Waimano Pools

Having to take the day off for an afternoon appointment, of course I wanted to spend the morning hiking. Shasta, Justin, Vance and I decided to check out Waimano Pools. The beautiful tiered waterfalls and pools outweighed the rumors of “Heart Attack Hill.” We began our trek at the end of Komomai Drive, Pearl City, past the water tank, and along the red dirt. After about a mile in, at the crossing sign, we descended right and that is where we got our first glimpse of the incline we would face on our way out. The added roots did not make the walk any easier and so we casually made our way down. When we finally reached the bottom of the hill, the trail headed left, down more, then up, and back down again. 

Upon sight of the pool but no sound of water, I was absolutely disappointed. Water merely trickled from the larger upper pool into the lower one. We scoped out the large pool and realized even at its fullest it would only be waist deep, if that. Of course there was no gorgeous waterfall like of the pictures we had seen on the internet. Shasta, Justin, and I debated whether or not to go swimming thinking heavily about the potential leptospirosis lingering in the stagnant water. Vance on the other hand jumped in without much thought and said he’ll take his chances. Sitting on a rock, thinking about the hike in and trek back out, I thought What the heck? and decided to go for it. Shasta and Justin must've been thinking the same thing because they got in too.

Little did I know that jumping in would be a-whole-nother story. I have jumped off many rocks before but my last jump was 8 or so years ago. Looking down at the pool that was not far away, by any means, still played with my head. I decided to jump from a lower place first. The water was bone chilling and I shivered but it was fun. I had to go back and jump from my original position. I stood there for a while, and finally forced myself in. I probably should have taken a small running start because my toes lightly brushed the bottom of the pond.

We stayed about an hour and began our ascent out. Having worked out at the gym two days before did not help with the hike up “Heart Attack Hill,” but it actually seemed shorter than the trek down. 

Overall the hike to Waimano Pools was fun. I would definitely recommend going after a heavy spell of rain so that the falls are flowing.

Smaller Lower Pool

Heart Attack Hill