Flat Amy and Flat Alexandra's Journal Entry from Haleakalā

Although the weather is still very nice and quite warm this time of year, there's quite a lot of rain compared to summer time.  Niamh really wanted to take our visitors up to the summit of Haleakalā.  The tallest peak of Haleakalā is 10,023 feet above sea level and comprises 75% of the island of Maui! Haleakalā means "House of the Sun" in Hawaiian and in Hawaiian folklore, the depression at the summit of Haleakalā was home to the grandmother of the demigod Māui. According to the legend, Māui's grandmother helped him capture the sun and force it to slow its journey across the sky in order to lengthen the day.


We stopped at the ranger station at the park and asked for some information to send back to Ireland.  They gave us some great educational materials.  Here's a quote from the pamphlet explaining how the Hawaiian Islands were formed:

The Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated major island group on earth: they are 2,400 miles from the closest  continent. The chain reaches from the big island of Hawai'i to Kure Atoll and it is still growing. For at least 81 million years, new islands have been forming as the Pacific Plate moves northwestward over a stationary plume of magma rising from a "hot spot" within the Earth's mantle. The fluid rock makes its way up through the ocean floor, and countless eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years eventually create a volcanic island. But the plates unceasing movement slowly separates the volcano from its source, terminating its growth, even as a new volcano rises from the ocean floor..."

-National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Since Maui is an island, storms come in very quickly, and the clouds can obscure the crater and the views from up on the summit.  We had a look at the weather forecast and decided that we should scurry on up the road to try to make the best of the most promising weather forecast. 

Here they all are, looking up ath Haleakalā from down on Makawao Road.  See the two clusters of clouds moving in? We had to race them up the hill.  Even though it's only about 22 miles from the base of Haleakalā to the summit, it takes about 45 minutes to drive up because the road meanders back and forth with loads of twists and turns.  Directly behind them is a field of sugar cane. 

And here are the girls looking up toward Haleakalā as we make our way up in the car.

 By the time we got up to about 6000 feet elevation, we were above some of the clouds.

Here they are looking around at the summit.  It looks like they are on the moon, doesn't it?  They are at the observation center which is about 9000 feet above sea level. 

 And here is the crater! It is about 7 miles across. And don't worry! It hasn't erupted since 1790. We are hoping to take the Flat girls to see the lava flows at La Perouse Bay.

The temperature near the summit tends to vary between about 40°F (5°C) and 60°F (16°C) ; we encouraged everyone to bundle up, but being of hardy Irish stock, Flat Alexandra and Flat Amy were not troubled by the brisk conditions. 

 Then we went the rest of the way up to the very top-10,023 feet! Look at the view looking west out over the island.

 Having another look at the crater from a higher vantage point.

And look at this interesting plant! 

The Haleakalā silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum)  is a threatened species.  It grows in volcanic cinder at altitudes of 6,800-9,500 feet and can live for up to 50 years.  They were almost grazed to extinction during the 1920s but are making a comeback.  Niamh thought they looked like something you'd see on the moon.  

Well, we are keeping our guests busy so there should be some new posts soon....check back for updates.