There should be a list of things not to do the day after one has blown their quads, and going up the Koko Crater Tramway stairs should… Read more “Koko Crater Tramway Stairs & Terrible Ideas: It’s All Fun and Pain Until Someone Gets Hurt. Wait, What…?”
Tag: Hawaii
HURT Trails Hurt: A Northener’s Stab at the Round Top Preserve Trails on Oahu, Hawaii
I grew up in the north. You know, dry air, snow, and swimming in ponds when it’s 68°F because that’s hot already. I’m also very, very white—my… Read more “HURT Trails Hurt: A Northener’s Stab at the Round Top Preserve Trails on Oahu, Hawaii”
Beautiful Imperfections | Back to Hawai’i (Days 7 & 8: Kaloko Fishpond, Honokōhau Bay, and Goodbyes)
The last full day on the island and with the crew came upon us much earlier than any of us would have liked. For the last time,… Read more “Beautiful Imperfections | Back to Hawai’i (Days 7 & 8: Kaloko Fishpond, Honokōhau Bay, and Goodbyes)”
Like Phoenix from Ashes | Back to Hawai’i (Day 6: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park)
I’m not one for comparing people, and everybody in our crew was certainly looking forward to visiting Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, but I feel safe claiming in… Read more “Like Phoenix from Ashes | Back to Hawai’i (Day 6: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park)”
The Leap of Faith | Back to Hawai’i (Day 5: Narnia)
I’ve mentioned cliff diving in relation to Hawai’i before, back in 2018. I then even wrote an article that used cliff diving as a metaphor for change.… Read more “The Leap of Faith | Back to Hawai’i (Day 5: Narnia)”
Life Always Finds a Way | Back to Hawai’i (Day 4: Waipi’o Valley)
One beautiful thing about the Big Island is that it so perfectly mirrors the life of Earth; 4.6 billion years are fit into only 1 million. Which… Read more “Life Always Finds a Way | Back to Hawai’i (Day 4: Waipi’o Valley)”
Good Things Come in Threes | Back to Hawai’i (Day 3)
Or at least that’s what I’ve heard but haven’t confirmed up until the third day on Hawai’i. We visited three sites: the Golden Pools of Keawaiki, Waikoloa… Read more “Good Things Come in Threes | Back to Hawai’i (Day 3)”
Afraid of Snorkeling? Just Do It Your Way. | Back to Hawai’i (Days 1-2)
Let me reiterate it one more time: I never thought I’d ever come back to Hawai’i. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to; the desire was certainly… Read more “Afraid of Snorkeling? Just Do It Your Way. | Back to Hawai’i (Days 1-2)”
Hawai’i’s Teachings in Kaua’i’s Secret Garden: Photos from Another World & A Never-Ending Story
Three years and some moons ago, I was on my way to the Lihue airport — wet, dirty, and sleepless. I’d just spent four nights on the… Read more “Hawai’i’s Teachings in Kaua’i’s Secret Garden: Photos from Another World & A Never-Ending Story”
Kīlauea Iki | One Photo
I’ve been to Hawai’i before. I’ve seen Kīlauea before. But even the most basic knowledge of geology and, therefore, a slightly deeper understanding of how this place came to be, made this visit to the crater so much more fascinating.
Right next to Halema‘uma‘u crater, the star of the most recent eruption, there’s the smaller Kīlauea Iki crater that last erupted in 1959. Before it was a flat plain of volcanic rock, Kīlauea Iki was a V-shaped crater filled with trees. Then, suddenly — boom. A long fissure opened in one violent event and started to spew lava. Several other vents opened and within 24 hours, joined their forces in one event.
Fountains of lava were visible from afar, the tallest one reaching 1,900 feet (source).
A new cinder cone, Puʻu Puaʻi, was formed, and when the surface of the lava lake that formed in the crater submerged the fissure, the fountains stopped. Eventually, the lake drained back into the vents, leaving behind its crust. Signs of the drainage can be beautifully seen all around the crater’s edges in the slabs of rock that lay on the sloping walls.
We hiked through the crater, guided by the ahu, or cairns — trail markers built from stacked rock. For the first half (okay, maybe only a quarter) of the hike, I managed to stay on or near the trail like any other normal person. (You’re allowed to go off-trail in the crater, as the surface is very durable, and not at all delicate like many other places.)
“Why is it orange?” I was asked by our group when we stopped near Puʻu Puaʻi displaying a big red-colored scar on its side.
“Oxidization,” I answered, and then the excitement of understanding overpowered me and I ended up running all around the crater, looking at features that wouldn’t make any sense and wouldn’t mean anything to me only a year ago. After all, what’s there to see besides a flat plain of black rock and a few mounds of more black rock?
A lot. I found a crack in the floor that was going to turn into a slab dipping under the “surface” in a few hundred years, a steam vent, a piece of a broken slab that displayed beautiful layers in which you could see how the surface of the lava lake cooled down, turning into rock,… I found a lot.
And it all meant something thanks to knowledge. In fact, it was beyond fascinating thanks to knowledge. And I only wish I knew even more, then the place would probably blow my mind even more.
Hit the Road with Me 