CLEARED - 02.12.2006

 RATING: MEDIUM/DIFFICULT

 LENGTH: 5h RT.

 CLASS: RIDGE, VALLEY

 LOCALE: WAILUPE, 96821

 DIRECTIONS: HAO ST.

 ACCESS: OPEN

LOOP DISTANCE (MI.): 5.3
ALTITUDE VARIATION (FT.): 276 - 2674

TRACK LOG: TRAIL068
START COORDINATE: 21°17.920N, 157°45.396W
END COORDINATE: 21°19.558N, 157°44.875W

DESCRIPTION:  THE WAILUPE COUNTER-CLOCKWISE LOOP TRAIL STARTS BY ASCENDING AND FOLLOWING THE RIDGE BETWEEN WILIWILINUI AND HAWAII LOA RIDGES UP TO THE KOOLAU MOUNTAIN RANGE. THE TRAIL THEN CONTINUES BY TRAVERSING WESTWARD ALONG THE KOOLAU RANGE TO THE TERMINUS OF WILIWILINUI RIDGE TRAIL.

THE RETURN TRIP FOLLOWS THE WILIWILINUI RIDGE TRAIL HALFWAY DOWN TO A MARKED JUNCTION AND THROUGH A GUAVA MAZE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DECEND WILIWILINUI RIDGE INTO THE VALLEY.

THE WAILUPE LOOP TRAIL IS A SHORT CLASSIC RIDGE TRAIL WITHOUT A LOT OF THE FALSE SUMMITS ASSOCIATED WITH ASCENDING THE KOOLAU. VIEWS OF WAIMANALO, KAILUA, OLOMANA, AND KANEOHE CAN BE SEEN WHILE ALONG THE KOOLAU RANGE.