| We left Maui and moved on to the Big Island of Hawaii. We were hoping to see lots of lava, even closer than we did in 2009. We headed off to the viewpoint to see what we could see. When we got there, we were very disappointed. As we walked up to join the group of onlookers, we weren't quite sure what they were looking at. Then we saw the lava flow...actually it was two tiny little dots on the hillside. Even with a long telephoto lens, we couldn't even see that it was actually lava, just a little glow on the hillside. Just outside the gate, Mark talked to a group that offered tours out onto the lava. He arranged for us to hike out to the lava flow the following day. We were curious how close we would actually be able to get. The next day, we started off at Akaka State Park for a few waterfalls. Here are 2 photos of Akaka Falls. Then that evening, we headed back out to the lava flow. We met our guide, Dave and started on our hike over the old lava flows. We got out to the lava just before sunset. It was PERFECT. Just as we got there, a section right in front of us broke open and started flowing. I know I have a lot of photos here, but if you click on them to enlarge it, and then hit the NEXT button, you can see the lava flow in a few of the series. I loved seeing the lava up close, feeling the heat from hit. A special thank you to Dave for providing us with a great adventure!!!! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dave had us each use the stick he had brought out to pull a little bit of the lava out of the flow. We all set our camera packs down and moved took turns up at the lava. After pulling a little bit out, we'd let it burn off the end of the stick and let it cool. I took my turn at pulling some of the lava out. It was great being that close to the lava....but EXTREMELY hot. A little piece of the volcano....a great souvenir to bring home!!! As we were all watching as each other took turns, someone said, Carla your backpack is smoking. I turned around and noticed that they were right. I walked over and picked it up and saw that the rock I had set my backpack on was a "hot rock", which meant it was hot deeper in the rock. The lava rock had actually burnt a couple of holes in my backpack!!! Now that's cool....to be close enough to lava to burn part of my backpack. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| It was funny, several of us had joked around about taking marshmallows with us and roasting them over the lava. Of course, none of us took any....however great minds must think alike because someone else (in another group) that was out there did bring some. Dave finished roasting his and asked if anyone else wanted to try. I immediately said yes! Just then, someone said it was the last marshmallow...so I was the only one of our group that actually got to roast a marshmallow over the lava! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| On the way out to the lava, we stopped and all got little headlights to wear, so we didn't have to hold flashlights the entire time. At times, we all used our headlights to shine on the lava, which came out blue in the photos below. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| After an incredible evening on the lava, we shot the crashing waves at sunrise at Laupahoehoe Point Park. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| That afternoon, we headed out to Punaluu Black Sand Beach to snorkel with the sea turtles and photograph them on the beach. We stopped to get the necessary equipment....swim fins...check, snorkel...check, mask...check, noodle...what WalMart only had one noodle...how can you have a proper noodle fight with only one noodle? Oh well, I got the one noodle (I was first to the noodles since I was the first to find the box of them). Naturally I didn't take adavantage of having the only noodle to pick on anyone in the group. When we got out to the beach, we found several turtles on the beach and spent the time photographing them, rather than snorkeling to see them. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The next morning, my birthday, we headed back to Laupoehoehoe Point Park for sunrise. After sunrise, our group split up and a few of us went to breakfast and then to Rainbow Falls, while a couple of the others went to shoot flowers. That afternoon, we headed to our next island...Kauai. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|