Manoa Falls Trail could reopen as early as Friday
By James Gonser
Urban Honolulu Writer
It took a crew filming a Bruce Willis movie at Manoa Falls Trail to get the popular attraction reopened before summer, something state officials had said was unlikely.
The trail, closed since Feb. 1 when a landslide sent tons of rocks and debris crashing 600 feet, could reopen as early as Friday. Repair work is being completed ahead of schedule after help from the film crew last month.
Producers of "Hostile Rescue" donated use of their helicopter to fly workers, equipment and materials into the thickly wooded area at the back of Manoa Valley, said Curt Cottrell, manager of the state's Na Ala Hele trails program.
Revolution Studios, the Hollywood production company shooting in Manoa and other O'ahu locations, also paid for a $3,000 chain-link fence to close the trailhead to trespassers, Cottrell said. Before that, the state had only a single chain stretching across the Manoa Road entry point, which was easily bypassed to enter the closed hiking area, Cottrell said.
In March, Gil Coloma-Agaran, chairman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said it would likely be summer before the popular trail would reopen.
With the trail closed, the film crew came at the perfect time to shoot and create a safe viewing area for the falls, Cottrell said.
State Land Board approval is needed to reopen, which could come as early as Thursday, when members receive a risk assessment and review the situation, he said.
Providing use of the helicopter amounted to good community relations, said Ernie Malick, unit publicist for Revolution Studios.
"The state has been very helpful allowing us to film there," Malick said. "We were there for a week shooting, and it was our pleasure to help reciprocate with their needs as well. If they had to airlift all that stuff, I can't imagine what that would have cost."
Cottrell said that with the film crew's help, the project was completed for less than $1,000.
Light equipment was brought in to build the new viewing area, about 40 feet from the falls, using large boulders to form a semicircle, Cottrell said. The area has been graded and gravel added. Some large trees were cleared to give a better view of the waterfall, he said.
Signs must be put up warning visitors to stay away, and a cable will be stretched across the stream to block access to the falls before the trail is reopened.
"We now have a flat, comfortable area you can look at the waterfall and pool instead of clambering over the boulders," Cottrell said. "From a risk management standpoint, we are saying this is as close as we can get you and still feel comfortable that your safety is not in jeopardy. I would take my daughter to the viewing area, but not any further. You can't get under the waterfall anymore. That's gone."
Although no one was hurt in the Manoa rockslide, the state is worried that people could be injured if another were to occur, leaving the state liable. A rock slide on Mother's Day 1999 at Sacred Falls State Park killed eight people; that trail remains closed and lawsuits are pending.
The heavy rain this week should not delay the opening of Manoa Falls, Cottrell said, and any further slides would hit near the pool, well away from the viewing area.
As part of the risk assessment plan for the entire state trail system, Cottrell said, pictographic signs may be placed at trailheads warning of potential dangers, similar to the signs used at public beaches to tell swimmers about dangerous water conditions.
Patrick Rorie, a Hawaiian Trail & Mountain Club board member, said that if the viewing area and new signs keep the trail open, it's worth it.
"In a way, it is a visual blight, but because we live in an age of lawsuits the state has to protect themselves," he said. "That is the reality."
Cottrell said the state wants to keep the Manoa trail open, but public cooperation is essential, or other options will be considered.
"We need the public to honor this for it to work," Cottrell said. "It's the best we could do, given the legal situation and the geomorphology of Manoa Falls."
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
Correction: The state Department of Land and Natural Resources used light equipment to move boulders, regrade and widen a viewing area at Manoa Falls. A previous version of this story incorrectly said heavy equipment was used.
