Tantalus Trip:
Respect the Rain Forest





Salvage Public
1170 Auahi Street
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi



July 27-August 17, 2018



Blending into the backdrop of the Ko‘olau Range sits Tantalus, one of many rejuvenation stage volcanoes dotting Honolulu. Unlike its contemporaries Diamond Head and Punchbowl which bookend the city—and have become gated icons of tourism and the American military, respectfully—Tantalus is a little less symbolic.



Instead, Tantalus is a destination for ecological restorationists, cyclists, architecture enthusiasts, drifters, pakalolo smokers, artists, downhill skateboarders, and hikers, a group of whom first gave it its modern name after failing to reach the seemingly evasive peak. Traditionally called Pu‘u ‘Ōhi‘a for the abundance of the native tree found near its summit, the mountain’s most prominent feature is now a number of radio towers, visible even from the ocean. The combined erasures of name and vegetation are not unrelated.



This photo series was gathered during years of running the same trails, documenting both changes over time and the everyday. The photos were all taken on disposable cameras as an acceptance of Tantalus’ normal rainy weather, which nourishes the forest, the streams, and, therefore, the city’s residents.



Proceeds from the show benefited the Mānoa Cliff Restoration Project and their efforts to replant a native forest on Tantalus. Please grab a pamphlet and take your own guided trip.





















































































































tantalus trip