December 20, 2003 hike with The Vegetarian Society of Hawaii

Michael Newman provided these details:
A restricted, paved road built to maintain the FAA and commercial communication transceivers atop Koko Head, residents use it for daily walks. You can take the less beaten path off this road to explore the small, but legendary Nonoula and Ihiihilauakea Craters. This is a novice road-walk and rocky slope-shuffle combination in Hawaii Kai that takes you up the broad "spine" of Koko Head first, then downhill off the main ridge to a very wide "step". It is not hard at all, but the climb will get your pulse to rise! The "step" you hike down to is embedded with two naturally-formed craters filled with dry, haole koa trees. Koko Head (known to early Hawaiians as Mookua o Kaneapua) is the 642-foot-high bump-like hill opposite of the 1,206-foot-high Koko Crater (known to early Hawaiians as Kohelepelepe). The top of Koko Head has an extensive continuation of the paved access road and is interesting to walk around. What you will find is a variety of users, from commercial operators such as cellular/paging services and cable television to federal operators such as the Federal Aviation Administration's "CKH" VORTAC, who have built a wide array of radio/microwave transceivers. In comparison to other road-walk trails such as Makapuu Lighthouse Road, the access road to the top of Koko Head has a much steeper grade. Also, the route introduces you to non-road hiking as you follow a rocky path off the hill and down to the craters. The nondescript route loops around the edge of the broad "step," then returns uphill to the top of Koko Head. There is absolutely no overhead cover in terms of foliage. Be prepared for intense sun exposure. Fishermen, who have the key to the gate, often follow this route (using 4WD vehicles) and park at the edge of the "step." From here, they hike down to the shoreline which remains out of sight.