Kona on Oahu

I have acquired some free time in the last couple of days and decided to get outside and take a discovery ride solo. This trip took me toward Hawaii Kai.

The main location I was planning on visiting was a destroyed heiau in Niu Valley. I had read about it and was pretty sure I knew exactly where it once was. At the base of the undeveloped ridge in the center of the valley. Kulepeamoa is the name of the heiau and ridge. McAllister noted portions of terrace were still visible. Although the remaining stones may have been taken years later for cattle pens.

Kulepeamoa would have been facing the ocean on the southern end of Kulepeamoa ridge. Behind the houses on the corner of Haleola St. and Halemaumau St. in Niu Valley.  

I tried to get a closer look but no one was home to ask. So I took a ride to the end of Kupaua Pl. and found a trail head. I locked my bike up at the nearest light pole and headed in. I had hoped a trail would split off and lead me toward the base above Kulepeamoa Heiau. But after about a half an hour of hiking. I realized it was just taking me toward the back of the valley. I had to turn around once the trail became littered with thorny branches.

I'm unsure what I found toward the beginning of the trail. There was a square enclosure of very large rocks that seemed to form a platform. Inside the formation it was mostly level and a few prominent stones had curved bowl like indentions. I thought it would have been cool if I had suddenly stumbled into another whole different Heiau. But then I also thought maybe this could have been a cattle pen. Or a well bulldozed pile of stones that were cleared for development in the lower parts of the valley...

Here is about the spot where I decided I should head back to my bike. Beautiful view though...

After I got back on my bike, I rolled down to Paiko Lagoon. It's a wild life sanctuary and a school of fish had just rustled the water's surface when I took this pic! I think a duck I saw earlier may have startled them. 

I picked a pink hibiscus from a nearby wall and clipped it on to my seat post, filled my water bottle up, and headed back onto Kalanianaole Hwy...

Pahua Heiau is probably the most widely known heiau in this area. If people cared to see such things. It was rebuilt in modern times and is even protected by a group that maintains the landscaping of this sacred structure. This heiau was spotted in the corner of my eye one day when I took the back roads to Sandy beach. I yelled, Oh I think I just saw a heiau. Then turned around to visit it. 

This last visit was quite similar as I must have been exposed to too much sun by this point. I totally forgot where I was going and had decided to attempt a KOM on Strava, going up Heartbreak Hill and then Kamehame.

But after seeing the heiau in the corner of my eye, I remembered what I was in the area to do. I admit I didn't have it in me to try to create personal records of climbing up mountains on my bike anyhow.

Pahua Heiau is between the ancient ili titles of Kamilonui and Kamiloiki. Again like the former Heiau, at the foot of the ridge. As those were the ideal locations for heiau building and surveying the land from there.

I left the pink hibiscus there for some reason...

 Maunalua, the furthest district east of the greater district of Kona, now known as Honolulu. Although Maunalua is only an ili in the district ahupuaa of Waimanalo.

On my way back west I noticed a couple of men clearing the wetland reserve next to the country club. I read the sign and quickly turned around to talk to them. I entered into the gated area and one of them, still standing far away. Gave me a gesture that seemed to tell me to hold up and not proceed any further. He was in a conversation with the other man for quite some time. So I headed back out to talk to them through the fence.

One of the men came up to me and told me this area was very significant to the ancient Hawaiians. Up until Kaiser came and destroyed most of the structures for whatever purpose of his own. Some credit must also be given to our own people during the time of the end of the Kapu system though. Back on the story, he told me there is evidence of the Hawea Heiau structure still to be seen on the foot of the ridge and heading upward. The bottom section was very recently bulldozed by a new development. He also suggested that some think that Hawea Heiau is around the ridge at the location where the post office is now. As that was also marsh land.

There are all sorts of indicators that this was a prominent place for the people of the district. There are some plants that were used by ancient residents of the land still growing next to the hillside, and a freshwater spring is right next to the marsh. Mud hens still flock here and a family of them were spotted by him on the country club side of the marsh.

I feel so bad because even though I took out my phone notepad to try and catch everything he was saying. I didn't get his name. He told me a romantic story about how he lived in the area for more than 40 years and used to ride horses with his girlfriend up and down these valleys. When he saw what was going on here recently, he asked to be a volunteer. Every second Saturday there is a open invite for volunteers to help clear the land. The next one will be September 14 at 8am-11:30am. Not much to ask for, I hope I can make it. Kaleo Pike is the person guiding this revival of Hawaiian culture. She told him that the Heiau housed two sacred drums from Kahiki. One was actually called Hawea and the other that he could not recall that started with "P". I hope I can get a chance to hear what Kaleo Pike can share about this area...