Snow?  Hawaii?

Not a typo nor a fantasy.  Started Tuesday with a 4WD trek UP Mount Mauna Kea, one of Hawaii’s two 13ers.

Mauna Loa, known for its active lava flow.  Mauna Kea, the world’s highest telescope.  “The altitude and isolation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes Mauna Kea one of the best locations on earth for ground-based astronomy.”

Gonna be a HUGE day – Fire, Ice AND a tropical Waterfall 🙂

 

Rank      Name           Elevation      Counties

1         Mauna Kea       13,796′          Hawaii

2         Mauna Loa       13,679′          Hawaii

Hopped aboard the Grecos SUV (thanks again Paul for chauffeuring), drove an hour east toward Hilo – our third day travelling the Big Island’s Saddle Road (Hawaii 200), island’s only East-West highway (Kona to Hilo).

First stop: Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, adjacent the Visitors Center.  Closed ‘til noon.  Stretched our legs, started the 7-mile all-dirt journey UP to Mauna Kea Observatory.  Less than a handful of US states with 13,000ft peaks.

Rocky, barren, red Martian landscape.  UP UP UP.  Patches of last week’s windswept snow remained on the high peaks near the Observatory.  Stopped outside each massive structure: the Subaru Telescope, Keck I and II Telescopes, NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility.

After multiple days of tropical humidity, LOVE LOVED my half-hour of high-altitude gusty, thin air.  FAAANNNTASTIC!

 

• Hilo Lunch: organic Kombucha at Sweet Cane Café
• Hilo Highlight: Rainbow Falls in Wailuku River State Park.  Short hike, top of the Falls thru a forest of Giant Banyan trees (double WOW) to the Boiling Pots, a succession of big pools formed by slow cooling lava.  What a crazy diverse climate!

Evening’s activity? LAVA: the ONE single most thing I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do in Hawaii.  And not the possible red glow a mile away, from the deck of a building in the National Park.  Pāhoa Lava Flow, tonite’s ranger-free private-land molten lava experience.

[Too early in the afternoon to head to the south coast.  Most impressive after dark.]

Filled our lava ‘wait’ time at Mauna Loa.  NOT the massive peak ‘cross from Mount Mauna Kea…rather, Mauna Loa, Hawaii’s #1 Macadamia nut manufacturer.   Factory tour, garden walk – FREE samples at the gift store.  No money, lotta flavours.

Did I say FREE?  Reality: Tasty & super addictive.  ALL of us dropped cash here.  LOL>

 

 

Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue)