Haleakalā 2015: Day 4 - Holua Cabin to Halema`uma`u Trail

Final day at Haleakalā.  Early morning start up the switchbacks of the Halema`uma`u trail.  During the night we watched as about a dozen hikers came down Halema`uma`u, at various times, heading off to Kapalaoa or Paliku or to the Holua camp area.  Was kinda creepy seeing lights descending Halema`uma`u at midnight and having strangers walking past the cabin in the middle of the night.  Of course the hikers that passed by were all very friendly.  Still...kinda eerie.

Beautiful color in the pre-dawn sky above the Ko`olau Gap

Pink skies above the southern rim of the crater 

Sunrise!

Haleakalā 2015: Day 3 - Paliku to Holua Cabin

6.5 mile hike from the lush Paliku cabin across the barren landscape to Holua cabin nestled at the top of the Ko`olau Gap.

Paliku Sunrise.  Sun illuminating the southern wall of the crater

Pancake batter

Non-potable water spigot/faucet

Paliku Cabin

Haleakalā 2015: Day 2 - Kapalaoa to Paliku Cabin

Sunrise Kapalaoa Cabin

Mountain House Eggs & Bacon, Dubliners Cheese, Taco Bell Hot Sauce, and Sinaloa Tortillas

My bag (and clothes drying in the background)

50L M/L Kelty Redwing

Kapalaoa to Paliku

Haleakalā 2015: Day 1 - HNL to OGG. Haleakalā Summit. Sliding Sands to Kapalaoa Cabin.

July 1 through July 4, 2015, with the Makiki Ward (LDS) Young Women!  Four days, three nights in Haleakalā!

GPS track of the four days of hiking

Hawaiian Airlines

Haleakala from OGG

Haleakala Post-Script

During the first week of July 2015 I spent four days and three nights hiking Haleakalā with the LDS Makiki Ward Young Women.  It was awesome.  (Pics here).

I had a goal of keeping my backpack to 30 pounds for the Haleakalā hike.  I originally wanted to keep it to 25 pounds, but that quickly became unrealistic (and I didn't want to spend the money needed to keep the weight that low).  I created an inventory of what I was packing listed here: http://lighterpack.com/r/8nisub

May 2015 Halema`uma`u Lava Lake

The inner crater at Halema`uma`u filled with lava to the point the it was overflowing onto the crater floor and was clearly visible from the Jaggar Museum overlook.  I headed to Hilo with my father and stayed at my brother's house in Hawaiian Paradise Park to see Halema`uma`u in action.  The first night (about 1:00 am) it was cloudy and rainy.  The Jaggar overlook was nearly empty.  The lava lake was spectacular!  Not great for taking pictures.

Robert overlooking the Halema`uma`u lake of lava.

I returned the next night with my father at around 10:00 pm.  It was packed!  For about 20 minutes the skies cleared and the lava was spectacular.

We also checked out Pahoa and the recent lava flow at the Pahoa Transfer Station.

Apa`a Street, Pahoa:

What remains of the only home in Pahoa overrun by lava.

Rest of the pics here (Halema`uma`u) and here (Pahoa).

July 6, 2014 Halema`uma`u

Wouldn't be a trip to the Big Island without visiting Halema`uma`u, especially at night.  The crater lookout at the Jaggar Museum was packed!  Being that it was Fourth of July weekend Volcano National Park had park rangers lining up traffic and parked cars down the road leading to the lookout.  I've never seen the lookout so packed!  The vog made for a spectacular sunset.

Sunset illuminated clouds over Mauna Loa.

People were lined up along the lookout wall.

Pele put on quite a show!  Always such a beautiful sight.

Rest of the pics here.

July 4, 2014 Mauna Kea Summit

For July Fourth my Dad and I drove up to the summit of Mauna Kea. It was a beautiful day on the Big Island, with some high clouds and tons of blue sky and sunshine. My rental Jeep handled the unpaved road to the summit perfectly.

A few minutes after we got to the top, a Mini Cooper strolled up! It was followed a few minutes later by some tourists in a Ford Mustang and a couple rental Chevy sedans!

