Waiakeakua miconia hunt
I know I've had a nice Saturday when among the things I did on it were hiking in a place I've never been; floating peacefully in a pool of a clear, cool mountain stream; talking story with a group of friends while enjoying snacks and cold drinks; and getting a hug and kiss from a pretty young woman. What am I rambling about? The monthly miconia hunt sponsored by the Sierra Club, of course. I've written about these before as have Charlotte Yamane and Tom Yoza. And we encourage all hikers to turn out for hunts because they're fun, albeit sometimes rugged and strenuous. And the hunts are for a good cause, namely finding and eliminating miconia, the purple-leafed menace, which fortunately hasn't yet made big inroads on Oahu. For me, the hunts, in addition to the eradication goal, are a good way to grab a workout and do some exploring, two things I relish when hiking. Today, with our targeted search area the east (Koko Head) side of upper Manoa Valley, I got both. ...