| January 2007 Welcome to my website on the Big Island of Hawaii! To get away from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco during the holiday season, my friend Tiffany and I decided to take a quick four-day trip to the Big Island of Hawaii to celebrate New Year's 2007. There are two pages on this Hawaiian website, one of the eastern side of the Island of Hilo and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and one of the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens outside of Hilo, Kilua-Kona on the western shore of the island and also Ka Lae South Point and Punalu'u Black Sand beach along the southern shores. The state of Hawaii comprises of several smaller islands together, such as O'ahu where Honolulu is located, but technically "Hawaii" refers to the largest of the main islands of the chain, although the name Hawaii is now commonly referred to all the islands together. As such, Hawaii Island is now usually referred to as the Big Island. The flight from Oakland, California to Hilo, Hawaii took just over 5 hours. Once on the island we stayed two nights in Hilo then drove north around the island to Kilua-Kona where we spent two evenings (including New Year's Eve), and then our final day was spent circling around the southern portion of the island and then spending the final night in Hilo again in order to be at the airport nice and early on calendar-Day 6 to fly back to California. It was a quick trip but fun nevertheless. Enjoy the pictures! Daniel |
Tiffany on our flight to Hilo, Hawaii from Oakland, CA. The flight was about 5 hours.
5 hours of entertainment: iPods, drinks and journal writing about our 2007 plans and goals
Blurry late night wing shot. We're going to Hawaii!
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View outside our hotel in Hilo. Ignore the ghost palm trees as they are just artifacts of the digital stitching of the computer. Traditionally I've always done my own stitching, but because I'm pressed for time these days (full time job, social life, etc.) I find that I'd rather just have the computer attempt to do the stitching for me. ;-) |
Me in our convertible Chrysler Sebring car rental heading south toward Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
"Merry Christmas!" in the Hawaiian language
Famous banyan tree of Hawaii
It's a fascinating single tree that is composed of scores of tiny tree trunks and vines. Together we stand, divided we fall?
Banyan tree
Underside of a couple banyan trees
The tropical coastline just outside Hilo. Hilo is one of the wettest places in the United States.
Coastline just outside Hilo
Tiffany driving up the slow slope of Mauna Loa volcano
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The major volcanoes of the Big Island of Hawaii are quite different from what you see along the far western areas of the United States. Volcanoes in California and the Pacific Northwest are are relatively dramatic in shape and presence in the sense that they look stereotypically "volcanic" with sharper edges and tall peaks that clearly reveal them to be volcanoes. The major volcanoes on the Big Island are different in that they are gently rising slopes that tower up over the surrounding ocean, and if you didn't already know that they were volcanoes, it would be easy to mistake them simply as rolling mountains or gigantic gentle mounds of more-or-less shapeless dirt covered in trees. Mauna Loa was a great contrast to my previous experience of volcanoes and mountains in California and Washington and the whole time that we drove up its sides I kept thinking, "Where's the volcano? I can't see anything around here that looks like one!" |
Mauna Loa volcano tops out at 13,679ft /4,169m, although you'd never know it by looking at it in the distance.
If compared to the seafloor from which it rises, the volcanoes of Hawaii would be the highest mountains on earth.
Mauna Loa which looks small and unimposing
Taking a drive into the woods cloaking Mauna Loa volcano
Scenic little road winding though the dense tree cover
Me in our car rental driving up the side of Mauna Loa
Hmm. . . not sure where I'd park even if I wanted to!
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I found this sign particularly interesting because at 6000 ft / 1,830m on Mauna Loa I was surrounded by the types of vegetation and grasses that you might find at the 1,000ft / 300m to 2,500ft / 760m elevation in the California Sierra Nevada mountains (where I grew up). It was hard to believe that I was at such an elevation where there were no pine trees around and no jagged mountain tops to be seen. Just the gently rising slopes of a volcano that I was walking upon but could not see! |
Vegetation along Mauna Loa
A lava flow cut through by the roadway
Our tour book described this kind of rocky lava flow as "rough and clinkery." It is easily broken and is rather sharp.
If you want to see new and ancient lava flows, the Big Island is the place to be!
