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.

Catch More Fish

This turkey was reluctantly adopted into the Jasper clan, and it seems to be a fairly unwanted member of the family. It is entirely too obnoxious and it invokes a strong negative emotion. After that emotion follows silence as you ponder your options for politely getting rid of the offending object.

Mom and dad first tried to leave it in Hawaii with Chris several years, but he "graciously" declined their gift. After having been passed from house to house in Minnesota amongst Chris' family, my brand-new relatives displayed their generosity and sense of humor by giving us the turkey as a wedding gift. Chris was quick to pawn the turkey off on my parents, inducting them in the Jasper shenanigans. They got right into the spirit and searched for an opportunity to foist it onto the next unlucky recepient. It was mailed to Chris' brother, Dan, in Minnesota, but not before Chris tampered with the bird. The bib used to read, "Eat more chicken," but in honor of Dan's new fishing business, the bib has been changed to read, "Catch more fish."

Pretty

I realize there are too many ugly pictures on this blog lately, so here is a nice picture. I was mesmerized by the flowers growing in Larry's pond.

Nice Nenue

I got this nice nenue, which is a fish we like to eat because it's not a cig candidate. Ciguatera is a nasty diesease that attacks the nervous system and it is contracted by eating reef fish. As a precaution, we try to only eat "cig" fish once a week and we fillet them to avoid eating parts of the fish that may have higher concentrations of the chemical.

I was proud of my shot because this fish was hiding under a rock 35 feet below the surface. I dove down and when he came out of his hole I got him.

Riding

We met some guys at church who wanted to go riding so we went down to South Point last weekend to play in the red dirt. I forgot the ocean gets that blue, it was so sunny and beautiful down there in the southernmost corner of the United States. We went several miles past the Green Sand Beach when I got a flat tire, so the ride back wasn't as exciting for me because I had to go slower. But it was still a blast! I am glad I married someone with such good hobbies, and he's willing to share the fun.

Chris enjoys the company of our new pals, Ben and Sam, during a dirt bike adventure at South Point.

I Love the Smell of Gun Powder

Chris, Larry and I went down to Manuka recently to shoot guns. We met a couple of gun fanatics who are fixtures at Manuka and they love sharing their passion for the sport. And there is practically no gun culture in Hawaii, so I bet a lot of people don't appreciate their enthusiasm.

They let us try several of their weapons and let us use their targets. Among the guns we used was a .44 magnum pistol that had some kick, and a super expensive high-power rifle with fancy scopes and things. (sorry, my gun lingo is limited) We also shot clay pigeons, which is always a good time.

Proud of My Palani

Chris and I went spearfishing right after work Friday and I shot this really nice Palani. I pulled in the line and grabbed my spear shaft and as I slid my hand up the spear to pin the fish against the flapper I realized the fish was bigger than I expected. I know it's not a crazy hugh fish, but it's the biggest one I have gotten yet so I am excited. We got some pretty good sized fillets from this one.

Sorry for my lack of posts, I haven't been spending much time on the computer lately. And our camera was broken for a while because I dropped it in the sand. But Chris fixed the camera so we're back in business.

Two Pictures are Worth Two Thousand Words

This sign by Kealakekua Bay just screams Hawaii:

A recent photo taken from the space shuttle shows the source of our island's vog. Emissions from both Halemaumau and the lava's ocean entry can be seen in the bottom center portion of the Big Island. Notice how hazy the air is over the Kona area compared to how clear Maui appears. Breathing all that sulphur dioxide is reminiscent of driving through Gary in my home state of Indiana. We're getting tired of the vog but we have found one benefit. With so much pollution the sun's intense summer rays don't feel quite so hot.

Time to pay your taxes, Larry

Chris, Larry and I packed about 50 lbs. each of underwater gear into a pristine fishing spot down south. It's crazy how much gear is required for spearfishing: weight belt, wet suit, gloves, gun, dive knife, booties, fins, mask, snorkel, defog solution. But after having spent 2.5 hours in the water and hiking uphill on the way back in the Noon time sun I was still overjoyed that my pack weighed more on the way out. There were fishies in there!

I shot a kala, umamalea, and a really good sized palani, and Chris shot three uhu, a big nenue and several other fish. Larry also got fish but he, "paid the tax collector." (I learned that expression today) When he climbed out of the water, he discovered the steel cable connecting his kui (stringer) to his float had been severed. He recalled having felt a tug on his line on his way to shore. He assumed the float had caught up on a rock, but in actuality, a shark had stolen his fish and kui in one chomp.

It was a gorgeous day. Clear water, no wind. One highlight for me was watching a free swimming octupus who immediatly turned to perfect camo when he detected me. Chris' best moment was when he took a perfect shot at a 50 lb. fish. The shot was perfect, right into the head, but the shaft didn't go all the way through the thick fish and with a few spinning turns it broke lose. Ohhh! That must have been dissapointing, but we have plenty of fish in the freezer now. When we eat that up we can go back for more.

