The long of it
Hawaii’s coastal weather is temperate to a degree that puts the so-called “temperate” zones of the world to shame. The humidity is moderate, too: 50 to 60%, not the sweltering horror of some other tropical lands. It is warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter, but the “extremes” are only a few degrees apart—nothing like those on the mainland. (Hawaii’s mountainous interior, however, is quite another matter.)
Hawaii’s mild climate is determined largely by its tropical location and also by the northeast trade winds that sweep across it. The northeast trade winds—so-called because sea captains took advantage of them on their trade routes—are dependable, steady winds that blow from the northeast across the thousands of miles of open sea that separate the Hawaiian Islands from the continents. They are responsible for keeping the temperature and the humidity moderate. Since they are the prevailing winds in this area, the side of the island that faces them is called the “windward” side. The opposite side of the island is the opposite of windward; in nautical terms, “leeward.”
Sometimes the trade winds fail and are replaced by “kona” winds coming from the south. “Kona” means “leeward,” because it’s the leeward side of the island that more or less faces these occasional winds. Kona winds bring hot, sticky air. Fortunately, they are rare in summer, when they would be really unpleasant, and occur mostly in winter, when the lower overall temperatures moderate their effect. Kona storms are subtropical low-pressure systems that occur in winter, move in from the south, and can cause serious damage. There is apparently no pattern to them; in some years, they do not occur at all, but in others they occur every few weeks.
On the island of Hawaii, average temperatures in Hilo range from highs of 79-82°F to lows of 61-70°F. In Kona, temperatures range from highs of 80-82°F to lows of 62-68°F. The “cooler” ones are winter temperatures, the warmer ones summer. It’s rainier from November through March than it is the rest of the year. Hilo gets an average of 133 inches of rain per year, while coastal Kona may get as little as 15 inches of rain per year. Expect cooler temperatures, more wind, and considerably more rain if you are in a mountainous region. For example, the uplands of south Kona are rainy enough to support the nation’s only coffee plantations! The summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are often chilly, even by day, and can be bitterly cold at any time. Both are snow-covered in winter. Kilauea’s northeast side can be very cold because of its high rainfall, though its summit is only 4,078 feet high.
Equipment Suggestions and Miscellaneous Hints
This book isn’t intended to teach you how to hike or backpack. If you can walk, you can hike, especially the “very easy” hikes. Just be sure the trip you pick is within your hiking limits.
This book is intended specifically to let you know where you can hike on Hawaii, what to expect when you hike there, and how to get to the trailhead for each hike. And that, I hope, will help you decide which hikes to take.
This section contains suggestions which I hope will make your hikes even more pleasant, and perhaps better protect you and the environment. Of course, you’re the only person who lives in your body, so you’ll have to judge what’s really appropriate for you. But there are a few things you might want to know before you go—things that may be very different from the hiking you’ve done at home on the mainland.
It’s up to you
No book can substitute for, or give you, five things only you can supply: physical fitness, preparation, experience, caution, and common sense. Don’t leave the trailhead without them.
Don’t spread pest plants
As I mentioned in the chapter on geology and history, Hawaii has been overrun by introduced plants. It’s important to try to control the spread of these plants. One thing you can do to help is to wash the soil, and with it the seeds of any pest plants, you hope, off of your shoes or boots before you leave a hiking area. Note also that you, like any other animal, can carry pest-plant seeds in your digestive tract and deposit them, ready to sprout, in your solid wastes. Either hold it till you get to a toilet or dig your hole deep enough to make it impossible for the seeds to sprout (one foot deep, according to a pamphlet on the subject. I’m just passing this information on. I have no idea how to carry enough equipment to dig a hole that deep when hiking). Pest plants include all the guavas. For more information, call the Hawaii State Department of Agriculture, Chemical Control, 808-974-4141.
Equipment for strolls and easy hikes
You don’t need to make extensive preparations for a stroll along a beach or a half-mile nature trail as long as there’s food, water, and shelter nearby—perhaps in your car. The things you must not go without are:
Sunglasses
Appropriate footwear
Mosquito repellent
Strong sunblock applied before you set out.
Your mosquito repellent should be “jungle juice”—that is, have a high percentage of DEET (diethyltoluamide). DEET is vile stuff, but it works.
Equipment for moderate and strenuous hikes
Carry at least the Ten Essentials Plus One as I’ve adapted them from the Sierra Club. They are:
Pack (to put these good things in; could be a large fanny pack)
Food and water (assume that all open water sources are unsafe to drink)
Extra clothing (always take rain gear, as it can rain any time on Hawaii)
Map (and compass if you can use it)
Flashlight with extra bulbs and batteries
Sunglasses and strong sunblock
Means to dig a hole 6–8 inches deep and at least 200 feet from water, in order to bury solid body wastes; tissue that you will also bury (or pack out)—see also “Number 2 in the Lava,” below
Pocket knife
First-aid kit
Waterproof matches and something you can keep a flame going with (such as a candle) only when necessary to start a fire in order to save a life
Mosquito repellent (“jungle juice”)
Equipment for backpacks
The following is a minimal checklist for backpacking equipment.
Minimal Backpacking Equipment List
Backpack
Tent
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Permit
“Ten Essentials Plus One”
Boots
Socks
Shirts
Shorts or long pants
Hat
Underwear
Rain gear
Toiletries
Personal medication
Cookware and clean-up stuff
Stove and fuel (You cannot take stove fuel on a plane. You must buy it at your destination.)
Eating utensils
Tennis shoes?
I’ve noted in the hike descriptions whether tennis shoes are okay to wear or whether I think you should wear boots. I base that recommendation on the length of the hike and the difficulty of the terrain. What tennis shoes may lack that boots can provide are ankle support and soles that grip. Only you can really decide how important those are to you.
Boot