The Circle of Life

Chris prefers to hike in combat boots and he buys them by the box full. On August 23 of last year, Chris pulled a shiny, new pair out of the box and headed on a hiking adventure up the mountain. The boots had a great life, but after a year, the lava has worn the soles smooth. It's time to retire them and reach into that box for a fresh pair. Good times ahead, new boots!

It's Huge!

After discovering a gigantic cave while dirt biking Mauna Loa several weeks ago, Chris and I returned with flashlights, food and anticipation. And this cave didn't disappoint- it's the best one we've found in more than two years of searching. The cave was full of interesting geologic features that captivated my scientist husband who enjoyed figuring out how the formations occurred. He pointed out the lava was so hot it cut through several layers of old lava as it passed, which was something we have not seen before. We've never found a cave that is taller than it is wide, now we know this cave got its shape by eating away the old a`a layers underneath it.

The cave was often a double decker, with smaller caves running under the floor beneath us. Occasional holes in the floor revealed the lower caves that were often tall enough to stand up in, but we didn't explore them.

After more than two miles of caving, the ceiling slanted downward and lava filled the hole to the point that we couldn't crawl through. Game over. We turned around and walked for 1.5 hours to get back outside, thrilled with our great find.

These squiggly stalagtite things are are just one of the unusual lava formations we found inside.

Mauna Kea towers over the island's lava landscape while the entrance to our cave leads to the dark and rocky world underneath it.