Saturday, August 13
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| The Farmers' Market in Hilo |
Today was our action-packed adventure day. We began early by taking a trip to the Hilo Farmers' Market where we were stunned again by the variety of tropical fruits. We were also shocked by how cheap they were. We bought an entire bunch of bananas for $1. And they were incredibly tasty - nothing like the bananas we were used to back home. We also went to the local grocer, the KTA store to buy food for sandwiches, which we would need for our hikes later in the day. You know you're in Hawaii when the local supermarket has half an aisle dedicated to spam. Jerry counted 12 different variaties.
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| Fresh coconut at the Farmers' Market |
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Sulphur Banks Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
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From there we drove to Volcanoes National Park, specifically the Kilauea visitors center where we inquired about the most recent lava flows. We learned that the lava that was flowing into the ocean stopped doing so in March and that now if we wanted to see lava, it was all comnig out of the Pu'u O'o vent, accessible only by hiking the Napa'u trail. The trail was at least 7 miles long each way and we needed a permit to hike it. We thought with flashlights, rain jackets, and glow sticks, not to mention two compasses and a GPS, we could totally conquer the hike. So our reluctant NPS guide (who thought we were nuts) secured us a permit while we signed our lives away to NPS.
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| Michelle not enjoying the smell of sulfuric acid erupting from Kilauea |
Before we headed out on the long hike, we decided to check out the Steam Vents/Sulphur Banks trail and the Sandalwood trail. Make no mistake the Sulphur Banks smell like sulphur, which is not a pleasant smell. However, it was one of the coolest things we'd ever seen. Steam rose up out of cracks in the earth like the earth's crust was a plate of brownies, fresh out of the oven. Some of the rocks had turned almost green from all the sulphuric acid flowing onto them. We continued onto the Sandalwood trail to loop back to the car. This turned out to be a good decision as it was much less stinky and a lot more lush.
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| Fern growing along Sandelwood Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park |
After we ate our first KTA supermarket sandwich in the Jeep, we drove down Crater Rim Drive and Chain of Craters Rd. ending at the Holei Sea Arch. The drive was so beautiful, sunny and peaceful that Michelle fell asleep for part of it. We pulled over a few times to get photos of the craters and the various lava flows. It almost felt like traveling back in time because each lava flow is named after the year in which it occurred. The end of Chain of Craters Road, which is where the Holei Sea Arch is, is buried in part by the 1977 lava flow. It was here where the lava most recently was flowing into the ocean. We decided to trek from the parking area to the lava flow but wanted to conserve our energy for our big hike.
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| Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park |
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| One of several craters along Chain of Craters Road |
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| Chain of Craters Road wraps around the Kilauea Volcano, with the Pacific Ocean below |
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| Lava covered slope of the Kilauea Volcano |
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The two types of lava are easily spotted where recent a'a lava (darker)
flowed over earlier pahoehoe lava (lighter) on the south slope of Kilauea |
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| Cliffs formed by ancient lava flow |
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| Holei Sea Arch near the end of Chain of Craters Road |
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| Chain of Craters Road abruptly ends at a lava flow |
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| Jerry enjoying a lava recliner |
It had been misting during most of our visit to Volcanoes National Park, so we weren't surprised that our hike toward the Pu'u O'o vent was windy and rainy, but we were surprised by how cold one can get hiking through it. We hiked for 1.5 miles until we reached Pu'u Huluhulu, a lookout point from which on a clear night (which this was not going to be) we might have been able to see lava.
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| Michelle and Jerry hiking the Napau Trail to active lava flow |
We continued on for another 2 miles until the fog started rolling in. Past the lookout at Pu'u Huluhulu, the pleasant trail through pahoehoe lava flows, which up to this point had been marked by reflector strips got a little scary, as the reflectors were replaced by ahu (two-foot high rock piles) and nothing else. Not to mention that Michelle had stepped the wrong way and sprained the outside of her foot. Ouch. A little worried about whether she'd make it all the way and whether we'd be able to find our way back at night using only the ahu and our flash lights, we decided to turn around while there was still scant sunlight to guide us back.
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The Napau Trail, which leads to Pu'u O'o crater and active lava flows
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| The entrance to the Thurston Lava Tube |
After our 6 miles on the Napau trail we decided to check out the Thurston Lava Tube in the dark. The Thurston Lava Tube trail is popular with tourists and according to our Lonely Planet Guide, very crowded during the day. A lava tube is essentially a hollowed tunnel through which hot lava once flowed and created solid walls and a ceiling. When the flow stops and the last bits flow downhill, it leaves a cave behind. Using our flashlights we were able to really see the various colored minerals in the walls of the tube as well as the waves of lava rock. It was a very surreal experience. On our way back to the car we walked through a bit of jungle in total darkness, which was an awesome, yet frightening experience, especially with all the scary noises echoing through the rainforest.
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| The sun setting over one of the craters of the Kilauea Volcano |
After approximately 9 miles of hiking and burning 1,000 calories, we were pretty hungry. Luckily, Lonely Planet came to the rescue recommending Ken's Pancake House, located close to the hotel. Michelle ordered the macadamia nut pancakes, which she doused in mango syrup, while Jerry ordered a large plate of spaghetti. It was a very satisfying end to a very exhausting day.
