Saturday, February 13, 2010

Volcano Notes

Since we’re on the subject of Kilauea (January was Volcano Awareness Month), I thought it’d be a good time to share some additional information about visiting Volcanoes National Park.

First, the Park is beautifully laid out for visitors and booking a guided tour to experience it isn’t necessary.  (However, if you happen to be there when a ranger offers a guided walking tour, please take advantage of this.  Our guests that have been lucky enough to happen upon one of these have appreciated the naturalist/geologist-guide’s insight.)  There are two main roads that pass through the Park: Crater Rim Drive (which circles the main crater), and Chain of Craters Road, which runs down to the water.  The tour buses stick to these two main roads, so all the small hikes/walks/viewing spots set just off these main roads are clearly marked and easily accessible. 

However, if you would like to participate in a tour, here are a few that our guests have tried and enjoyed: 

By Boat: www.lavaocean.com

By Bike: www.bikevolcano.com

Private walking/hiking tours: www.hawaii.volcanodiscovery.com, www.bigislandoutfitters.com, www.hawaiiforestandtrail.com

The Park is always open; you can go at any time.  We do suggest, however, (if it is a concern) that visitors check the Park website to determine if any parts of the main roads are closed due to volcanic emissions (this is a safety precaution) before they head out, or to find out specifically where live lava can be viewed (if this is something they want to do).  It is also important to be prepared with the proper attire as the weather in the Park is notoriously changeable.  Please bring good walking/light hiking shoes, and an extra layer in case of rain.  For serious hikes outside the park and/or lava viewing, hiking boots, water, flash lights, and rain gear are necessary. 

Our favorite small hike within the Park itself (there are several extended, serious desert hikes outside of the main park which need to be properly prepared for) is Kilauea Iki (little Kilauea).  The trailhead is located right of Crater Rim Drive.  We like this hike because although it’s short and not difficult (it took us just a couple of hours total) you get to see four distinct volcano environments in one relatively small area.  You pass through one kind of rainforest and exit through another (which means you get to see beautiful plants and hear lovely birdcall).  And as you cross the crater you get to see several different types of lava.  The day we were there it was sunny, hot, and clear and the olivine deposits in the rough lava (a’a) shone like green diamonds in the sun.  Native hawks circled overhead and way down in the crater there was no sound but wind.  It was one of the loveliest short hikes we’ve enjoyed on the island.

Sometimes the question about vog, or volcanic smog, arises.  Sometimes the smog is so thick in Volcano town or in the Park itself that it is visible and accompanied by a strong sulfur smell.  If emissions within a portion of the Park (normally near Halemauma’u crater where Pele is believed to dwell) are considered too high to be safe (emissions are constantly monitored) then that part of the road is closed temporarily.  If a guest has a preexisting condition that makes them sensitive to respiratory irritants, they should take appropriate precautions (don’t get too close to the plume, carry your inhaler if you’re an asthmatic, etc.).  However, vog should not be a worry for most guests.  I can speak to this personally because I have asthma.  It took two months after moving here for me to see that I had an allergy to the vog, so guests who are here for a regular visit of a week or so will most likely feel nothing.  My symptoms are completely controlled on medication and, although I carry my inhaler with me when we visit the Park, I’ve never had a problem.  As far as vog traveling around the island, it's completely dependent upon the winds.  Trade Winds blowing across the island can push it up to Kailua or even as far north as Oahu.  The Kona Winds blowing down here push it back the other way and keep our little spot down here near the water nice and clear.

Lastly, it must be said that while Volcanoes National Park is a major draw for visitors, if it doesn’t sound interesting to you, that’s okay!  We’ve had some guests who fall in love with the Volcano, some who drive through it in a day and are done, and some who have no interest in it at all.  It’s perfectly fine not to go if you don’t want to.  We’re not big proponents of “check list” traveling.  Just relax and do what you feel like doing – it’s your vacation.

 

Friday, February 12, 2010

Island Expectations

A few weeks ago, I was talking with two guests at breakfast about their visit to Volcanoes National Park the day before.  They’d been in the visitor information center and had overheard one of the rangers patiently describing the layout of the park and all its sights to a visitor.  The visitor suddenly cut the ranger off midstream and yelled, “Just tell me where the goddamn lava is!”.