 

My Dad and I took a couple of selfies at the top overlooking the Keck Observatory and Haleakala.

 

Being nearly 14,000 feet high, the air is quite thin! Every movement is strained and we were both getting dizzy from altitude sickness. So we decided to attempt trekking to the summit, only a 200 yard trail.

We made it about halfway before reality set in. Time to turn around.

 

After catching our breath, we checked out the inside of the Keck Observatory.

We drove up to some radar dish looking things then made our way down the mountain.

Rest of the pics here.

April 26, 2014 Ho`omana`o `Ana o Ke Kaua Lelea`anae (Commemoration of the Battle of Nu`uanu)

In 1795 Kamehameha battled with Kalanikūpule for control of O`ahu.  The battle for O`ahu culminated in Nu`uanu Valley and what is today called the Pali Lookout.

I woke up at 3:30 am and drove up to the Nu`uanu Pali Lookout for Ho`omana`o `Ana o Ke Kaua Lelea`anae,the Commemoration of the Battle of Nu`uanu.  I had only recently realized that the Nu`uanu Pali Lookout opens at 4:00 am.  I arrived just before 4 am.  It was dark, empty, wet, and very windy.

By around 5:00 am the parking lot was packed.  The procession of a few dozen people made it's way from the parking lot to the lookout.

There were oli, hula, and ho`okupu.  Sam Ka'ai also offered a brief history of the Battle of Nu`uanu.

Following the Commemoration, some of the organizers, Nā Papa Kānaka o Pu`ukoholā , paused to have their picture taken.

Offerings were made.

It was a windy and rainy morning.  I felt for the young men who endured the cold in only their malo.

The Pali looked majestic bathed in clouds (looking towards Lanihuli).

After most of the participants had dissipated I stayed to watch the sunrise.

Rest of the pics here:

April 4 & 5, 2014 Halema`uma`u Crater

My brother Robert bought a house in Kea`au so my brother, Kai, my father, Scott, and I headed up to the Big Island to help out around his property the first weekend in April.  We didn't do much sight seeing, but being so close to Volcano National Park I was able to check out Halema`uma`u Crater a couple of nights.  Really love this place.

Rest of the pics here:

 

March 1, 2014 Honolulu Sunrise Time Lapse

February 22, 2014 Koko Crater Sunrise Time Lapse

More pictures here:  http://flic.kr/s/aHsjTbFRV7

Sommer Crossing Palikea Stream...

Returning from Waimoku Falls.  Sommer makes a stream crossing.

August 3, 2013 Pai`olu`olu Point Rock Bridge (Koko Head)

Finally got out to the Rock Bridge at Pai`olu`olu, the Southern/Western point on the rim of Hanauma Bay. The hike up Kuamoʻokāne (Koko Head) and out to Pai`olu`olu is short but HOT! There is NO shade along the trail. Today was a great day to be out hiking, but the sun was blazing! We definitely did not take enough water on this hike.

While making our way down to the twin craters of Nonoʻula and ʻIhiʻihilauākea there were random bunches of rose petals along the trail. Soon we saw what those were about. Shelby's boyfriend was going to propose!

Just as we passed ʻIhiʻihilauākea crater we ran into Shelby and her boyfriend, now fiancée, making their way back up Kuamoʻokāne.  Of course Sommer made me get a picture of Shelby's ring. Congratulations!

We made our way down the dry slippery sandstone at Pai`olu`olu point.

Across the bay was Palea point, the Norther/Eastern point of Hanauma Bay, and the forbidden Toilet Bowl.

Just west of Pai`olu`olu point is the Rock Bridge.

I don't know how people stand on this thing! It's terrifying! If you fall in or the bridge collapses, you're done for!

We took some family pictures, then headed back up Koko Head and back to air conditioning in the car! It was so hot on the way back and we were severely lacking in water. Thankfully the trail is short and the air conditioning (and water in the car) was cold!

Rest of the pictures here.  Write up of my last trip up and around Koko Head.