Eli Eli Kau Mai

Let awe possess me. That's what the sign said at the edge of Kilauea Crater. As the sun set and the sky darkened, a towering steam plume and the walls of Halemaumau Crater took on a bright orange glow, reflecting the lake of lava that pooled inside. It's hard not to be in awe of the Creator when you see such a sight. He makes stuff like this. The sign at the overlook went on to talk about the significance of this site to Hawaiians who still come to pay homage to Pele, and it compared the spot to significant religious sites like Mount Sinai, which got me thinking. Seeing the glory and fanfare and firey fury of God revealing his presence on Mount Sinai must have paled in comparison to the melted rock that thousands of visitors flock to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see. When I think about the one true God, may my prayer be, "Let awe possess me."

No Wonder Tourists Love Volcano Nat'l Park

What a spectacular time I had camping at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Thursday night. I was prepared for typical blowing rain and was surprised by sunshine and a peaceful calm.



While in the park I racked up a few more miles on my terribly worn hiking boots and realized I have often underestimated the beauty of this park. Highlights included driving out to the Hilina Pali overlook first thing in the morning before the vog settled along the coast. I could see all the way to Na`alehu. For dinner, I fired up my pocket rocket stove and just as I finished eating pasta I heard the honk, honk of geese. Sure enough, I looked up just in time to see a flock of rare nene flying overhead. These unique birds are thought to be descendants of Canadian Geese, and this species is endemic to Hawaii, only on two islands, I think. Once the sun set, I was treated to a view of lava lighting up a towering steam plume and the walls of Halemaumau Crater. Still feeling the stoke, I returned to my campsite at Kulanaokuaiki Campground only to be greeted by an unbelievable sky- the Milky Way had so many stars it appeared as a long cloud, stretching across the sky.

Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea set the back drop for this vista of Kilauea Crater.


Three nene browse the area near Devastation Trail for Ohelu Berries.


A view of the park's back country from the end of Hilina Pali Road.

Circle Island Tour

I have accumulated extra vacation time at work, requiring me to take 7.5 days off before mid-July. So I took this whole week off and didn't leave the island, which is something I have never done before. I've been getting a lot accomplished around here, but after five straight days of working on the house I decided to take a little holoholo around the island. I've never properly explored Boiling Pots in Hilo, so I spent some time climbing on the rocks and poking around the waterfalls, then it was off to camping in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I think I put 250 miles on the Jeep in less than two days. No wonder they call it the Big Island.