At first, this sort of outburst seems insane.  We scratch our heads in confusion.  We think they’re kidding, or that we’re all being taped.  Then, when we realize they’re dead-serious, we want to shake these people by the shoulders and say, “how can you be so unhappy in such a beautiful place?”, “what’s the matter with you!” (Or something less polite.)   Unfortunately, this is not the first time I’ve heard – or heard of – such a sentiment.  We once had a guest check in during a rainstorm and get so wildly upset over the weather he drove off, returned to the airport, and caught the next plane home (it was sunny the next day). 

Certainly these visitors returned home feeling let-down by the island.  It seems a total waste – of vacation, of time, of money, of potential for great discovery, experience, and pleasure.  After much thought, I’ve come to realize that this sort of disappointing travel experience has to do with unrealistic expectations.

But it’s not entirely the visitor’s fault.  Tourist information can be misleading.  We recently were walking around downtown Kailua and picked up a tourist magazine and were startled to see not one, not two, but several articles describing dolphin encounters.  So it’s no wonder visitors come here expecting - and sometimes demanding - to see dolphins.  Alongside photos of snorkelers swimming with dolphins were photos of breaching humpbacks and spewing fountains of lava.  Looking at this, it could be hard not to build up a lofty fantasy, and perhaps, a sense of entitlement.  Based on these types of photos, all Hawaii should look like Waikiki, the sun should shine every day, whales should be breaching, dolphins and turtles should approach when snorkeling, the lava should be gushing forth, the ocean should be calm and safe, there shouldn’t be any bugs or rain or vog.  With such high expectations, it would be almost impossible not to be disappointed.  The Big Island is stunningly beautiful, and it is beautiful because it’s filled with wild, unspoiled, inherently unpredictable nature.  Visitors need to keep this in mind.

For instance, lava viewing can be tricky.  The flows shift and change and you have to know specifically where to go to see it.  We always advise guests to check the park website before going if they’re intent on seeing live lava, and talking with a ranger once in the park.  It may not be visible.  Or, you may have to hike out of the park (which was the case most of last year).  If you plan on hiking outside of park boundaries you must be prepared with the appropriate gear.  Also, you don’t want to BE that close to live lava anyway.  All those really gorgeous close-up photos you see of molten lava are taken by professional photographers with huge lenses a significant distance away, while wearing special protective gear (if you got too close you’d be vaporized). 

In short, it’s important to be realistic and understand that Kilauea – like the ocean and the weather – is unpredictable and changeable.  This is not a controlled environment, and it can be hard to accept this coming from an environment far-removed from nature.  But this is where the magic lies.  The Island feels so incredibly alive: trembling, brimming, spilling over with life.  In Volcanoes National Park if you don’t see lava, don’t be disappointed, because live lava is just one piece of what’s going on there.  Look at the tiny ferns and skeletal ohia trees with their vibrant flowers growing – yes, growing! – out of the frozen, barren-seeming lava fields.  Check out the way the lava froze as it cooled, making rivulets and holes and eerie colors.  Look for the olivine deposits that glint in the sun like diamonds, carefully feel the steam rising up from under rocks in Kilauea Iki, listen to the native birdsong in the rainforest, feel the ocean pound up under the rocks down at the bottom of Chain of Craters Road, listen to the lonely wind call across the desert at the petroglyph trail.  How many other places are there where land is being simultaneously destroyed and created each day?  Kilauea is a sacred place and many of our guests feel very moved there, as if they are closer to something greater than themselves temporarily, closer to nature, to God, to something mighty and beautiful, at once ancient and brand-new.  If you’re hurriedly running after a particular goal, chances are you’ll miss this.

We would definitely recommend seeing the Volcano.  Take your time, stop at the information station, see if there will be any ranger-lead nature walks that day that you could join, or any hula or art exhibits going on.  Walk through the Thurston lava tube, walk Devastation Trail, Kilauea Iki, and perhaps the Petroglyph trail.  Slowly drive down Chain of Craters road and stop at the bottom and walk along the shore.  Listen to the pounding waves, maybe walk along the rocks or lie down on them and watch the dramatic sky shift color.  It IS a powerful place.  Take your time, and let it in.