Kilauea - Hawaii's Active Volcano

Few sights are as fascinating and awe-inspiring as the raw power of molten rock flowing from the Earth's interior. Therefore, three summers ago it was with great anticipation that I traveled from Oahu to the island of Hawai'i with our two families (Walker and Rocheleau) to visit the active volcano, Kilauea in the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. We flew into the Hilo Airport on Friday afternoon and after a wonderful dinner at a popular restaurant in downtown Hilo, we drove an hour to the Kilauea Military Camp where we were to stay for the weekend.

Within 20 minutes of our arrival, we were at the Volcano House. This old hotel overlooks Halema'uma'u Crater, located in Kilauea's summit caldera, which is three miles across and five hundred feet deep. Feeling dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of the caldera, I stood at the overlook (a great distance away from the actual edge of the crater itself) and imagined what a tremendous sight it must be to observe an explosive eruption. The last massive eruption at Halema'uma'u had occurred in 1952, and at the moment things were very quiet within the crater. However, there was plenty of volcanic activity occurring along Kilauea's rift zone, and I, for one, was very anxious to see it, so we drove down the Chain of Craters Road and although we were at a distance, the golden yellow bands of lava were easily seen. Being twilight, these streams glowed in the semi-darkness against the pitch black Pali as they flowed toward the ocean below.

Early the next morning we drove the 11 mile Crater Rim Drive which takes in the circumference of the summit caldera, stopping at the Jaggar Museum to explore. For a small museum, the Jaggar certainly offers an incredible wealth of information, data, and photographs on the history of Kilauea and Hawai'i's volcanoes. Along the drive we were able to stop at the Halema'uma'u Overlook which is a fenced-in area at the edge of the crater. The view into the caldera was amazing, the walls of the sulfur-encrusted crater led to a wide, flat-bottomed floor. To the side of the overlook, outside of the fence, were fruit and flower offerings left for Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. Three Nene geese were happily nibbling on the fruits, and apparently we were very fortunate to have seen them as they are a bit elusive.

We decided to hike into Kilauea Iki, a smaller crater next to Kilauea crater. The trail leading through rain forest vegetation into the crater was steep and full of switch-backs as it wound its way down the crater wall. Walking single file, as the trail was only wide enough to allow, we finally walked out onto the crater floor. The blackness of the hardened lava swallowed the sunlight and radiated the heat in waves. The scene we witnessed reminded me of a parking lot that had been blown up. Huge slabs of lava jutted up at odd angles and chunks of a'a lava (rough, sharp, jagged lava) were strewn everywhere. In other areas pahoehoe lava (fluid, rope-like, smooth lava) formed beautiful patterns that could have passed for artwork. This was an amazing place, unlike anything I'd ever seen.

After climbing up out of the crater, we ventured on to the Thurston Lava Tube. The tube, located in a lush, tropical rain forest bursting with color and life, was at one time filled with hot, molten lava that rushed through on its way to the sea. Once the lava stopped flowing, the walls of the tube hardened. Walking through the tube is like walking into a large cave that leads deep inside the earth. The tube is not long, but its opening is fairly large and wide. Exploring this is an adventure to be sure.

Late in the day, we packed a picnic dinner and drove back to the Chain of Craters Road. The road itself ends where the lava has swallowed it up, sealing it off forever. We checked in at the ranger station and learned that there was indeed lava flowing into the ocean further down the coast. After eating our dinner, we began hiking across the lava. The full moon was just beginning to rise as we made our way across the barren flows. Being a fairly accomplished hiker, I assumed that this would be no different than a hike up Mount Washington in New Hampshire. I couldn't have been more wrong. Hiking across lava is treacherous. The hardened lava is a disheveled, uneven terrain, making it difficult to cross. Its blackness throws off one's depth perception, and makes it almost impossible to determine distances. As we walked along, there were beacons at every mile, guiding our way. We had flashlights, but the going was still rough. Finally, we came to a roped-off area and we followed it along the perimeter until we came to a large cliff section where there must have been about 35 people perched in small groups, observing the lava flowing into the ocean. This was the highlight of the day for us. What an incredible moment, it literally took my breath away! I found that I couldn't take my eyes from the sight, it was absolutely mesmerizing. The bright, fiery liquid gold poured out of the black cliff as if it were flowing full force from a faucet. At times when it hit the cold ocean waters, small littoral explosions would occur, sending a spray of water and steam upward. We sat for about an hour, watching the gorgeous display of volcanic fireworks, and then began the arduous 4 mile trek back. We had the full moon with us, bright enough that it lit the path. Although we were exhausted when we finally got back to the car at 1:30 AM, we felt that it had been one of those 'once in a lifetime' moments that we just couldn't have passed up, and we were so glad that we hadn't.

Sunday morning we took a ride into the tiny town of Volcano. We found a little gem of a restaurant, tucked back away from the main road. As we were waiting for breakfast, I became enthralled by a quilt that hung on a large wall. This had to have been one of the most interesting and beautiful quilts I'd ever seen. The quilt depicted Kilauea erupting and flowing into the sea. Each individual square had been sewn by a talented quilter and when the squares were joined, the scene fit together perfectly. It was just gorgeous, a perfect tribute to Kilauea.

Before we left that afternoon, we traveled to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls. Arriving at Punalu'u, we happened upon an enormous sea turtle resting on the sand. He was magnificent, the curves and designs of his dark shell blending in with the black sands of the beach. The beach itself was a mixture of contrasts - the whitecaps on the waves, the royal blue waters of the ocean, and the jet black sands - making it take on an almost mystical, fairy-tale like appearance. The Rainbow and Akaka Falls were set in a rain forest outside of Hilo. After a short hike in, we were treated to the falls, one a small drop, and the other a long drop off of a cliff. A beautiful finish to an outstanding adventure!

"Jets of lava sprung hundreds of feet into the air and burst into sky-rocket sprays that returned to earth in a crimson rain; and all the while the laboring mountain shook with Nature's great palsy, and voiced its distress in moanings and the muffled booming of subterranean thunders."
Mark Twain, commenting on Kilauea in his book, Roughing It