Toys, toys, toys

Bikes seem to be multiplying right under our roof. Chris has been spending some time in the garage repairing and rebuilding scooters and motorcycles. You should see this guy work, it's amazing! He turned what looked like a box of junk to me into a fully operational scooter that carried both of us up the hill after a swim yesterday. It goes 40 mph! (by the way, it's for sale) He has actually fixed up three scooters and the bike shown in the foreground. A fourth scooter is coming soon.

Diving After Dark

Lorelei, John and I decided not to wait for the three-day weekend to start having our fun. So I drove down to Jack's Diving Locker Thursday night to rent some scuba gear and we did a sunset dive off Old Airport and a night dive behind the King Kam Hotel Thursday night. We slipped into the calm water of Kamakahonu Bay while stars shone over Ahu`ena Heiau, tiki torch from Island Breeze's luau danced across the water and the familiar voice of Pastor Kealoha entertained the luau guests with a rendition of the Hawaiian Wedding Song. We knew it was going to be an incredible evening!

The reef is transformed after dark. Myriads of shrimp eyes illuminated by our lights appeared like city lights throughout the reef. Uhu encase themselves in slime and tuck into hiding alongside other daytime fish. We saw crabs, a slipper lobster, crazy big and weird puffer fish and even a couple creatures we could not identify. It was awesome! Just when I thought I felt familiar with the reef I discovered night time.

More Vacation Photos

I got behind and never finished telling our vacation stories. It wouldn't be right if I didn't mention the retired stunt woman we met who has played in scores of famous western movies. She proudly boasted to us that she is fourth generation Kanab resident and a steak and potato kinda gal. Then there was the trip across 30 miles of washboard road in our compact rental car in quest of the Grand Canyon. The paved road was still closed for the winter. The trek was worth it- we drove right up to the rim and there not one human voice could be heard for miles. The trip was truly fantastic, but it's always good to be home and back to our tropical playground.

Hittin' the Slots

Hawaii residents have a fascination with Las Vegas, so much so that Vegas is often referred to as the "Ninth Island" because so many Hawaii natives vacation there.

Chris and I flew to Vegas recently, and boy did we hit it big! We didn't put one coin into a slot machine, but we spent plenty of time in the slots. The main goal of our trip was to hike slot canyons, and we found a few doozies. Our favorite was Round Valley, which we came across by accident in a remote area of the Grand Staircase. We could often touch both sides of the canyon at once, and the rock walls towered at least 200 feet overhead. There was just enough climbing, crawling and chimneying to keep it exciting, and we had no idea what was ahead, so there was a feeling of discovery and a constant element of surprise. We also attempted Bull Gorge, but we didn't get far without repelling equipment. Willis Creek and a slot leading to Paria Canyon (near the famous Wave) also proved to be a lot of fun.

Photos above: Chris enjoys Willis Creek, Andrea stands grinning above the start of Round Valley- our favorite slot of the week, Andrea peers into Bull Valley Gorge which proved to be too challenging for us.

A National Treasure

Chris and I returned from a 9-day vacation to Southern Utah. I'll posting a few pictures from the trip over the next several days.

We camped near the coral pink sand dunes the first night, then spent the day in Zion National Park. We weren't excited about the crowds but the scenery is incredible. There are many unbelievably beautiful hikes that are well marked and accessible from the shuttle bus that carries visitors through the canyon, and there are a lot of backcountry options as well. I definitely recommend this park.

Above: Chris hugs the cliff while hiking on a ledge that leads to Hidden Canyon. Below: taking a break on a nice slab of rock.

Aloha

I've had some pictures and post ideas, just no time to write them up! This is a quick update to say we're heading on vacation tonight. We're going to Utah to do some backpacking, and we'll spend some our last night on the ninth island- Las Vegas.

We're looking forward to the break. We'll be home soon so stay tuned for trip photos.

Saturday Afternoon Ride

I am always amazed at the variety of landscapes this island offers. Saturday Chris and I took our dirt bikes to the 6,000 foot level of Mauna Kea to ride Mana Road. We zoomed down a path lined with stately Koa trees and cinder cones, and saw plenty pheasants, quail and pueo (native Hawaiian owl) Not far past Hakalau Wildlife Preserve we pulled off the road to take a hike. But the soft, tall grass beckoned us to take a nap instead. When we awoke, clouds had engulfed the mountian, so we decided to cut our trip short. Most of the way back we fought to see through the fog. Then it instantly lifted. We stood amazed at the edge of the clouds watching the wind blow and swirl them. It was as if God said, "right here and no further!"

He is Risen Indeed

Kona's community Easter sunrise service never dissapoints. Each year Hawaiian chanting calls the crowd to worship, a band joyfully belts out peppy praise songs, a hula halau celebrates with dance and, of course, a preacher preaches. The thrill for me is seeing such a large group of believers from more than 20 area churches come together to celebrate a risen Savior. This annual event serves as a refreshing reminder that the church is alive and thriving. This diverse mix of people and cultures bringing their worship to the throne of Christ is just a glimmer of what's to come.