February 18th, Hawai'i Day 5

This is the day I had been waiting for. I was going to summit the highest mountain on the island of Hawaii, Mauna Kea. Located in the island's center, it rises 4 205.02 m (13 796' for those still in the Middle Ages) above the surrounding sea. At the top, there is an observatory complex shared by astronomers from around the world, but primarily from Canada, France and the U.S.A.

I awoke at 06:00 and was greeted by a driving rain which I thought heralded an end to my desire to drive up the mountain. I figured that if it was raining, there was no point in me going up to the top if I couldn't see where I was going or if I was greeted by fog. Luckily, the rain quickly departed and I was left with fairly good conditions. I drove out of Hilo and onto Saddle Road, a paved roadway which bisects Hawaii, and I followed it to the base of the mountain. I then turned onto Observatory Road and was on my way up to the top.

At around 2 743.20 m of elevation (9 000' for those in the dark), there was an information center which explained the various safety precautions which needed to be taken and gave other general information about the mountain. I took off up to the top and at one point I was worried my car would stall since I was pressing the gas but I kept slowing down. It was then I realized that I had multiple gears and so I downshifted into first gear and everything went swimmingly. I eventually reached the summit and I have some great shots of the observatory complex on top of the mountain.

After I descended from Mauna Kea, I returned to Hilo and then made my way north to complete the circuit of the island. By the end of my trip, I had gone down every major highway on Hawaii. I went around the northeastern portion of Hawaii which is very lush and stands in stark contrast to the other side. This is because the eastern portion of Hawaii is on the windward side of the island, while the western portion is leeward. This means that all of the rainclouds get trapped in east Hawaii and this lets the ground recover more quickly from volcanic desolation than the part of the island which is in the lee of the wind.

I returned to Kona via Waimea and from there I boarded a plane which returned me to Honolulu. It was the same procedure for sitting as before. I then returned to the Polynesian Beach Club Hostel to pick up some luggage I had left behind (on purpose) and then I returned to the airport and boarded the Air Canada flight which took me to Australia. I must say that my experience in Hawai'i was unforgettable and I must return to that place someday.

Photos of the Mauna Kea Observatory Complex are now available at: http://mkoc.blogspot.com/

Photos of Puhio Valley are now available at: http://2photospuhio.blogspot.com/