The Big Island: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

What a day!  You'll forgive me if this is a longer post - I had so many more photos to upload than were reasonable (lava is lava, right?).  Volcanoes National Park was about a 2-2.5 hour drive from our resort so we began the day rather early.  While driving through Kohala, on our road to Waimea, we witnessed this fantastic sunrise, highlighting 3 of the 5 major volcanoes of the island.  The two taller mounds are 12,000 and 14,000 ft in elevation!  There is a lot to cover so I'll try to keep things brief and to the point.

View of Halema'uma'u Crater from the north rim.

Steam Vents

In this area of the north rim steam vents from rock fissures.  The steam was just that - warm and wet!

Halema'uma'u Crater

Halema'uma'u Krater was a boiling pot of lava in the late 19th century.  Accounts of this wonder were recorded by literary figures such as Mark Twain... their vibrant description of the experience was really mystical.  Can you imagine such a vision having no concept of lava or volcanoes from TV?  This crater is still cooling today!  Thus the steam rising from the center.

The nice red blossom there is the Pua Lehua flower which grows in abundance in this harsh volcanic landscape.  There is a beautiful Hawaiian legend about the flower involving Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of lava, and her love afair with a Hawaiian prince... look it up if interested.  I love how it accents such a barren ecosystem.

Lava Tube

This hallow cavern was once a lava highway!  Part of the trail was illuminated and then the cave broke the surface.  But an optional trail continued through a lava tube absent of any lighting.  By the light of the iPhone (and other tourists' flashlights) we explored the dark side.  I was pretty scared!  I don't know why, I just like knowing what is going on around me.  We walked to the very back where the tube ends as ground meet ceiling.  I didn't know what darkness was til we turned off our lights at the back of the tube.

 Devastation Trail

There was an eruption in this area in the 70's and this trail explores the fringe habitat that exists as forest meets a volcanic outburst.  It looked like a war between asphalt and vegetation... very mysterious.

 Kilauea Iki Crater

If we had more time we would have hiked this trail across the floor of the crater.  It was unfortunately raining when we should have started our hike and voted instead to see the rest of the park.  It was a good call - we barely had time to explore the park in a day.

These were all stops we made on Chains of Craters Road.  Wonders include, but are not limited to, massive faults, massive craters, tree cavities, and the visibile trail of lava as it reaches the Pacific Ocean.

Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs

I think this is really cool.  Native Hawaiian art it its most primitive form.  About the petroglyphs: "Puu Loa meant 'Long Hill', and the Hawaiians interpreted it to mean 'Long Life', so for countless generations, fathers came to Puu Loa and placed their newborn’s umbilical cord in small holes scattered about the site, hoping for a long life for their children."  Check out all the holes!  How mystical that they are all filled with an umbilical cord and a parent's love.

So the Chain of Craters Road is a dead end.  Your only option is to drive to the sea, meet the lava, honor it, and turn around and go back.  This road was built in 1928, overrun with lava in the mid 60's, rebuilt in the mid 70's, and overcome with lava again in 1986.  The Pu'u O'o Volcano has destroyed the road at many points beyond this one in the years since as it makes its way to the sea.  Just another example of Nature exerting its dominance over man.

The irony.

(left) I just love these beautiful sword ferns bursting forth from the most inhospitable crevices.

(right) Holei Sea Arch was formed by the sea's destructive forces eroding away at the volcanic coast.

At this point it was late afternoon and we had left our self just enough time to reach the point where lava was actually flowing!  We turned around and drove back, and were soon met with rain.  Read on to see the lava!