Haleakalā 2015: Day 4 - Holua Cabin to Halema`uma`u Trail

Final day at Haleakalā.  Early morning start up the switchbacks of the Halema`uma`u trail.  During the night we watched as about a dozen hikers came down Halema`uma`u, at various times, heading off to Kapalaoa or Paliku or to the Holua camp area.  Was kinda creepy seeing lights descending Halema`uma`u at midnight and having strangers walking past the cabin in the middle of the night.  Of course the hikers that passed by were all very friendly.  Still...kinda eerie.

Beautiful color in the pre-dawn sky above the Ko`olau Gap

Pink skies above the southern rim of the crater 

Sunrise!

Haleakalā 2015: Day 3 - Paliku to Holua Cabin

6.5 mile hike from the lush Paliku cabin across the barren landscape to Holua cabin nestled at the top of the Ko`olau Gap.

Paliku Sunrise.  Sun illuminating the southern wall of the crater

Pancake batter

Non-potable water spigot/faucet

Paliku Cabin

Haleakalā 2015: Day 2 - Kapalaoa to Paliku Cabin

Sunrise Kapalaoa Cabin

Mountain House Eggs & Bacon, Dubliners Cheese, Taco Bell Hot Sauce, and Sinaloa Tortillas

My bag (and clothes drying in the background)

50L M/L Kelty Redwing

Kapalaoa to Paliku

Haleakalā 2015: Day 1 - HNL to OGG. Haleakalā Summit. Sliding Sands to Kapalaoa Cabin.

July 1 through July 4, 2015, with the Makiki Ward (LDS) Young Women!  Four days, three nights in Haleakalā!

GPS track of the four days of hiking

Hawaiian Airlines

Haleakala from OGG

Haleakala Post-Script

During the first week of July 2015 I spent four days and three nights hiking Haleakalā with the LDS Makiki Ward Young Women.  It was awesome.  (Pics here).

I had a goal of keeping my backpack to 30 pounds for the Haleakalā hike.  I originally wanted to keep it to 25 pounds, but that quickly became unrealistic (and I didn't want to spend the money needed to keep the weight that low).  I created an inventory of what I was packing listed here: http://lighterpack.com/r/8nisub

May 2015 Halema`uma`u Lava Lake

The inner crater at Halema`uma`u filled with lava to the point the it was overflowing onto the crater floor and was clearly visible from the Jaggar Museum overlook.  I headed to Hilo with my father and stayed at my brother's house in Hawaiian Paradise Park to see Halema`uma`u in action.  The first night (about 1:00 am) it was cloudy and rainy.  The Jaggar overlook was nearly empty.  The lava lake was spectacular!  Not great for taking pictures.

Robert overlooking the Halema`uma`u lake of lava.

I returned the next night with my father at around 10:00 pm.  It was packed!  For about 20 minutes the skies cleared and the lava was spectacular.

We also checked out Pahoa and the recent lava flow at the Pahoa Transfer Station.

Apa`a Street, Pahoa:

What remains of the only home in Pahoa overrun by lava.

Rest of the pics here (Halema`uma`u) and here (Pahoa).