The Rain Forest on the Moon, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

 Kīlauea Iki crater with view of eruption activity on Halemaʻumaʻu crater behind it.

Our previous roadtrip adventures took us East and North and now it was time to head south, destination: Volcanoes National Park. 

A roughly 2 hour drive from Kona, leaving the slopes of Hualalai Volcano and wrapping around the coast on the slopes of Mauna Loa Volcano, we traveled across the now hardened lava flows of the late 1800s to the more recent 1950s. We'll be traversing 3 volcanos today. Not quite overachievers as there are 5 volcanos that created and some still at work creating this island. First stop Kayas for human fuel to ignite our eyeballs and conversation then back in the car where today's soundtrack is my eclectic life playlist to ignite everything else. There are two decades between when I was ushered into this world and when my cousin was but we have a surplus of music taste synch ups from the 1960s to the 1990's as well as life and health synch ups when I could remember that far back. =P

London, "I'm like little you". 

Many coffee-fueled life stories albeit mostly cautionary tales later we arrived at stop two: Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach. 

Mostly because it's on the way and not very far off the main road. Also, it's a sea turtle hang out with a dramatic coastline. 

One turtle was basking as another swam in from the channel, and we watched it hurl itself up on to the black sand just as a third turtle swam in.  The Hawkbill, one of the rarest of sea turtles and the Green Sea turtle are both on the endangered species list and all sea turtles in Hawaii are protected by State and Federal laws. These pictured are both Honu, the Hawaiian Green sea turtle, the largest of the hard-shelled sea turtles and the only herbivore. The average adult is 3 to 4 feet long and 300 lbs. According to NOAA, basking is a behavior unique to Hawaii and they really don't know why they do it but one theory is possibly thermal regulation, aiding in digestion. I think it just feels good to lay out on a beach in the sun, why overthink it. 

Zoomed in...I'm quite far away! Safe distance viewing!

The clouds began to roll in around Mauna Loa cinder cones and I started to believe the scattered shower forecast I'd read the night before. I was hoping all this beautiful sunshine would cease as Volcanoes National park is best when it's dark and misty. Of all the times I've visited in the past 35 years, it was only sunny once. A rain forrest and lava craters adventure in full sun is miserably hot and humid. While 60s and misty creates an already unworldly atmosphere that much more dramatic. The cooler damp weather is more enjoyable for hiking, you just have to come prepared. My prep consisted of bringing a dry bag for my camera. 

We arrived at the entrance to Volcanoes National Park and got right in. Kīlauea's last eruption at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kīlauea's caldera was the day before Christmas eve last year and it's been sending up fountains of lava a thousand feet in the air for part of a day, about once a week on average and then on pause in between these episodes. They haven't seen the volcano do this episodic fountaining since the 1980s. We arrived during a pause, hence less visitors in the park. 

Even though I've never missed walking down to the Nāhuku lava tube, I've never walked through it. Truth be told I didn't know you could walk all the way through it until a couple of years ago. I thought it just got small and smaller then you walked back out the way you came in. Before this day I only walked far enough in where I could still see the day lit opening as I am terribly claustrophobic. I think caves are awesome but only if I can see the entrance/exit. You won't see me crawling through dark holes, even watching someone do it in a movie makes me tense and close my eyes until it's over and they are out. Once we passed the lit part I started to regret my decision to a be brave and fearless female but almost as soon as I wanted to run back the other way, I saw the light at the other end of the tunnel. Life lesson. 

Bridge into the Nahuku Lava Tube.

The beginning with lights before it goes dark and requires flashlights.

A lava tube is created after an underground lava (2K degree) river has ceased flowing at the end of an eruption. One of the tube systems from our youngest volcano, Kīlauea is over 40 miles long! NOPE! The accessible part of Nāhuku is 600 ft, but it continues on for another 1000 ft or so past the Do Not Enter gate. The vibrant red grabbed your attention set against the almost florescent green algae/mossy walls. 

Next we hiked the misty trail down through Hāpuʻu fern, Kāhili ginger and Ōhi‘a lehua trees to the Kīlauea Iki crater floor. The crater, left by the eruption of Kīlauea Iki in 1959 is 3,000 feet across. During the 1959 eruption it was a lava lake and then solidified.

Kāhili ginger is invasive and continues to take over parts of the park but like most invasives it's beautiful and also smells amazing. The enormous Hāpuʻu ferns have always made me feel like I'm visiting Jurassic Park. We also spotted Hawaiian raspberry, Fuchsia and white Anemone blooming along the trail. 

Japanese Anemone

The ‘Ōhi‘a lehua trees were covered in red blooms and the only plant life on the moonscape crater surface below. They've adapted for volcanic landscapes and are able to close up the pores in their leafs that enable them to breath, in the presence of harmful gases, and are also able to send out aerial roots from their branches to gather moisture from the air. Theme songs for the park today were Space Oddity and Life on Mars. 

London on the Moon

Most visitors at the park were dressed in athleisure or something from REI/Patagonia. I own none of that shit or even hiking boots. Though hiking boots would be a smart choice here. Lava rock isn't forgiving. I'm always either barefoot or wearing Locals but I've also broken multiple toes over the years. We came in jumpsuits and full skirts and knit sweaters for the chilly bits. I think we were more comfortable than the masses and also smashing. 

Flashback: When I hiked across this crater floor 30 years ago there were steam and sulphur vents on this trail. In hindsight that seems a little unsafe.

 

Steam Vents

Steam vents and sulpur vents along the trails around the eruption site at Halemaʻumaʻu crater kind of make you feel like someone is cutting up through the ground around you and at any moment the center is going to fall out from under your feet. Ground water seeps down through cracks in the earth reaching rocks heated by magma and vaporizes, then bellows up to the surface. The sulfur is coming from a deeper place, volcanic gases from the magma. 

Steam Vents

Finding a wild orchid.

Bamboo Orchid

It was very steamy, cloudy and/or misty, hiding the crater almost completely at times as we walked the trail around the ledges. We could actually see the only activity visable better from Kīlauea Iki since the smoke/steam was coming from the back walls of the crater.

Halemaʻumaʻu crater inside the Kilauea caldera was also a lava lake at one time. You can see the swirls of solidified lava on the crater floor. Not a lake for tubin'! The summit collapsed in 2018 after tens of thousands of earthquakes, one being a 6.9 and Kilauea erupting in two locations. After the eruption, in 2019, it filled up with water creating an actual lake 430ft wide by 885ft long and 160 ft deep! The water evaporated just before the volcano erupted again in late 2020 filling the area with a 600 ft deep lake of lava. 

The forests along the edge of the crater are absolutely beautiful and such a stunning contrast to what surrounds it. 

Tiny Fairytale London

Lichen on Ohia

4 Stages at once

The mist/fog/clouds/steam (??) covering the crater and giving it a creepy vibe. 

We emerged from the park with rain forest hair and ready to eat all the foods. We headed for the town of Hilo which is only 30 miles away, much closer than Kona and more yum yum restaurants. We decided on Cafe Pesto having both vegan and gluten free options and then on two of their three saffron risotto options. With it being my only meal all day after 5 hours of hiking I was afraid it wouldn't be enough but it was absolutely perfect. We sat in a cozy booth, in cozy sweaters and ate every last bite of our cozy meal. What a wonderful day. =)

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present and proven help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas, even if the waters rage and foam, and the mountains shake at it's turbulence.