Windmills and Wonders

So last weekend we went on a full moon hike on the Pali trail near Lahaina. We took off with the intentions of reaching our destination- the windmills- within an hour or two. We assumed it'd be a light hike.

We set off and never actually made it to the trail. We actually entirely missed the trail. First, we walked right over some trail blocking shrubbery and rocks, thinking that the trail was just overgrown. We lost two of our crew to retrieve the stragglers and they realized that we had missed the trailhead- apparently, we weren't supposed to be teetering on the edge of a cliff. Weeeiiirrd. We turned back and found our two giggling girls who were near the trailhead sign.

Unknowingly, by walking up to meet the girls we completely missed the easy, peasy trail. Skipped right over it. From this moment on, we trailblazed.

We tried to find the trail for a little bit but after about 15 minutes it was apparent that we were just walking straight up the mountain. We kept thinking we might find the trail but we never did- we just scaled the West Maui Mountains. Through shrubs, thorn bushes, rocks, sliding sands and steep gulches. We just went up.

Four hours later, we saw blinky red lights and knew we had found the windmills!

The last stretch was pretty treacherous but when we finally made it to the top it was so awesome. I have never felt so accomplished after an adventure.

We all crammed into one tent to huddle for warmth. It was wild listening to the woosh, woosh, woosh of the windmills when they started goin' off in the morning. Very close to a cluster of massive structures I've admired from afar everyday I've lived on Maui.

In the morning we were awoken by some workers who let us know that we were in a dangerous spot and that we had missed the trail by several gulches and about a mile. We were waayyy further up the mountain than we were supposed to be.

We packed up and were told that a truck was coming to bring us to the actual trail. 

We asked them to snap a quick adventure picture of us. Even though we were a liiiiittle in trouble for accidentally finding ourselves deep into the fenced off portion of the windmills, they couldn't really be mad at us because the way we entered there were no signs, no warnings and no fences asking us to stay away.

We were very thankful that they brought us back to the trail. It would have been absolutely insane trying to trek down the way that we had climbed up. 

We were happy.

Smily folks.

When we saw how easy the actual trail was- we understood why Kara and Andy thought we could do it casually. Sillly, silly, silly. It was an adventure finding our own trail, though.

On Sunday Kara and I fully deserved our beautiful day off at SuSu's for a barbeque. 

Hot tubbbb was in order and enjoyed.

I found this cool coral/shell/rock chunk..

We enjoyed the sunset and then snuggled in the coziest bed ever and had wonderful, not cramped tent rest. In the morning I woke up to my favorite view- MOLOKAI. My next destination for Hawaiian adventures off Maui.

I am exhausted. Long day today- went to JAWS to watch surfers this morning. I'll post pictures and story tomorrow.

Aloha Pumehana,

betty

Haleakala and following adventures

Last week I embarked on a journey across Haleakala Crater with some very good friends. I had recently bounced around on the Big Island and had been mesmerized by the most recent lava flows on these islands. Deep, dark black deserts. Imagining the bubbling-hot, exploding destructive crazy lava was absolutely mind blowing in such a peaceful stable looking landscape. In other places, though, we could see the steam exiting the earth through holes. Hot, humid, stinky air pouring out of vents in the ground. AMAZING.

Haleakala was a very different experience. The flows happened a lot longer ago- so the progression back to soil and plants is much further underway. When you walk through the crater there is just this sense of rebirth of the land. The beginning of the hike was absolutely desolate- mars like. We were walking down broken up lava rock. It was all pebble sized and could barely sustain life- one of the only things that could really grow was this plant called the 'silversword'. 

This is on the drive up- you can see we were above the clouds when we started. One of my favorite things- above the clouds!!! Its amazing to look down and see clouds and their shadows over places you are familiar with. Its like having an airplane view from the ground. AMAZING.

See, very little life on the beginning of the hike. Hikers are strongly encouraged to stay on the trail because moving off the trail will leave foot prints for far longer than you realize- the cinder is heavy and doesn't easily blow in the wind. You would leave a lasting impact on the pristine environment. 

Here is me on MARS. Kidding its actually the crater :) Please note the incredibly AWESOME bandana that my parents sent me for Christmas. SHINER! and now they are brewing so I can really tell people my parents own Shiner Beer (or fifth street brews or whatever they are calling it)

SuSu, Ryboy and I just chillin in the very cold desert like climate. 

LIFE! We started getting into the older part of the crater. Plants have broken down and become soil, allowing for a more suitable growing environment for a more diverse community of plants. From this point on it was increasinly diverse EXCEPT for points where we could REALLY see lava rock and it had barely started the breaking down process.

Clouds rollin' innnn! 

Looking at the other side of the crater, same clouds rollin' in the gap!

