Tag Archives: Hiking

Ka’u Desert Trail

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A view of the Kamakai'a Hills on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
My lunch spot with a view of the Kamakai’a Hills and various kinds and colors of lava.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘I’d Rather Be…’ See more responses here.

It had been a while since I went hiking, for various reasons, and it’s something I was missing, something I’d rather be doing. So last week, I headed down to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to try the Ka’u Desert Trail. This backcountry trail has been on my list for a long time, but I had never done it before. For one thing, it’s about as far from my house as one can get on the island. For another, it’s directly downwind from Kilauea Volcano, so when the volcano is active and the trade winds are blowing, gasses blow across the length of the trail.

The latest eruption of Kilauea is currently either paused or over, so gas emissions are much reduced, and last week, the trade winds had given way to winds from the southwest. So off I went.

A sign on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Signs explain the rich history and geology of the area.
An ohia the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Tenacious Ohia trees grow in the lava.
Ohia flowers and a bee the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Ohia flowers are a magnet for bees…
Ukei flowers and a bee on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
…as are the native Ulei flowers.

The trailhead is several miles west of the main entrance to the park, with a strip of parking along the highway. The first mile of the hike is also known at the Footprints Trail. It’s a sort of paved path that threads through ohias to a small building that houses footprints left by early Hawaiians in volcanic mud and ash. Alas, I couldn’t identify any footprints in the display. Shortly after the footprints, the path breaks out of the vegetation into open lava fields. This isn’t a tropical Hawaii walk, this a bleak hellscape Hawaii walk. Or is it?

The Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
A view of the Kamakai’a Hills from the trail junction.
The Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
The trail was rerouted here, from its previous path, for reasons unknown.
A cairn on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Cairns mark the trail, some bigger than others.
The Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Walking on the trail removes the top, crumbly layer of pahoehoe lava.

The trail ascends gently to the only junction for miles around, at Mauna Iki. To the left is a trail back towards the heart of the park. The Ka’u Desert Trail heads to the right and into backcountry wilderness. Mauna Iki was the site of an eruption in 1919 and the trail traverses the lava fields from this eruption.

The Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
A’a and pahoehoe lava flows can be seen side by side.
Ropey pahoehoe lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Gold colored ropey pahoehoe lava makes it look even more like ropes!
Folded lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
The lava has many weird and wonderful folds and shapes.

Much of the trail is over pahoehoe lava, which is rounded and much easier to walk on than jagged a’a lava. The trail is marked by cairns and single rocks placed alongside it. It’s pretty easy to follow with just one or two parts where attention has to be paid to make sure one doesn’t stray.

Bronze pahoehoe lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Bronze colored lava.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Bands of red in the lava.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
A crack in the trail…
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
…revels shades of orange within.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Blue and gold lava flow.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Colorful and dramatic, but slowly nature returns.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Colorful ropey pahoehoe lava next to smooth.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Blue lava!
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
The patterns and colors reminded me of Roman mosaic floors.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Bold color and markings.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Plants gain a toehold in the cracks and provide a splash of different colors.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Don’t stray off the trail. There are holes and thin spots everywhere.
Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
Bright colors and bold shapes can be seen along a lot of the trail.

It wasn’t far along this part of the trail that I first encountered blue lava. That’s right, blue lava. Who knew? But not just blue. There’s bronze, pink, red, orange, gold, and who knows what. I’ve seen colorful lava on the Puna Coast Trail, but this was more varied and quite wonderful. In places the trail crossed this colorful lava and I felt bad for walking on it, though as I hiked I could see many more patches of color out in the lava fields. It’s not wise to leave the trail since there are many lava tubes, some with very thin ceilings.

This is an out and back trail and I turned around once I reached the Kamakai’a Hills, after about 5 miles. It’s another 2 or 3 miles to the next junction where there is a small cabin.

Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.

Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii
The trail crosses one of the fields of colorful lava.

Coast path

The coast path passes in front of the Hilton on the Big Island, Hawaii

This is the last day for the November edition of Becky’s Squares with the theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

I’m finishing off with part of the coast path in South Kohala. Blue skies, blue water, palm trees, and a nice, easy path underfoot. Oh, and a gentle breeze and warm, but not too warm temperature. What’s not to like?

And rest

A Bench overlooking Honokane Nui Valley on the Big Island Hawaii

This month’s Becky’s Squares theme is “Walking” (See more responses here). But when you’re out walking, it’s nice to find a place to stop and sit a while. I’ve posted before (here) about this bench overlooking Honokane Nui Valley, but only shown the fabulous view along the coast. This view up the valleys is equally good in my book.

Halema’uma’u trail and crater

A view of Halemaumau Crater at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Recently, for this month’s Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here), I’ve been posting some local walks. Today, I thought I’d revisit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and one of my current favorite trails there.

The top photo is taken from the Byron Ledge trail which crosses the edge of the Kilauea Caldera to join the Halema’uma’u trail. From this junction, the original Halema’uma’u trail traverses the caldera to the edge of Halema’uma’u Crater. That trail has been closed since 2008 because the volcano has been, and currently still is, erupting there. Kilauea Caldera is large and the eruption is two miles from the trail in the top photo, but I always get a bit of a tingle from walking across the caldera floor so close to volcanic activity.

That’s not the only reason I like this trail though. It arrives at the caldera floor by winding down from the rim though some lovely tropical foliage and a moss-covered cutting through rocks that I always stop and photograph even though it doesn’t change from one visit to the next.

A section of Halema'uma'u Trail at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
A section of Halema'uma'u Trail at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
A section of Halema'uma'u Trail at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

For more information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, go to nps.gov/havo/.

Nothing special

The coastline below Upolu Airport in Hawaii

My usual walk around Upolu Airport is about a three mile loop. A few days ago, I was about halfway around and I hadn’t seen much of anything. No cattle or horses, no butterflies or bugs, few birds, and nothing in the water – no turtles, whales, or monk seals. And I thought, ‘Nothing special today.’

Then I looked out over the blue water under blue skies, waves splashing against the shore, and a light breeze moderating an otherwise hot day, and I thought, ‘Even nothing special isn’t half bad.’

Posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

Scary head

A sculpture of a head seen from the coast path in front of Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii

When I was walking along the coast toward Hapuna Beach recently (post here) I came around one corner of the trail and saw this top photo. Luckily, it was broad daylight, because if it was dark, I would have screamed and run.

This head had a little friend, and the two of them reminded me of a British sci-fi horror movie from the 60s called Village of the Damned.

It was a peculiar scene, not just because of the subjects, but because these sculptures, along with a couple of others, are only visible from the trail. And they can’t be approached because there are some old Hawaiian ruins in this area. It’s like they’ve been banished into this twilight zone and they’re not happy about it!

Posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

A sculpture of two heads seen from the coast path in front of Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii

Switchbacks

A switchback on the Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
A switchback on the Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the most popular in the park, but I’ve never found it crowded when I’ve been there. It features two very different environments, the walk around the heavily wooded crater rim and the crossing of the barren lava on the crater floor, about 400 feet below.

Since the trail is a loop, one has to descend the steep crater wall at one end and climb up the equally steep crater wall at the other. At both ends, the trail is heavily switchbacked to make this possible. For the hiker, the positives of this are that the trail is less steep than a straight shot would be, and the switchbacks are good spots to take a break and get a variety of views.

For more information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, go to nps.gov/havo/. Posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

A switchback on the Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The trail across the crater floor.