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Legend has it that Olomana was a giant, fearsome warrior dominating this part of the island. Palila, the king's warrior, was crafty enough to climb up on the giant's shoulders and slice him in two -- half of Olomana's body flew into the ocean in the distance, the other half created the peaks you're on. Geologically you're in the center of the Ko'olau caldera, remnant of the giant shield volcano that makes up this part of the island of O'ahu. The mountains in the distance are the rim of the caldera, and these three peaks of Olomana are left over from lava that pooled in the caldera in it's heyday, perhaps 2.7 million years ago. You are atop the northern peak, the highest at 1643 feet, or 500 meters. The panorama opens to the middle and southern peaks at slightly lower elevations. The area has been designated Mount Olomana State Monument, and a popular trail traverses the spine of the hills. The local hiking club makes an annual climb around the end of the year, which is when I made this panorama. Items of note: Panning to the left of the peaks and into the ocean you can see Manana, or Rabbit Island, not far from Waimanalo Beach, then Bellows AFS, then just over Ka'iwa Ridge are the twin Mokulua isles. You then see the towns of Enchanted Lake and Kailua, and the great Mokapu Peninsula, home to a Marine base. Kane'ohe Bay is flanked in the distance by Mo'o Kapu o Haloa Ridge, near my panorama from March 2006. Behind the bush and the golf course is the town of Maunawili, close to where the hike began.
See pictures of the hike here. More of my panoramas here. 
Shortcut to this page: http://worldwidepanorama.org/wwp_rss/go/n2953
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