Sunday May 12th was not like other Sundays with the HTMC Trail Maintenance Crew. Today I got up at 5:15 a.m. The reason is the Papali Uka trail head is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy over on the other side of the island in Hau`ula. Distance, 50 miles, driving time 1 hour and 20 minutes. After eating and packing my pack I sat on the front deck to put on my boots and "Wai`anae Gaiters". Just as I opened the gate and backed my truck out Linda showed up at 6:15, as usual, she was right on time.
As usual we stopped at 7-11 for my lunch and Linda's wake up coffee, and then hit the road. The weather was overcast with very high clouds but no rain. Almost to Nanakuli we passed about a dozen police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck. You probably read about the accident in the paper or saw something about it on the TV. Looked like an upside down truck off on a sandy beach road that parallels the highway. Today I learned the driver was dead at the scene and the passenger only slightly hurt.
We zoomed down Farrington Highway to the H-1 and then to the H-2 going north to Wahiawa and Kamehameha Highway. Traveling along the north shore we passed Kahuku and the Polynesian Cultural Center. At about 7:50 a.m we arrived at the intersection with Hau`ula Homestead Road and parked mauka of the highway under the big tree along with most of the rest of the gang.
People were standing in groups, talking story, or filling their pack and putting them on.
Ralph and Paka would be carring "heavy equipment" to "train" the Uluhi.
