Category Archives: Parks

After the fire

Land burned by a brush fire near Spencer Beach Park, Hawaii

A few days ago, I headed out on the trail from Spencer Beach Park to Mau’umae Beach Beach. I was curious to see how far last month’s brush fire, that burned near Mauna Kea Resort, had reached down by the ocean. A hundred yards into the walk the answer became clear. It reached the shore. Spencer Beach Park was untouched, but the woods on the edge of the park are one tree deep in places.

Land burned by a brush fire near Spencer Beach Park, Hawaii

I walked back to Spencer on the service road, a quarter mile inland. The power line ran along the ground or was draped in blackened trees. There was a clump of poles and other supplies in one spot, ready for restoring service.

Powerline down following a brush fire near Spencer Beach Park, Hawaii
Power poles and other supplies waiting to be used after a brush fire in Hawaii
A high voltage sign on lumber being used after a fire in Hawaii

The vehicle access road to Mau’umae Beach beach is closed now, as two small wooden bridges were destroyed in the fire. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, the only access to the beach will be along the coast trail from Spencer. It’s only a 15 minute walk, but that’s often enough to discourage people from going there.

A view towards Mau’umae Beach after a brush fire in Hawaii

Tree down

A tree blown over in Hawaii

Since the big windstorm of a few weeks ago, I’ve seen a number of Kiawe trees looking like this, on their sides with a disc of roots and dirt exposed. They’ll get cut up and probably used for smoke meat, but it will take a while to clear all of them. This one was below the trail at Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site in Kawaihae.

Life’s a beach

The beach at Anaehoomalu Bay on the Big Island, Hawaii
The beach at Anaeho’omalu Bay is very popular. This was taken in the late afternoon when the crowds had thinned out.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer.’ See more responses here. Beach scenes seemed appropriate for this, even if some of these photos were taken in the winter! Captions on the photos.

The beach at Kaloko Honokohau on the Big Island, Hawaii
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park is also popular, but not many walk the length of it, so there are often empty stretches of sand.
The beach at Hapuna on the Big Island, Hawaii
No wonder Hapuna beach often appears on lists of best beaches.
The beach at Kohanaiki on the Big Island, Hawaii
Kohanaiki is popular with surfers, but the beach is good too, even if it is close to the airport.
The beach at Kawaihae harbor on the Big Island, Hawaii
The beach in Kawaihae Harbor is popular with locals, especially on weekends. It’s a great spot for families with the water protected by a long breakwater.
Spencer Beach Park on the Big Island, Hawaii
Another beach that’s popular with families is at Spencer Beach Park. Smooth sand, calm water, shade trees, and good facilities are the reasons why.

What the heck are these?

Two pay phone at Spencer Beach Park in Hawaii

I saw these at Spencer Beach Park and realized there are generations of people who will have no idea what these are, or indeed why such things ever existed. But it’s an historical fact that telephones (they were once called that) used to be connected by wires. Go ahead, Duck it (I won’t use Google) on your phone, that’s in your pocket, not connected to anything, except to everything.

I was going to return to the park to see if the phones worked, but it’s clear the one on the left doesn’t, and chances are the one on the right doesn’t either. Which is pretty much the way they were when that was the way everyone placed phone calls when they were out and about!