Bill Summers - Kalalau Trail Repair

More Kalalau Trail Repairs

All quotes are from the back of the photos supplied by Bill Summers in November 2007.

"Section of trail on Mile 8 that has been made wider from ~8 inches to 3 feet. It was done by digging into the clay slope with a square point shovel. The trail is beveled enough so that rain runs directly off the trail, but not so steep that hikers will slip sideways when it's muddy."

"Mile 8. This has been widened from one foot to three feet."

"A view coming around 'Chivalry Point.' This will be made wider by cutting into the rock of the cliff face. The switchbacks in the background need about two weeks of work. That part of the trail is currently very dangerous in wet weather."

"Another view of "Chivalry Point," or Pohakukumano."

"Trail at 8-mile waterfall. The old trail is on the left, and washes away every heavy rain. Bill is carving a path into solid rock to make it permanent."

"A view towards the 8-mile helipad currently under repairs."

"I am currently repairing the old helipad at 8-mile. There was nearly a serious, and possibly fatal, injury a mile away a few weeks back, that indicated a need for a medivac site. The work inclues hauling dirt and gravel in 5-gallon buckets to level the pad and trimming back the invasive guava and plum trees to clear the rotor blade of a helicopter."

"This is a section of trail on mile 8 that has been widened from ~8 inches to two to three feet. This was accomplished by cutting into the rock with a pck and sledgehammer."

"This was a bad place at Mile 7. The lava dike boulder hid the grail from first time visitors coming back from Kalalau Valley. This caused them to go down the unstable slope above a drop-off. It took over two weeks of work with a pick and sledgehammer."

"A view on Mile 8. Even though lantana is an invasive plant, I leave them on the downhill side of the trail to stabilize the soil, and cut them back on the uphill side before widening the trail. There are still many places along the trail where these thorn bushes have almost completely covered the trail."