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<\/a>Asa Aue takes a selife in front of the King Kamehameha I statue in Kapa\u02bba before starting the Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail. (Courtesy of Asa Aue)<\/p>\nAue embarked on the challenge of following the Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail from the King Kamehameha I statue in H\u0101w\u012b to the corresponding statue in Hilo. This trail, also known as the Way of Kamehameha, posed a formidable challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up here, it was always a goal of mine to walk around the island, but I knew it would be difficult due to private property and dangerous terrain,\u201d Aue said. \u201cBut I found that there was this new trail that utilized only public access routes and had been mapped out using GPS.\u201d<\/p>\n
The King\u2019s Trail began as a project by Dr. Chad Walker, an avid hiker who was seeking a long, continuous trail on the Big Island. What began as a curiosity resulted in a documented 300-mile coastal route linking the King Kamehameha statue near his birthplace in Kapa\u02bbau to the one in Hilo, the island\u2019s seat of government.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started to put the trail together, I realized that this was the perfect way to honor King Kamehameha I and to bring awareness to the great history and raw beauty of Hawai\u02bbi,\u201d Wallker said. \u201cThere is no other place that I know of where you can walk 300 miles of coastline.\u201d<\/p>\n The trail follows ancestral coastal pathways once used by fishermen, families, ali\u02bbi and warriors. It is an advanced hike without transportation, lodging or supply support. The route comprises 18 hike segments intended to be completed in 20 days, though these segments are usually not done consecutively.<\/p>\n ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n There are 16 single-day hike segments and two 2-day overnight segments that traverse National Park, state and county land, along with private property where there are access easements.<\/p>\n The hike segments average about 15 miles each, but the terrain rather than the distance is the primary challenge. Each hike takes between 8 and 10 hours, covering distances that range from 10 to 20 miles depending on the terrain and access points.<\/p>\n Aue is the first person to complete the hike consecutively.<\/p>\n \u201cYou definitely could not do this hike without support from someone who could meet you with supplies,\u201d he said. \u201cI had three people meet me with supplies throughout my walk.\u201d<\/p>\n He said there were difficult moments, the hardest being a six-mile section of barren lava fields between Miloli\u02bbi and Manuk\u0101.<\/p>\n ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cThe sun beats down on you,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got gallons of water on your back, and the ocean can\u2019t help you. It was difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n Aue made sure he respected landowners\u2019 boundaries to avoid trespassing, even when navigating the cliffs of Kona.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing that surprised me was that there is always public access to the coast, no matter where you are,\u201d he said. \u201cI know that is the law, but it was cool to see that in action.\u201d<\/p>\n Aue\u2019s favorite part came when he passed Kalae (South Point) in Ka\u02bb\u016b and viewed K\u012blauea from a new perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cOn these long hikes, the real satisfaction for me comes in the middle of the journey when it becomes difficult or even lonely, but you are reminded in some way of why you are doing it,\u201d Aue said. \u201cWhen I looked up and saw K\u012blauea in a completely new way, that was really satisfying for me.\u201d<\/p>\n ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n He was able to complete this hike due to Walker\u2019s release this year of an official guide to the Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail. It includes detailed route guidance, practical logistics, and cultural and historical information.<\/p>\n \u201cYou just need your smartphone as a navigational device, and it works without service,\u201d Walker said. \u201cIt gives you all the information you need to know, which is important since a lot of this hike is dangerous and should be done only by advanced hikers.\u201d<\/p>\n Of the 300-mile route, approximately 250 miles are on coastal trails with only 50 miles on paved roads. H\u0101m\u0101kua is the only district not included due to the lack of coastal trails available and the difficulty and sacred nature of the steep valleys.<\/p>\n A significant portion of the trail is the Ala Kahakai National Historical Trail Corridor<\/a>, which covers 175 miles. It represents a coastal network of ancient, historic and modern trails from Hawai\u02bbi Island\u2019s north to the eastern boundary of Hawai\u02bbi Volcanoes National Park.<\/p>\n Initially, Hawai\u02bbi Island trails followed the natural contours of the land, connecting communities via a diverse network of coastal and mountain-ocean trails.<\/p>\n<\/a>A portion of the Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail is marked over a lava field. (Courtesy of Asa Aue)<\/p>\n<\/a>The map of the different segments of the Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail. (Courtesy of Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail)<\/p>\n<\/a>Waves crash on cliffs in South Kona off the Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail. (Courtesy of Asa Aue)<\/p>\n<\/a>Asa Aue takes a photo with Dr. Chad Walker after he finished the Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail at the King Kamehameha I statue in Hilo. (Courtesy of Hawai\u02bbi Island King\u2019s Trail)<\/p>\n