The original plan was to have camped in the crater for the weekend but we changed it to a day hike instead.
Paia
We woke up, somebody had their hair braided, didn’t know we had a hairdresser in the house and checked out of our airbnb.
Haleakala
Driving into the national park that was created in 1961.
Haleakala
We parked at the dormant, not extinct, East Maui Volcano that accounts for 75% of the island’s mass.
Haleakala
Group photo with the observatories in the background. These ground based telescopes are operated by a cabal consisting of the DOD, UH, USAF, Smithsonian, FAA and others.
Haleakala
We spotted several of these game birds, called chukar, native to Asia that were introduced in 1923. Anybody got a hunting license?
Sliding Sands Trail
Group photo before we started our loop hike in the crater below us.
Sliding Sands Trail
Descending down the path also known as Keonehe’ehe’e Trail.
Sliding Sands Trail
Mari against the backdrop of the crater that is a kaleidoscope of geological colors.
Sliding Sands Trail
Sandra on the trail that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930s.
Sliding Sands Trail
The girls passing underneath what looks like a Shark Fin from a certain angle.
Sliding Sands Trail
Chico the dog whisperer.
Sliding Sands Trail
Passing through the split rock with several cinder cones in the distance.
Sliding Sands Trail
Group photo on the trail that was built to encourage people to visit the crater by foot. It worked.
Sliding Sands Trail
Looking at a patch of Haleakala Silversword plants that used to carpet the crater until grazing goats and hikers nearly drove it to extinction in the 1920s before park management saved the plant which flowers only once after 50 years and then dies off. No flowering stalks to be seen on the trail today.
Sliding Sands Trail
Some in the group decided to do calisthenics on the old hitching post that harks back to a time when horseback riding tours were permitted in the crater.
Ka Moa O Pele Loop
Mari going up the loop trail.
Ka Moa O Pele Loop
Descending down towards the two cinder cones of Halalai’i and Pu’unaue.
Kawilinau
The Hawaiians use to throw offerings in the “bottomless pit” for blessings and ceremonies. The pit is actually 65′ deep and does bottom out.
Pu’u Naue Spur Trail
Met two other hikers who had just stayed at the cabin that was our destination. How did you get your permit? Those things are so hard to obtain I swear.
Sliding Sands Trail
Time to take a load off our feet.
Kapalaoa Cabin
We took our lunch break at one of three cabins in the crater with a pair of Hawaiian geese, the world’s rarest goose, due to the low numbers in the wild. Sandra also met another fellow German hiker that was camping in the crater.
Kapalaoa Cabin
Group photo in front of the cabin built in 1937.
Sliding Sands Trail
Hiking in the massive depression that measures roughly 11 x 3 miles wide.
Sliding Sands Trail
Shadows on the trail.
Sliding Sands Trail
Leaving flat ground as we approached the incline trail.
Sliding Sands Trail
We met Matt and his two friends going down the trail to camp in the crater. Their plans would change as well in regards to the camping sites.
Sliding Sands Trail
Hiking in the volcanic crater was nothing short of surreal.
Sliding Sands Trail
Hiking up the trail with the sheer walls rising 2,600′ from the crater floor.
Sliding Sands Trail
Sandra against the backdrop of the massive shield volcano that is technically dormant and not extinct.
Sliding Sands Trail
Chico waving the Star Spangled Banner. The national anthem was penned by Francis Scott Key to the tune of an English song and the flag itself was fabricated from English bunting. How many stars did the flag have when it was flown over Fort McHenry? 15. The number of states in the union in 1813.
Sliding Sands Trail
The Flyin’ Filipino, not to be confused with Shane Victorino.
Sliding Sands Trail
Going back up is definitely harder than going down the trail. Cardio push at high elevation.
Sliding Sands Trail
Looking back at the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island as we climbed out of the crater.
All pau
Back at the trailhead!
Post hike meal
We had our last meal on the island on our drive down from the crater. Military discount?
GPS Tracks
Our crater hike covered just shy of 13 miles with a fun group. Thanks to Ferlino for renting and driving the car around the island and Chico for renting the airbnb. Much to our dismay, we found out our return flight was delayed to the point of the being the last flight out of Maui, until Mari spoke to the gate agent and got us on the earlier flight that was set to close the boarding doors. Thanks Mari!
Photos taken by Chico Cantu, Ferlino Carinio, Mari Saito, Sandra Walters, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.
Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.
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