The Volcano is Active
Written: Oct 25 '01
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Pros: Unlike anywhere I've ever been.
Cons: Cold, rainy, windy weather that day.
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in new and different experiences. The experience of the Steam Vents alone is well worth the trip.
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| Flavia's Full Review: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park |
My trip to the Big Island of Hawaii was a one day trip. We went to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the day. It was quite an interesting experience.
All of the materials I read on-line said to be prepared for hot, sunny weather, but that the weather could change at any time. However, what was emphasized the most was the “hot and sunny” and to bring plenty of sunscreen and water. I went prepared for just about everything. The only thing for which I was not prepared was the cold. Since the park is high up, it is naturally colder. I never thought of Hawaii really being cold though so I wasn’t dressed as warm as I would have liked to be (I was wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt). What I did have was sunscreen, water, some light snacks, hat, sunglasses, raincoat, umbrella, and ventilation mask. I used all of them.
It was raining when we arrived. We stopped at the Welcome Center at the beginning of the park and listened to a quick lecture given about the park. The lecture was very informative. I am not one to go to these things as I usually like to venture out on my own. However, my instincts suggested I go to this one and I was glad I did. The park ranger is very knowledgeable and he gives you valuable information in a very entertaining way. The lecture isn’t that long so it doesn’t take away from the time you have to spend there. We left with a good sense of what we would do that day. Also, by the time we left, the rain had stopped.
We got in the car and headed down the road (Crater Rim Drive) which circles the Kilauea Caldero. Our first stop was at the Steam Vents. The title “Steam Vents” doesn’t sound too exciting, and we almost didn’t stop, but at the last minute we changed our mind and I’m glad we did. We got out of the car and every direction we looked, we could see steam coming out of the ground in one spot or another. Of course the steam is coming out the ground because we are on an active volcano. That brings me to our next observation.
While we were at the Steam Vents, the sun that had peaked out for a few minutes started to go back behind the clouds and it started to get cool. I noticed that my legs were not cold though. I put my hand on the ground and it was very, very warm. The sun had not been out long enough to heat the ground that quickly. In fact, the sun did not make an appearance the rest of the day and the ground in the volcano area stayed very warm. If the steam vents didn't convince me, the warmth of the ground made me very aware of how active the volcano was, and that I was walking around on top of it.
There are various trails and stops all around Crater Rim Drive. While we did not stop at all of them, there are some that I would definitely recommend stopping to see. One of them is Devastation Trail.
Devastation Trail shows the before and after effects of a volcanic eruption. The trail begins in a forest-type area. Then it winds around and soon the vegetation is replaced by pebble-type lava. Before you know it, you are standing on a trail surround by nothing. All around is the pebble-type lava and skeletal remains of a few trees. The trail is a 15 minute walk each way, depending on how fast you walk and how many pictures you take.
Another place I suggest is the Thurston Lava Tube. It takes you through a beautiful lush rainforest, and then through a tunnel/tube made out of lava, and then back into the rainforest. As the name suggests, the area does receive a lot of rain. So raincoats and umbrellas are recommended here.
If you have time, the Chain of Craters Road is a good road to drive. It dead ends where lava crept over the road at one point. The road is steep and caution should be exercise while driving it. Good driving and common sense will get you there and back safely.
What is really interesting to see on this road is the way the lava actually worked its way across the land before reaching the ocean. While there, we were fortunate enough that there was a current lava flow. From an extreme distance, we could see the plume of smoke where fresh lava was entering the ocean.
One place I sort of recommend is Halema’uma’u Crater. Warnings are all over the place to avoid this spot if you have respiratory problems, are elderly, pregnant, or under the age of 2. The reason is that hazardous gases are present in this area (which is why I brought a ventilation mask). If you can go to this place though, it is interesting to see the inside of the crater and the sulfur on the sides of it.
There were other trails I would have liked to do, but the windy, rainy weather that day made it somewhat unpleasant to walk around. A few breaks in the weather made it a little nicer though. Outside of the rainy weather, the trip was very educational and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in new and different experiences.
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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Epinions.com ID:
Flavia
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Location: Virginia
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 7 members
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