snapped. The huge hook affixed to his line sailed skyward, landing in upper Palolo and forming Ka'au Crater. Geologists tell a different story. In the scientific version of the genesis of Ka'au, the crater was formed from an explosive upswelling of volcanic material from deep within the earth's c...