Take My Breath Away

The Big Island

There are few places one will find snow in the Hawaiian Islands. In fact, there are only two locations where fluffy stuff falls regularly, and they are both mountains. The names I’m sure are familiar; Mauna Kea (13,803’) and Mauna Loa (13,678’).

The Big Island had always fascinated me, ever since a coworker professed his love for the place. It was Hawaii without the crowds of tourists (aka me). Of course my very presence there as a tourist spoiled the concept of “off the beaten track”. It’s the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle of Travel. If you travel to an “off the map” or “unspoiled” destination, you essentially throw the whole idea out the window.

I went anyways and stayed in Hilo. I hoped the hot and humid tropical air would slow my neurotic mind and I’d spend the long weekend in a sublime state. It worked at times. I found a farmer’s market where local, tropical fruit was sold each morning. My fruit knowledge wasn’t quite up to par though. I bought many things that didn’t ripen by the time the trip was over (papaya…). I also walked to a Hilo park on my last evening and saw sea turtles swimming up close near the shore.

Hostel adventures

This was my first time in a hostel. Nervous about bunking with random strangers I booked a large two bed room all to myself. I enjoyed the space but it had the side effect of making me the odd man out. Still, I figured out I could utilize breakfast as a means to meet others.

On the first day I had the adventure of a lifetime when I trekked with some Brits across a lava field on the edge of Volcanos National Park. That was quite the adventure, but it is covered in another of my posts https://jollyroutes.com/im-walking-on-lava-woah-oh/. Spoiler alert: lava is involved.

On another day myself and a Japanese woman drove around the island. We visited parks with huge crashing waves, and went swimming at a beautiful beach on the north side of the island by the old Hawaiian temple, Pu’ukohola Heiau. Learn how to pronounce those words, they’re a lot of fun.

Climbing a mountain: by automobile

Let’s get on with the snow show, the Frozen Route of Hawaii. In the middle of the trip I tagged along with a French man that had a rental car and was going to Mauna Kea. A Korean woman at the hostel also decided to join us. We started our day at sea level, with the goal of getting above 13,000 ft. and putting our eyes on the views, telescopes, and snow.

Our driver for the day was a bit mad, speeding and tailgating whilst chatting like a chickadee. He got us from the lush palms of Hilo to the rocky plains of the Mauna Kea visitor center in one piece though. At the visitor center we hit a snafu. The access road was only open to four wheel drive vehicles, which we did not have.

None of us were prepared for a full day’s hike, so we stuck out our thumbs. Actually, our friendly French guide started a conversation with some Chinese tourists. The next thing you know I was in the back seat of an SUV with a Chinese couple and their college age daughter, heading up the steep and twisty road to the top.

We climbed and climbed, gazing in awe out the window at the views unfolding around us. The slopes of Mauna Kea on the south side are dry scrublands, open and desolate. I guzzled down a lot of water, knowing that we were gaining altitude rapidly. My ears confirmed this.

We twisted back and forth, going up into the clouds and following closely behind the other SUV, carrying my hostel mates and another Chinese family. I don’t remember much about the parents except that they were visiting their daughter who was studying Materials Engineering in the USA. Coincidentally, that was also my major in college. I got to play the role of future job advocate for our shared profession.

Hawaii Five-Snow

We arrived at the top, or at least as far as we were allowed to drive. There are signs imploring visitors not to walk to the real summit, as it has local religious significance as a holy place. I respected those requests. While it wasn’t a whiteout, there were still large patches of snow here and there on the summit. I suppose one could call some of them glaciers.

We got out of the car and after taking a single step I felt the altitude hit me like a freight train. I was lightheaded, dizzy, and struggling to catch my breath. To try and stabilize myself I guzzled more water. Feeling better, I looked out at the summit and saw all the amazing, high tech telescopes. It’s amazing to think I stood at a location I had seen on television astronomy documentaries as a kid growing up.

No resorts are on Mauna Kea for snow sports, but nothing prevents people from bringing their skis, snowboards, or snowshoes and having a go. Except that the transitions between powder and lava rock are frequent and abrupt. I saw from my vantage point a few glaciers that would be big enough to ski, but I didn’t have any gear at my disposal. Still, I walked around near the summit, and stepped on some small piles of snow still lingering before the spring melt. It may not be the Birkiebeiner Ski Trail, but it counts. And the views are stunning.

I feel safer by the lava

When we all started to feel the altitude sickness setting in we got back in our cars and headed down the mountain. By God, we flew down that mountain. The Chinese family ahead of us did not mess around; they peeled around hair pin turns like they were in an F1 race. We hunted them close behind, our driver clearly thrilled from the exhilaration of driving down a steep and rocky mountain. The blood pounded in my head as we descended to lower altitudes. Back at the Visitor area we parted ways with our tour guides and drove to Hilo. That evening my head was still pounding. I went from sea level to 13,000 ft. and back to sea level in the span of a few hours.

After experiencing frozen Hawaii I did a 180 on my final day of the trip and went back into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This time I went with a German friend. We found a vantage point overlooking a far off crater where lava was spouting out of the ground. This eruption was more violent than the one I hiked to the other day, so there was no option to get any closer. First lava, then snow, and now more lava. Where else but Hawaii?