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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, May 11, 2002

Manoa Falls Trail will open today

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

After being closed for more than three months, the Manoa Falls Trail will reopen at 7 a.m. today after clearing a final safety check yesterday.

The trail has been off limits since a Feb. 1 landslide sent tons of debris crashing down near the base of the popular waterfall.

Curt Cottrell, manager of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Na Ala Hele trails program, said state geologist Glenn Bauer took a close look at the area from a helicopter and could see that recent rains have washed away some of the larger debris left clinging to the cliff walls after the landslide. New growth is already taking hold in some places, which should help stabilize the area.

"The rains flushed out some debris," Cottrell said. "It is still highly dangerous below the falls, but we don't expect more big material to fall."

Na Ala Hele workers will be at the falls today to answer questions from hikers and monitor the situation.

Dayle Turner, president of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, said his club members are happy the trail is open again because the 'Aihualama trail, which connects other trails to the Manoa Falls trail, has also been closed to keep people away from the falls. 'Aihualama also reopened today.

Since the landslide, state workers and volunteers have taken several steps to make viewing the falls safe for hikers, including building a new viewing area about 40 feet from the falls and cutting down large trees to give a better view of the waterfall.

Seven warning signs have been installed around the falls saying "Danger Stop! Landslide area beyond this point," and a wire cable stretched around the viewing area blocks access to the pool.

Cottrell said building the lookout is a compromise between access and safety. The 100-foot falls and the pool at its base are now off-limits.