We had been hiking down, down, down and finally made it to cloud level.

This is the pointy lava rock- its called A'a. If you were walking on it you'd say "A'a a'a a'a" hahah It is pretty brittle too. 

This is ropey pahoe-hoe. This kind of formation fascinates me because you can really see how it was molten, flowing, liquid rock. It cooled and built up. Again, amazing.

This is right where the rope pahoehoe was- amongst this beautiful mountain landscape. Life is taking hold on this part of the crater. SURIVOR plants

These are Ne'ne they are endangered geese that live in Haleakala. Brad calculated that we saw about 5% of the global ne'ne population on our hike. They had a bunch of babies- one couple had seven! SEVEN little endangered babes. So cute. They were very protective;

Susu and Ry when we arrived at the Paliku cabin.

Baby Ne'ne!

They are endangered and need to live and survive on their own without begging for food from humans. This cabin is pretty much inhabited 365 days a year- its important that they keep eating grass and bugs like they are supposed to instead of doritos and white bread. This is the spot where I star gazed in complete darkness and wonderful wilderness silence.

Sunset out the gap.

Hiking out the gap. Life continues to be more diverse in animals and plants. The ocean is deceivingly close looking- although we felt like it was just a mile or two away we were still a gooooood 5 miles from the end of the hike here. All downhill, some treacherous trails. Some weak knees and sore calves. 

On da trail. TREES, again. Shade, lovely, wonderful shade. 

Almost to the kaupo store for a ice cold celebratory beer and ice cream. 

Driving home through Kanio. 

I spent a lot of this week at the school and dinkin' around. I went up to the crater again last weekend with some friends and tried to catch sunrise but missed it by a few minutes. I hiked at twin falls with a new friend from Michigan that I met through my pal Shamar and it was awesome. She just moved here in Deember and it was fun to show her Maui jungles. 

Last weekend I went to Leftover Salmon talked to Vince after the show and he gave me the spoons he used that night. SWEET. I also scored a free Maui tour shirt when they were throwing  them off the porch. Also sweet. It was super fun to go to a jammy bluegrass show- I needed that. And I got to spend it with my new buds! Very special. We rode in a truck bed (legal in Hawaii) back upcountry. Very fun.

Today I went to Ho'okipa and then to Jaws to watch surfers. Ho'okipa was going off and there were about a zillion little bobbing bodies bouncing around in the waves. Jaws is apparently about to blow up this next week- when we went today there were only about 5 guys out there. The waves were pretty big but they were waiting for the legendary waves that are set to come in. The beach has HUUUUGE rocks and its pretty dangerous getting in and out when the waves are crashing. We watched three guys getting out just after sunset and it was a little scary. I definitely wanna go there again.

Must get some rest. Goin on a full moon moonlight hike tomorrow :) Infinitely happy.


Aloha pumehana,

Bets

Big Island Adventures

My life has been truly magical these past two weeks.

The past few weeks, I've been getting a lot closer with a group of girls I've known for a while around here. We had a really awesome night the night before I left which began with the ha-ha game, continued to a dance for peace and love and finished with a glass of wine and giggles. They wished me well and I set off for my big adventure.

In the morning the boys made sure I'd packed my 'flat Stanley' the five year old made and exchanged hugs.

I got to the airport and was so unbelievably excited- I was going to see people from muhhh town in less than an hour! It was especially exciting because the travel time was so short to see faces from home 6000 miles away.

The first day I was there we went to Kona Side (but not actual Kona) to a beautiful beach in a gated community. We asked for a beach pass, and like magic, the gates opened and we were allowed access to a gorgeous (nearly) black-sand beach. We tested out the underwater camera the Kula-Fam so graciously gave me for adventure times. Despite the endless waves, Gordie managed a few pics of fish and Brooke Kels and I took some swimmin' selfies.

After watching the sunset and viewing Maui, we drove home and watched the whales jump around in the sunshine on the right and the MASSIVE storm coming in on the left. We drove into a tropical storm. I thank Gordie for keeping all of us safe in rains that eventually washed out a bridge, caused a landslide over a road and lots, and lots of flash floods.

first underwater cam pics on da big island

beachin' with brooke and kels just a few hours after leaving maui. so crazy that we are only a 25 minute flight apart 6000 miles away from home. 

After the beach we watched Gordie at an open mic night and at at the Hilo Burger Joint. All island ranch raised beef. I had a goat cheese caprese burger and had no regrets- it was happy, environmentally friendly raised beef and it was really tasty. 

The next day it continued to be a tropical storm. We helped around at the farm that Brooke and Gordie work on. I labeled some honey and learned a bit about how the process works. I also learned about how wiener dogs are truly bred to hunt. It was an eventful rainy afternoon. We ended up watching a  movie and Human Planet- SO AWESOME. Holy smokes.

