Die-hard hikers travel Oahu's "Stairway to Heaven."
 
 
By Dan Nakaso and Eloise Aguiar, USA TODAY
KANEOHE, Hawaii — In a state known for spectacular views, the mountain peak known as Puu Keahiakahoe may provide the most magnificent.
It also presents two problems:
 
• Despite the city of Honolulu spending nearly a million dollars five years ago to replace the steps that lead to this breathtaking view of the windward side of Oahu, the peak remains off-limits to both tourists and residents.
 
• That prohibition doesn't stop hikers from around the world from trudging through a rain forest and eluding private security guards to climb what's known as the "Stairway to Heaven" in order to get to the top of the misty, cloud-covered Koolau Mountain Range.
 
David Dieterle, who runs a website spotlighting Hawaii attractions — hawaiiweb.com — says the "Stairway to Heaven" page is one of the site's most visited.
 
 
"It gets a crazy amount of traffic," Dieterle said. "We have really big feedback about it and a lot of negative feedback from the Kaneohe people who get very upset about it. They say, 'Remove it. It's closed. Why are you doing this?' Tourists e-mail us asking for directions to get there. Everyone wants to know how to get there."
 
Neighbors at the base of the hike complain of being bombarded by trespassing tourists, trash and noise. They say city officials should have torn down the rusted stairs five years ago instead of replacing them with an attractive nuisance that has bogged down the city in land negotiations and made it vulnerable to lawsuits if someone gets hurt.
 
"They should have just torn down the stairs — end of liability, end of problems," resident John Sabas said. "It hasn't worked so far."
 
The Stairway to Heaven — also known as the Haiku Stairs — originally was built out of wood during World War II in 1942 for the U.S. Navy's Haiku radio station. Constant rain and mist wore out the wooden stairs, which were replaced with metal ones 10 years later.
 
By the 1980s, the metal steps were rusted, broken or missing. Large gaps in the stairway were replaced with makeshift ropes that allowed hikers to shimmy up the slippery mountainside. In 1987, the city officially closed it, making the Stairway to Heaven Hawaii's most popular outlaw hike.
 
As word of the climb continued to spread on the Internet, city officials feared they were exposed to liability because of the stairs' condition. They had the 3,922 steps replaced at a cost of $875,000 and hoped to reopen the trail.
 
The plan to reopen has been complicated because the handful of access points to the stairs lie on land owned by different entities, including the city, state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, state Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaii's largest private landowner, Kamehameha Schools.
 
Today, the prospect of public access to the trail remains uncertain, said Jeff Coelho, director of Honolulu's Customer Services department. "The complexity of issues include everything from liability and risk to access and maintenance," Coelho said in an e-mail.
 
In the meantime, Honolulu officials spend nearly $50,000 annually for private security to guard the Haiku Stairs 12 hours a day, seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Coelho said.
 
Even so, hikers still make the climb.
 
Dave Roskelley, 38, of Alpine, Utah, said he read about the stairway on the Internet and decided to make the hike during a trip to Oahu in February.
 
"While researching this hike, I came across several sources that claimed that the stairs were open while other sources stated the stairs were closed," Roskelley said. "The available sources of hike information seem to contradict one another. I even asked a local, who stated that the stairs are not closed — just certain trailhead access points."
 
Roskelley was concerned about upsetting nearby residents, so he had his wife, Lynda, drop him off near the mouth of the trail rather than leave the car in front of someone's house. "I didn't want to disturb folks in the neighborhood. I know it's a sensitive subject."
 
A group called the Friends of Haiku Stairs insists the climb can still be properly managed, if and when the land issues are resolved. The group gets frequent queries about the status of the stairs and always responds that they are closed, said John Goody, president of the Friends of Haiku Stairs.
 
But one day, Goody hopes to see the Stairway to Heaven reopened.
 
"We believe the stairs will be open because it's a public resource and a few people shouldn't have a right to prevent the public from making responsible use of the stairs," Goody said.
 
Nakaso and Aguiar report for The Honolulu Advertiser.

                                                                  Dining Delights
 
Considering the vast array of culinary experiences Oahu has to offer, celebrities have plenty of delectable eateries to choose from.
 

Hoku's Resturant The Kahala Resort

Waikiki hotels are popular dining destinations. Halekulani’s restaurants attract numerous celebrities. Kristin Davis, Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman are among the guests of the beachfront Orchids. At the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, Hawaii, Sandra Bullock, Jesse James, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore have dined at Hoku’s, while Janet Jackson and Will Smith have dined at Cabanas Seaside Grill. Sandler and Barrymore have also dined at the newly renovated Plumeria Beach House.

Outrigger Reef on the Beach houses two restaurants favored by celebrities. The first is Ocean House, an open-air, beachfront restaurant boasting a spectacular view of the sunset and Diamond Head, where Cameron Diaz was spotted. Mark McGrath and Rob Schneider have dined at Shore Bird.
 
The Hanohano Room, located on the 30th floor of the Sheraton Waikiki, is a Hawaiian regional dining experience preferred by the cast of “Lost.” Even stars like The Rock and Clay Aiken love a luau, and were seen enjoying Waikiki’s only beachfront luau, The Royal Hawaiian Luau. Legendary lady Elizabeth Taylor has been spotted at The Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar.

Jimmy Buffett has treated lucky patrons at Duke’s at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach to surprise performances, and members of Pearl Jam were also spotted at the beachfront restaurant. Tiki’s Grill & Bar at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel has counted Wyclef Jean and Paul Walker among its guests.

Kyo-ya Restaurant offers the finest in traditional Japanese cuisine. Designed to please the eye and the insatiable appetite, Kyo-ya has served guests such as Sean Penn, John Woo, Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson.

Located at Ala Moana Center, Morton’s Steakhouse has attracted 3 Doors Down, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, and Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly of “Lost.” Tommy Lee and Laird Hamilton have stopped for a drink at the Mai Tai Bar.

Experiencing Hawaiian regional cuisine on Oahu is a must. Venture out of Waikiki to Alan Wong’s, one of Oahu’s most celebrated restaurants and a favorite of Kevin James. Jules Asner, Tia Carrere and golf phenom Michelle Wie have dined under the colorful umbrellas at L’Uraku. Head down the Kalanianaole Highway to Hawaii Kai, where Sandra Bullock, Norah Jones and Jimmy Kimmel have dined at Roy’s.

The Kahala Resort

The Kahala has housed Will Smith, The Osbournes, Noah Wyle, Cameron Diaz and
Justin Timberlake. The property features a gentle Asian décor, lush gardens, a dolphin lagoon and a secluded beach. No stranger to filming and celebrities, the Kahala was the site of the “50 First Dates” press junket and often serves as a film location for “Lost.”

Cuba Gooding Jr., Matt Lauer, Bette Midler, J.J. Abrams and Diana Krall have given Halekulani their stamp of approval. The hotel, a peaceful oasis in the heart of Waikiki, has gained a reputation for impeccable service, hospitality and cuisine.

Kate Bosworth cleaned rooms at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa while filming “Blue Crush.” The beachfront hotel, one of the few properties on Oahu’s Leeward coast, also houses NFL players during the Pro Bowl.

Cindy Crawford and Clint Eastwood have stayed at The Royal Hawaiian, one of Oahu’s historic hotels located in the heart of Waikiki, and the hotel has been used as a film location for “Punch Drunk Love” and “My Wife & Kids.”