Old clinkery a'a lava flow.
There are two types of lava: a'a, which is rough and clinkery, and pahoehoe which is smooth and ropy.
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Informational signs at the 6,662ft / 2,030m elevation lookout station where the road stopped for car traffic. Instead of hiking the other 6,000 feet, we decided to turn around and *drive* back to sea level. We were on a schedule after all! |
Looking back down on the Big Island from halfway up Mauna Loa volcano.
Back down near sea level, the turn off for the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The first major geological formation you are greeted by in the park is Kilauea Caldera.
Kilauea Caldera from the visitor center
Steam vent crack warming the vegetation growing beside it
Smaller Halema'uma'u Crater within the much larger Kilauea Caldera. Over time, the floor of the caldera rises and falls hundreds of feet.
Tiffany at Halema'uma'u Caldera
The lifeless flats of Halema'uma'u Caldera
Me standing before my beloved Halema'uma'u Caldera
Just outside the ledge of the caldera where volcanic activity is apparently much less frequent, you can see life taking root.
Life on this planet is so amazing. So fragile, yet so resilient. It will take hold in any crack or crevasse.
Just add water, sunlight and warmth.
This is not my hand! Tiffany showing off her engagement ring in front of Halema'uma'u Caldera.
Halema'uma'u from a distance.
Above and below: the layering of earth at Halema'uma'u Caldera with Mauna Loa rising in the background.
Watch out for nene (nee-nee) birds in the caldera!
Apparently rock piles are a problem in the park?!?
Approaching an area of steam vents in the Kilauea Caldera
Steam wafting from the bosom of Mother Nature
Me in front of a steam vent although the steam is invisible in this shot.
Steam racing out of a vent which can be seen if you look closely. This would be a great place to cook vegetables and dim sum!
Solidified and hollowed out blob of an old lava flow. Gotta watch your step here so you don't fall through.
Cracks in the exterior of a boil of lava within the caldera
Cracks in the earth are to be found everywhere
Old lava flows beginning to crack and slowly break down into soil. Nature transforming itself into a livable environment.
Tiffany taking a picture of life where it has taken hold.
A fissure in the caldera
A fissure opening up the earth with Mauna Loa rising gently in the distance
Shiny little volcanic rock
Keanakako'i Caldera which last erupted in 1974
Above and below: informational signs inside the volcano observatory
A giant crack in the ground
SCROLL RIGHT: A huge lava flow that races off into the distance crossed by Crater Rim Drive
Above and below: more lava flow than you can shake a stick at! Nothing but lava!
A sign describing the subterranean nature of the region's magma flows and volcanic eruptions
Heading south in the hunt for fresh lava!
Descending the Chain of Craters Road toward the Pacific Ocean where lava often spills out hot and fresh into the sea.
What an amazing solidified lava flow! Imagine what it must have been like when it was red hot and fiery!!!
Nature is truly amazing!
A rest stop overlooking brand new land on the southern shores of the Big Island.
Factoid: Hawaii is the only US state which grows in size every year!
One of Earth's newest territories
All these coastal lava flows. Inviting yet dangerous.
A small grove of palm trees surrounded by wild grasses along the Pacific.
I would hate to fall in an earth crack!
Most of the lava flows in this region have occurred from 1983 to present.
While alluring to stand upon, the sea cliffs are constantly crumbling into the sea and are very dangerous.
Avoid the steam plume? That's the reason I came here!
You can't say you weren't warned!
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Approaching the end of the road and about to start my hike to the steam vent and lava flow. Check list: I have no water and no flashlight and there is only about two hours of sunlight left in the sky. Fortunately it's winter and I'm not planning on getting dehydrated. |
I love how Mother Nature could really care less about humanity and its inventions. Road? What road?!?
Mother Nature slowly swallowing Chain of Craters Road. That must have been a sight!
Me giving the victory sign to Mother Nature
An ocean of frozen lava
Plant life taking root atop an older flow
New land, new life and the steam from lava spilling into the ocean in the distance
Me standing atop the bubbly black flow of frozen lava.
