We started this morning where we finished yesterday. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Our first hike was the Kilauea Iki Trail. It travels along the edge of the caldera of Kilauea. You can see the current possibility of lava flow (steam) and the evidence of some relatively recent lava flows. We even got to see a rainbow on what appeared to be a day of clear skies.
Our second hike was the Nakuku – Thurston Lava Tube. The hike was part above ground and part underground. The brochures and website said to be sure to bring flashlights and waterproof clothing. They did not mislead. It was very different to see how lava flows underground.
We did a lot of hiking today. Devastation Trail shows the damage done by a previous eruption. The devastation caused by lava was obvious. It was interesting to note how sharp the edges of the lava flows were here. It was also disturbing to see some recent breakage in an old lava flow.
We never did figure out why the Nene was laying in the middle of the parking lot. Perhaps because no one is allowed to disturb them.
We took a long hike down an abandoned road to see the Keanakako’i Crater Overlook. We got to get up close and personal with the steaming pit in the caldera. The location of the overlook had been changed recently because of the volcanic activity. We listened to a ranger talk about the volcano, its history and its current activity. Notice the red glow showing in some of the photos. It really is hot down there.
After we finished our walk to the caldera overlook, we drove down Chain of Craters Road. The road is appropriately named. We saw numerous sites of volcanic activity from the recent past as we traveled down the road.
Here is an area impacted by the Mauna Ulu Eruption. You can see the impact in all directions from this field.
We drove several miles from the Mauna Ulu eruption field to the Mauna Ulu Lookout. The Lookout is located on a ridge where you can see both the top of the volcano and the path the lava followed to the ocean.
From the lookout, we continued down the Chain of Craters road toward the Sea Arch. The road was carved out of the lava flows from multiple eruptions that have flowed down toward the ocean. Surprisingly, the lava flows age different and present many different dark colors that signify different eruptions. The big island is still getting bigger.
The Sea Arch is a beautiful arch that would appear to be ready to erode away any day. The pounding of the surf will someday knock the support for the arch down into the sea. In some places, there appears to be artwork carved into the lava flows.
The Chain of Craters Road turns into the Chain of Craters Hike at the Sea Arch. Because of recent lava flows, the road has been buried. We decided to walk to where the road was covered to see the impact of lava in yet another place. On our walk, we saw this interesting lava flow.
Here you can see how the lava poured over the top of the hill, crossed the road, and then dumped into the sea. The lava flow was very wide and up to eight feet deep. For all of our technology, we cannot stop something of this magnitude, in spite of what Hollywood might try to tell us.
After we completed the Chain of Craters road and hike, we drove to yet another Kilauea Overlook. From this vantage point, we could see where the caldera has collapsed as the steam and heat escape. The steam escapes from the caldera, but it also pops up in random other places. We got to see some calmer steam vents at a much shorter distance. The smell and the heat tell you to stay away better than any sign ever could.
After our travels, we went out to celebrate our anniversary and our birthdays.
We covered a lot of territory today. Even though we were in places where lava was the main geographic feature, we still saw lots of unique plants and flowers.
Hawaii is the big island. Everything here seems larger than life. It is a great place to visit.