We decided to leave a little later today around (7am) so we wouldn't be as exhausted on the return drive. With all the driving we had done over the past day, we discovered that the GMC Terrain is a hungry vehicle, and we needed to refuel before continuing our adventures. We noticed on the drive today that lots of people had some really steep dirt driveways which curved, and we weren't sure how they were able to actually drive up - definitely wouldn't work in the Canadian winter.
When we got to the park, Nigel ran in to check the Vog levels. The locations we wanted to explore were currently 0ppm, so it was a good time to go explore. If you only have time to do one hike, going into the Kilauea Crater is a once in a lifetime experience and shouldn't be missed. We parked in the lot near the Thurston Lava Tube and started on the trail into Kilauea Iki Crater. The trail into the crater from this side is longer, however, not as steep as the other side. This trail zig-zags like a road to a mountain summit, but it was pretty easy until you get to the bottom.
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| how the Kilauea Iki trail starts |
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| the view of the trail in the crater, before you get in |
Again, we got strange looks on this hike since we had our two little ones with us. Hiking down the crater, you are in a forest and when near the bottom the terrain almost instantaneously becomes fresher lava rock and you are almost level with the crater floor. At this transition point it was damp and we heard some loud (possibly large and biting) insects and wanted to move further fast.
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| rainforest meets lava rock |
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| the trail through the lava rock begins |
There are some signs to tell you about the plants growing here and also to follow the ahu (or rock piles) which guide the trail through the crater. At some points we just had to make our own trail because of large cracks and unsteady rock piles. This initial part of the crater floor was very difficult for us since we were also balancing the kids. There were large deep cracks which could of swallowed us, as well as wobbly flat rocks bridging gaps which could have slipped and sent us in too. You kinda have to find your own path across and test your footing before committing.
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| rock piles to guide our footing |
Walking on the crater floor was an amazing experience, completely worth the hike. You look up at the rim and the clouds in awe, and you look across to the other side with steam, cracks and strewn lava rock and lava chips in your path. Some say the surface of the crater is reminiscent of the moon. We stopped at a few spots along the ahu guided trail for photo's and take it all in. Once we got to the other side we turned around since knew we didn't want to tackle the steep trail there (from the previous day). When we were there it was hot, the sun was unobstructed, and there were still hot rocks (hot enough to cause injury) - wear sunscreen and a hat.
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| in the crater |
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| smokin' hot |
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| in the crater |
After completing our hike, we rested for lunch and then continued down the Chain of Craters Drive. We stopped at a few spots to view anything that caught our interest: lava deserts, other craters, the coast/ocean.
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| volcano in the distance |
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| Quite a scenic drive to our next spot of interest |
Eventually, the road ended and cars were parked on both sides on the makeshift shoulder. Be careful with your vehicle because it can easily be scratched by the lava rock which is higher than the road. There are washrooms and a ranger station here, and then it's a long walk on a road. You can't drive this section and the road really ends after you pass a palm tree grove and where the lava flow has actually covered the road.
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| where the lava invaded the road |
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| the Nene- local endangered species |
There are two trails here. We did the shorter one to the active lava flow view which was guided by plastic reflective markers on flat bases. These markers aren't driven into the ground or weighed down, so you'll see many have been accidentally toppled by other hikers. This is another tricky hike, due to crack/gaps, wobbly rock, and juggling two kids with our gear on very uneven ground- which I'd describe as being a bit more brittle and sharp (and sounded kind of hollow, when we stomped on it)
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| Very tricky to walk on |
We were expecting to get a little closer to the lava flow and at least see something a little more grand, but all we could see was steam in the distance from the lava flowing into the ocean (maybe it was just the day we went). Despite that it was also very hot, with no shade whatsoever, overall it was still worth it to hike on some recent lava flows.
We started our long drive back and were out of the park near dusk, so again we drove to the hotel in the dark. Our next day is planned for Mauna Kea and Akaka Falls.
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| Courtyard Kona Beach Hotel by night |
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