From the Top of the Mountain...

We began the day driving through the beautiful central valley to the 10,000 foot high crater of the dormant volcano Haleakala. The name means "House of the Sun" in Hawaiian.

On the way up we stopped at a little town called Kula. They had several shops where we stocked up on souvenirs and water. There is no food at the summit. They gave Karen a discount because she gave them exact change. They are a long away from the nearest bank and singles, fives and coins are always welcome. All the way up we saw protea bushes in yards and fields. They are a very popular flower. We occasionally see them on the mainland in bouquets. They are everywhere on Maui. The porch of the shop had several different kinds on display.

Further up the road we went through eucalyptus forests and opened the windows to breath in the scent. There weren't many clouds this early in the morning but we could still tell when we were high enough to look down on the few that were floating around.

The temperature was a little chilly at the summit. We had brought warm jackets along and didn't have a problem. As usual, there were a few people with shorts and t-shirts that were shivering. One child had her bathrobe on over several layers of other clothes underneath. And she was still cold. We bought some books at the visitor center, took a few pictures, watched the activity at the scientific station next door, and headed back down.


Evidently one section of the facility has the job of tracking near earth objects in space. It looks like a large glass jar with a metal frame. I have no idea how it works but I'm glad someone is looking.

The trip back down the mountain was a lot faster than going up. We met two bikers who we had also seen on the way up. They were still going, and going, and....well I assume they finally made it.

We also saw a group set off on horses for the trek down into the crater. A forbidding place if I have ever seen one. Once inside one can't even find north with a compass. There is a hill called "Magnetic Hill" that has such a high iron content it deflects compass needles. People really have to stay on the trail, and not just to protect the rare plant and animal life. Speaking of which, the silverswords were spectacular. They only grow on this one volcano and are strictly protected. Even walking near them will crush their root system and kill them. And to think, people used to dry the leaves and use them for kindling. We're lucky to still have some around.

After coming back down from the heights, we stopped at the mall for a few things and continued back to the condo. Rob went for a boat dive (more to come on this), Ed and Karen had massages and Connie baked by the pool. Ah, Maui.