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Tips for Hiking Oahu's Backyard
Chapter 4: Common Hazards (Introduction)Though Oahu doesn't have the bears, snakes, snow flurries, hostile deserts, or other hazards typical of the continental United States, it possesses the qualities (and temperment) of a volcanic terrain meeting with tropical jungle conditions. Together, they make the Hawaiian Islands gorgeous to view but can spell a world of hurt for the unsuspecting hiker.Up close, the terrain can often include jagged knife-edged ridges, crumbling rock ledges, and boulder-strewn streambeds. Ridge and crest-walking often involves mushy-mud rollercoastering above 1,500-ft+ cliffs. All is manageable with a little patience and common sense. Most importantly, you as the hiker must intimately know your own limits and have the courage to confess to yourself and call it quits when the going gets too tough to handle. Remember, the mountain or valley will always be there - they've been around for many hundreds of thousands of years. Make sure you are still around to return and enjoy them. Frequent physical hazards: trail blow-outs, gusty ridgelines Severe physical hazards: rockslides in valleys, stream flash-floodings Omnipresent health risks: hypothermia, bacterial disease (e.g. leptospirosis) Less common hazards (away from the trail): hunters, booby-traps (marijuana growers), parental/territorial boars
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Public vs Private
- Public Trails
Invasive Species
Common Trail Hazards
- Physical
- Health/Disease
Preparations/Equipment
- Before setting out
- What to carry
- What to wear
Getting Lost
Oahu Weather