Shirt in Hindi says "San Francisco" :-}
In case you were planning on parking your car here. . .
Collapsed pockets in the lava flow abound. Hikers beware!
A sign nearly submerged in the lava flow, now solid and cracking apart.
Yellow reflector tags marking the trail out to the freshly flowing lave 2.5 miles away. How convenient!
About 300 feet away, the reflectors stop. Looks like I'm gonna be on my own. Just follow the steam over the horizon!
| Upon seeing this massive expanse of lava, Tiffany decided not to make the 5 mile roundtrip out to the fresh flowing lava since all she was wearing was a pair of flip-flop sandals. Not exactly the kind of footwear you should consider donning when walking miles atop the jagged surface of an expanse of lava. Tiffany headed back to the car to read and write in her journal and I headed east along the flow. With just under two hours of sunlight left in the sky, I would have to skedaddle out to the steam and lava before the sun dipped below the horizon and blanketed the area in a cloak of moonlit darkness. No time for leisurely lollygagging! |
Me atop a relatively recent lava flow with currently steaming lava in the distance
| Every some-3/4-mile was a flashing beacon that assists hikers in finding their way back to civilization. These beacons were EXTREMELY helpful even during the daytime since it's surprisingly easy to get off course when hiking across an expanse of blackness that looks the same in virtually every direction. More than once I noticed that I was several hundred yards/meters off the course that I had originally intended to follow. |
Me in front of a blob of lava
| Cracked lava slowly beginning the process of decomposing into soil. What I find particularly fascinating is that there was a time in Earth's history when the entire surface of the planet was covered in this combination of crumbling lava flows and empty seas. What a sight it must have been billions of years ago to see our now-vibrant Earth to be an immense expanse of volcanic lifelessness. |
Cracks in a ropy flow of lava
A ropy lava flow crumbling slowly into soil. One day life will take hold and accelerate the process.
Ropy spaghetti strands of frozen lava
Above and below: close up shots of a flow
This is what I walked over for 5 miles! My ankles were toast when I was done!
Yet more lava flow
A cracked blob of lava rising up from its surroundings
Blubbery mounds of crumbling lava flow
Might as well get a picture of me next to it!
I'm getting close!
Closing in on a fresh lava flow after walking over nearly 2.5 miles of ankle-torturing tweaked and twisted black stone.
I need to watch out for those sea cliffs which often crumble into the sea. I'd hate to be sucked into the ocean along with them!
Above: steam from lava gurgling into the ocean
Thanks for the warning, but. . . gotta get a close-up shot.
| I was hoping to see a giant red river of lava rushing off into the ocean, but apparently those sorts of flows are rather rare. More likely are smaller vents of lava that ooze slowly out of cooling rock into the ocean at different rates leading to lulls in the steam followed by explosive outbursts. In any case, I was quite excited to witness the Earth creating itself. |
Fingers of lava reaching into the water
Above and below: plumes of steam billowing from the mixture of red hot Hawaiian stone and the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean
An extreme close up of red blobs of lava oozing out a stony crack onto a short-lived shore
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Looking back at at 2.5 miles of lava flow and thinking that it'd be a good time to start hoofing my way back to the car before it got too dark. Each 2.5 mile stretch took about an hour to complete and I was about to start running low on sunlight so I beat feet back to the car. |
Above and below: driving through southern Hawaii back to Hilo. Mauna Loa Volcano in the background.
Slopes of Mauna Loa in southern Hawaii
| Above and below: Tiffany and I sitting in the Mexican restaurant in Hilo where I got food poisoning. Here we look so happy and content to be feeding our hungry selves after a long day of caldera viewing and lava flow hiking. If only we had chosen the Thai restaurant around the corner the rest of my trip would not have been beset by horrific stomach and intestinal problems. UGH!!! I must admit that our tropical drinks were tasty though. ;-} The calm before the storm. |
NEXT: Kona and the South Coast
New Year's in Hawaii / Megalinks Homesite
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This is a non-profit educational website. Any supplementary information or imagery is used purely for educational purposes. Except where noted, all text and images: Copyright 2007, danielschereck.com |