 I failed to take many pictures of new years but I did get some video of Gordie playing a show at this beach bar/hang out in Puna. The party was on top of a lava flow that ran over the road back in the '70s. They never rebuilt the road so they built a bar! There were many, many fireworks being lit off for hours and hours. I saw a drone covered in LED lights fly fireworks over the party. It was fantastic. Kyla and Gordie were awesome and so were the Local men. We danced and watched stars lying on the lava flow.

The morning after, Kelsey scooped me up and we went to watch the Rose Bowl, eat lunch and drink a bloody. It was a super spicy one. The Spartans won and we celebrated.

After the Rosebowl we went to Rainbow Falls and saw this massive waterfall- it was raaaaaaging because all of the rain Hilo side was getting that week. We walked back into the forest and sat in the most massive, sprawling Banyan tree I've ever seen. It was amazing. Those trees just make you feel like such a small little organism. They reach out and fill all the space they can. They twist and connect, root out, reach and find all the nutrients they can. Looking at their trunks and branches is almost like looking at a person without their skin. I absolutely LOVE Banyan trees.

 The next day we went snorkling and then to Volacanoes National park! We drove up and were immediately taken by the steam vents just clouding up meadows. We pulled up and saw that they were lining a maaaasssive crater. The Haleakala Crater on Maui seems to be a bit more concentrated- we could drive and walk around this park and find craters spaced out, separated by forests! I want to read up a little more on the Big Island's geology/eruptions.

underwater camera in action snorkling at Kapoho

one of my favorite fish i've seen so far. so many awesome colors and the BRIGH BLUE DOTS ARE SO AWESOME

these guys are pretty colorful too

Park of a school of fish that was dancing in front of me

This is what we saw right when we drove into Volcanoes. All the steam vents were just pumpin' out steam from the mountain. We do not see this at Haleakala- this is a mark of a livin' breathin' volcano that still flows pretty consistently

beautiful orchid I saw that made me think of my sister Tisha. She loves orchids, she'd love how they just grow in nature around here.

Me Gordie and Kelsey's new roomie Jose

Broke, me and a crater.

An incredible painting of Pele the goddess of fire and dryness and Kama-Pua'a her lover and god of the underwater world and wetness 

I was amazed at the little flowers and shrubs that were growing inside this particular lava flow. It was a pretty recent one (within the last 100 years) and they were just growing in tiny little pockets. Plants like this are such survivors and break the ground, starting fresh. If they didn't ever grow, there would be no organic material to break down and become soil- the land would never return to productivity. Beauty amongst destruction- an opportunity to start fresh!

We checked out some lava tubes. This was a super long, lit up, maaaaaasssssive inclosed lava tube. This is Kelsey inside.

Me Brooke and Gordie inside the lava tube. Lava tubes are like veins of the earth- molten lava flow thru and finds an escape and eventually flows.

This is a terrible picture of an unbelievable sight. In 1959 Pele erupted here INTO A LAKE OF FIRE. I'm not kidding this crater was massive and was I believe 500 ft deep of LAVA. Its not hardened over- people who viewed it in the early 60s, raging hot and exploding lava can now casually walk over it. This blew my mind. 

Watching an amazing sunset over the hardened lake of lava.

A better picture of the lake of lava (mind you this was only one of many of the craters we saw in Volcanoes Ntl. park this was just the one that was most mind bending for me) Also, I think that nice old man is really cute. I can't decide whether I unintentionally included him in my photo or he photo bombed me ;-) 

The next morning we woke up early so we could go on more adventures. This is 6:30 AM from Papaikou. So unbelievable.

Flat Bets, Flat Pat/Stanley and George and Gypsy 

This is at Hakalau one of their favorite hang outs near their house. Its a pretty sweet bridge to jump off of and into the jungle river. The water was unbelievably cold because of the runoff from snowy Mana Kea so I didn't jump in.

On the last full day we went up to Wainapo and saw where they shot the intro to Jurasic Park. For some reason I can't find those pics.

 On the last day, we went to Honomonu and Akaka falls

We hung out on the beach near their place. Its borders the botanical gardens. Can't swim here because its got a lot of volcanic rock but its incredibly beautiful and definitely a good spot to post up for the afternoon.

In the jungle with Michigan homies.

Me in a banyan at Akaka Falls

All of us at Akaka Falls

This is one of the tallest free falling waterfalls in the US.

I'm too tired to write about Haleakala tonight. As you can see, my descriptions and elaborations dwindled by the end. Records of my travels, nonetheless.

Aloha and warmth to all my freezing friends and family in Michigan. I hear its really getting tough out there- I miss you guys! I am sending you all the love and light I can!

Aloha pumehana,

Betsy