Pi`iholo Hill. December 15, 2002.

All Around Maui: Pi`iholo Hill. December 15, 2002.

Pi`iholo hill is a prominent cinder cone in the upcountry area of Maui. It's on private land, as so many of Maui's excellent hikes are.

Setting the stage

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This picture shows how Pi`iholo hill looks from Olinda Road, the road I lived on during 2002. The hill always looked inviting to me as I drove past this spot every day on the way to and from home. It was nice finally to climb it.

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To start the hike, you drive up Pi`iholo Road (which runs parallel to Olinda Road) until you reach the edge of this pineapple field, with the old house on the right, and the water tank between the field and the house.

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Asking for trouble. View a large version of this picture so that you can read the signs. This is how the hike starts.

The ascent

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Looking unusually grungy right now, these pools are at other times popular swimming holes. There is a series of pools running along the length of the gulch, up the mountain.

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Zibby and Tree look up the gulch to see if they can see other pools.

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Looking up towards the top of the hill.

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Layers of trees. Eucalyptus at the top of the ridge, and guava below that.

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The middle portion of the hike crosses cattle pasture. Here's a view across the lower portion of the pasture, to the guava and eucalyptus trees below.

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Zibby and Monique pick guavas.

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Tree especially likes guavas. This is one way to keep him content on a hike. Guava, being the horrible weed that it is, is abundant on many Maui hikes.

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Lush view looking down the gulch, towards the ocean.

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The way to the top crosses this cattle pasture. You head up to the line where the Eucalyptus trees meet the pasture, then follow the line around the hill until you meet a jeep road.

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Monique and Zibby's mom, Judy, make their way up the hill.

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At the tree line, there is this eucalyptus tree with wonderful huge burls on it.

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Same tree with the burls.

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Zibby reads the guidebook (Hiking Maui, by Robert Smith) to try to find the way up.

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View from the top of the pasture down to the ocean. You can see West Maui in the distance (mostly covered in clouds), and the main city of the island, Kahului, at its base.

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Judy, Zibby, and Tree enjoy the experience of touching some moss.

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Zibby and Tree check out the moss.

Views from the summit

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Those dark green patches are pineapple fields. The roads throughout the fields form the patterns you see. Maui's central valley is visible beyond, with the base of West Maui in the far background. This view is looking southwest.