Run from Summer

We were tired of being hot so we rounded up some friends and retreated to the 10,000 foot level of Mauna Loa to look for lava tubes. The air was misty and the 65 degree temperature was ideal for hiking. With the help of his GPS unit, Chris lead us right to some pretty sweet caves. The first skylight we found had a good 30-foot drop to get down into, and the tube looked HUGE. Ben didn't give up easily and he found another way into cave, where we took entertaining photos in the sun's rays beaming through the first skylight we had found.

We discovered a few other tubes, also, and we saw amazingly bizarre lava formations. The lava surrounding one skylight was smooth enough to ride a skateboard on. We think it could have formed when the lava tube got clogged up and super hot, runny lava was forced out that skylight onto the surface. Another hole revealed a drop of at least 30 feet to the floor of a cave, and the ceiling was less than a foot thick. No wonder bulldozers sometimes fall through during excavation. The ground isn't alway as solid as it appears.


Chris and Sam check out a hole in the ground that is a skylight to a large lava tube below.

Chris "Hangs 10" on the lip of what used to be a pool of lava.

Ben has seen the light.

Church Hike

Somehow, Chris and I have become known as hikers among our church family, so we occasionally plan church hikes to be sure everyone is included on the fun. Many people do not realize Puu Waa Waa is open to the public for hiking, and the view from the top is phenomenal. We could see Hualalai, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Haleakala on Maui, and an amazing coastline view. The three-mile hike gains about, 1,800 feet in elevation, and in the summer sun it was a bit warmer than I would like. But a good time was had by all and we are already getting requests to plan another hike.

The Jaspers

I never really finished posting about the family trip to Minnesota, so I'll just complete the story with a family photo.

Minnesota Aloha

Chris and I returned last week from a trip to Minnesota to visit with his (our) family. When I married Chris I knew I was really getting something good, but I didn't appreciate how big of a blessing my new family would also be. Chris' parents rented a cabin on a lake where I had a whole week to get to know the clan better. I couldn't have felt more welcomed and it's obvious Hawaii isn't the only place that knows about aloha.

In addition to spending time with my new ohana, I was given a true Minnesota experience: fishing, lakes, loons, hail, bait shops, northern accents, wild rice, wild raspberries, mosquitoes and more.

With the help of Captain Dan, I caught this 17" walleye. Chris measured it with a homemade tape measure to be sure it wasn't too big to keep. (18" and larger go back in the lake)

Peaceful setting:

When Reed's sporting goods stocks jigs they don't kid around.