Haleakala

During a recent visit to Maui, we made the trek to the summit for sunrise. Twice.

Back up... Years ago we went to Maui. While there, we made the 2AM drive in total darkness to visit Haleakala to watch the sunrise. We drove from sea level, up lots of switchbacks and steep mountain roads, finally reaching the crowded parking lot at 10,000 feet of elevation. Like everyone else, we were shivering in the darkness and 50 degree wind as we watched the first glimmers of sunlight appear on the cloud deck below us.

A Glimmer of Light as the Sun Approaches the Horizon

Little by little, it got brighter. It seemed to take forever for the sun itself to appear, finally peeking above the undercast. The clouds in the crater flowed over the ridges.

Streaming Clouds in Haleakala Crater

Then, in the space of just a few minutes, the sun became blindingly visible, it warmed up, and we all left.

The Sun begins to Appear

We visited a couple of overlooks on the way down, checking the crater out. Then we had breakfast in Kahului, and we were done. The typical Maui tourist experience.

OK, years later, we're back in Maui, and this time I had bigger plans. Now, permits are required for sunrise viewing. I got the permits 60 days before we used them, the earliest that they were available. It worked like a charm; the ranger asked our name at the gate and verified that we were on the list and sent us through. I got permits for 4 consecutive days, at $1.50 apiece, knowing we wouldn't use more than 2, but I just didn't know which 2 days we would go. We wound up going there on our first morning on the island (while we were still jet-lagged), and again on the 3rd morning.

The first visit was a repeat of our visit years ago; watch the sunrise, go back down the mountain. The second visit was to again watch the sunrise, but then my son and I spent the day hiking in the crater.

We descended from the summit visitor's center via the Sliding Sands Trail.

Sliding Sands Trail

It is the most desolate place I've ever seen. Nothing grows there. It was quiet, except for the steady wind. I saw only four other people, aside from my son and me. The trail was (mostly) packed sand, and footing was good. Eventually we reached rockier, flatter terrain where we started to see some vegetation, but not much. It was here that we passed a small patch of endangered Silversword plants, one of which was blooming.

Blooming Silversword

Down, down we went, via switchbacks, rocky lava, past cinder cones, finally reaching what looked like the crater floor.

Browns and Reds of a Cinder Cone

We turned left to head toward the Halemau'u Trail, walking on the rim of a cinder cone, then descending to another trail junction between two cones. There we turned left again, toward Holua cabin, and followed the trail as we started to see more and more vegetation. It was warm; there was no shade, and our packs were heavy with water, so we were very glad to arrive at the cabin and rest.

At the cabin, we sat for a while, ate, drank, and watched some Nene geese who came to see us. They were very curious and approached us to within just a few feet. I think they were hoping for food handouts, which we did NOT provide. We also got some entertainment when one Nene chased another one away. The chased Nene flew away, honking, circled back, and crash-landed in the bushes on the cliff above the cabin. I've seen some very graceful birds in flight. This bird was not one of them.

Hawaiian Nene Goose

Eventually we decided it was time to move on, so we followed the trail toward the park road. Along this stretch, it got foggy as we walked through an area that was green with bushes and grass. We saw another pair of Nenes standing on a lava formation, then three more passed overhead in flight. Then it started raining, a steady light drizzle. In the fog, we made the 1000+ foot climb via switchbacks up the crater rim, in the rain, and made it to the parking lot for hiker pickup. It didn't stop raining on us until we were within sight of the parking lot.

It was a long day of hiking. It started out cold, and got warmer as we descended and as the sun rose. We wore long pants and long sleeve shirts to keep from sunburning. We had hats and we reapplied sunscreen regularly to our faces and necks. Even so, my son's face got red, but fortunately he didn't sunburn. We overpacked water, and I didn't eat enough, making for an exhausting final 2 miles of climbing in the rain. With the exception of that wet climb in the clouds (which prevented us from enjoying the view), it was a lot of fun. Including brief stops to sit, drink, snack, rest, and enjoy the scenery, along with about an hour at the cabin, the whole walk took eight hours. The GPS tells me that we hiked more than 11 miles, with significant changes in elevation. Here are some graphics from the hike.

Haleakala Hike Elevation Profile

Google Earth Display of Haleakala Hike (Track Colorized by Altitude)

I didn't take my DSLR; it's too heavy. The photos here were either taken with my phone camera or by my DSLR while we were still with the car.

This was an amazing hike through extraordinary terrain and I'm so glad we did it. It was an especially rewarding thing to do with my son, who is a teenager now, focused on sports, and in great shape. I'm so proud of the way he handled this strenuous hike in hot, cold, and rain without complaint.