Breathtaking
That is the only word to describe yesterday’s excursion. I again had an opportunity to tag along with Heather’s group for the day. And what a day it was. We drove to the top of Mauna Kea, the world’s tallest volcano (it’s dormant… we’re not crazy!), and then hiked to the very summit (13,796 feet above sea level). On top of the mountain there are multiple observatories looking at everything from astronomy to global warming. We got to go inside of one of them, but didn’t actually get to see a lot because we were there in the daytime and their active time is at night.
But the views… the views were staggering. To be able to look out over the Pacific Ocean and look down on the clouds… unbelievable. 
The trip is made slowly due to the change in altitude. The first 6000 feet were hardest for me because we were driving along a winding road (“across the Saddle” between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa). I find as I get older that I am more prone to motion sickness, so I was pretty happy when we stopped every now and then to catch our breaths. Those stops also gave Heather’s group leader a chance to explain things in the landscape. Eventually we headed up the Mauna Kea access road to the visitor information center. Visitors are expected to spend a minimum of a half hour at the visitor center to allow their bodies a chance to adjust (we stayed about an hour and a half… there was a video… and a gift shop). We were a little disturbed to learn that pregnant women and children under 16 should not ascend to the top because the change in altitude, change in pressure, and lower levels of oxygen can actually affect development!
After leaving the visitor information center, we continued up the ten mile road to the top. The first five miles are unpaved… we think to discourage the faint at heart. Then the road is paved again, but still very winding. Luckily, we were forced to travel as speeds slow enough to keep any motion sickness at bay. As along the Saddle Road, we stopped periodically so that Chuck could explain different layers of rock and formations caused by glaciers. We also added layers of clothing at each stop. By the time we reached the top, I wished I had my winter coat and gloves… in Hawaii!!
At the end of the road we gazed out on the amazing view and Chuck pointed out the trail to the top of another peak, explaining that it was the actual summit of Mauna Kea. At that point I was pretty tired from hiking and traveling, but figured that, I’d gone that far, I might as well go all the way.
And then it was time to descend. After another rest at the visitor center, we headed back to Hilo along that winding Saddle Road. I was very happy to see the hotel again! Then Scott, the husband of a program participant and my driver that day drove me out to the airport to pick up our rental car because Thursday (today) was moving day. After dinner at a fabulous Mexican restaurant, we returned to Dolphin Bay (our hotel) to pack up and go to bed.
But the views… the views were staggering. To be able to look out over the Pacific Ocean and look down on the clouds… unbelievable.
The trip is made slowly due to the change in altitude. The first 6000 feet were hardest for me because we were driving along a winding road (“across the Saddle” between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa). I find as I get older that I am more prone to motion sickness, so I was pretty happy when we stopped every now and then to catch our breaths. Those stops also gave Heather’s group leader a chance to explain things in the landscape. Eventually we headed up the Mauna Kea access road to the visitor information center. Visitors are expected to spend a minimum of a half hour at the visitor center to allow their bodies a chance to adjust (we stayed about an hour and a half… there was a video… and a gift shop). We were a little disturbed to learn that pregnant women and children under 16 should not ascend to the top because the change in altitude, change in pressure, and lower levels of oxygen can actually affect development!
After leaving the visitor information center, we continued up the ten mile road to the top. The first five miles are unpaved… we think to discourage the faint at heart. Then the road is paved again, but still very winding. Luckily, we were forced to travel as speeds slow enough to keep any motion sickness at bay. As along the Saddle Road, we stopped periodically so that Chuck could explain different layers of rock and formations caused by glaciers. We also added layers of clothing at each stop. By the time we reached the top, I wished I had my winter coat and gloves… in Hawaii!!
At the end of the road we gazed out on the amazing view and Chuck pointed out the trail to the top of another peak, explaining that it was the actual summit of Mauna Kea. At that point I was pretty tired from hiking and traveling, but figured that, I’d gone that far, I might as well go all the way.
And then it was time to descend. After another rest at the visitor center, we headed back to Hilo along that winding Saddle Road. I was very happy to see the hotel again! Then Scott, the husband of a program participant and my driver that day drove me out to the airport to pick up our rental car because Thursday (today) was moving day. After dinner at a fabulous Mexican restaurant, we returned to Dolphin Bay (our hotel) to pack up and go to bed.
Labels: Aloha
posted by Charlie at 10:03 PM
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