Tag: hiking

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To the Top – The Highest Point in Ohio

To say that I was out of breath would be a vast overstatement. On a whim, I decided to summit the highest point in Ohio.

There are travelers who collect high points, seeking to visit the highest elevation in each of the 50 U.S. States. The Highpointers Club, for example. The County Highpointers Association takes it a step further, visiting the highest elevation in each county in the U.S. That would take some time, since there are over 3,000 counties.

While the second goal would take quite a while, reaching the summits of the 50 states is a very achievable goal. Twenty-nine of them are less than a mile above sea level, thirty if you count Washington, D.C. Many can be driven to, or at least most of the way up. Only four are higher than 14,000 feet. Mount McKinley in Alaska requires special training and favorable weather conditions. By contrast, I was starting small.

Campbell Hill, Ohio is located within the city of Bellefontaine, the county seat of Logan County. Take a short detour from Interstate 71 or 75 down U.S. Route 33 to reach this small town, where the first concrete road in America was built in 1891. Campbell Hill is located within the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center campus. It’s a short climb to the top.Still, it was  a fun achievement. I don’t know if I’m going to attempt the rest of the state high points, but it was nice to visit one. Only 49 to go.

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Kamaile’unu Ridge Trail

I hadn’t ridden in the back of a pickup since I was a teenager. Yet there I was, one sunny afternoon, bracing against the wheel well and wondering just how long it would take to get to our destination. We nervously joked with each other about someone falling out though I’m sure the tailgate was quite secure.

We were staying in Waianae, so it was only a few minutes until we reached the trailhead at the end of Mai’u’u Road in Makaha. We slathered on sunscreen since it was already past noon, and then we hit the trail. Our goal? The top of Kamaile’unu Ridge.

It’s a steep drop, so watch your footing.

Oahu is blessed with dozens of hiking trails. If you haven’t wandered away from the beautiful beaches, then you’ve missed most of the island’s scenic views. I will say, however, that Kamaile’unu Ridge is not for the faint of heart. To begin with, the trailhead starts in Makaha. This is as far away from the tourist-laden streets of Waikiki as one can get. Drive west until the highway ends, then keep driving. Past the country club existence of Ko Olina. Past well-known sites like Electric Beach and Pokai Bay. Finally you’ll come to Mai’u’u Road. Then you’ll start climbing.

And climbing. This trail gains over 3,000 feet before you reach the end. Just follow the pink markers and you’ll have no trouble finding your way. I can’t promise you won’t have trouble catching your breath.

Terrific views of the beach off Makaha

In the end, we didn’t reach the summit. That would have taken six or seven hours. We only had four. But we climbed high enough to enjoy the views of Pokai Bay and the Makaha Valley. And we definitely got a workout.

If you like hiking on Oahu, you need to pick up Stuart Ball’s book The Hiker’s Guide to Oahu. This is the most comprehensive guide to the island’s trails, with detailed descriptions of routes and the scenery along the way.

What about you? What’s your favorite hike?

The long walk home