Tag Archives: Hiking

Wild pig running

A wild pig runs off at Pu'u Wa'awa'a on the Big Island of Hawaii

Wild pigs are widespread on the Big Island. I saw this one on a hike up Pu’u Wa’awa’a. I’d been taking photos and when I turned around, the pig was ambling into some tall grass leading to a shallow gulley bordering the trail. It didn’t seem at all bothered by my presence which it must surely have registered.

A few moments later, I saw it still headed in the same direction, still taking its time. I hurried up the trail trying to make as little noise as possible, and keeping an eye out toward the area where I thought the pig must be. I hadn’t gone too far when I reached a place where I could see that the gulley ended and, assuming it hadn’t moved faster than I thought, the pig would have to emerge into view. I hoped then I could get a photo or two.

I saw and heard nothing so I edged around trying to see into the gulley. I caught a glimpse of movement, then nothing. There was no point going into the gulley myself. I’d lose my vantage point and the pig would surely disappear before I saw it. The alternative was, if it was a boar, it might charge me. So I held my ground, looking and waiting.

Nothing in my proximity or activity changed, but at some point the pig panicked. It’s previous sangfroid was temporarily replaced by the high-strung nervousness of a racehorse. It shot out of the grass, racing back the way it came. When it came to the metal gate I’d just passed through, it clanged into it, squeezed between two bars, and carried on as before. When it finally disappeared into some bushes, it was a good 200 yards away, and still traveling as though making the final turn at the Kentucky Derby.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a rams

A curly horned ram keeps watch.A curly horned ram looks around.

Another post on the theme of ‘Rounded,’ this week’s WordPress photo challenge.

There tend to be a number of sheep dotted around the slopes of Pu’u Wa’awa’a. These three rams trotted off ahead of me as I walked up the hill. I tried to go around them, giving them a wide berth, but they treated this as some kind of sinister maneuver and ran a little faster. Eventually, I got my nose ahead of them (even though it’s a smidge smaller than theirs), and they turned around and headed back the way they came as I carried on to the top.

I do like their curly, rounded horns, each a little different to the others, like fingerprints.

For more information about Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a and its trails, go to puuwaawaa.org.

A curly horned ram in profile.

Kilauea Iki Crater trail

A group of people, looking very small, walk the trail across Kilauea Iki Craterfloor.A group of people, looking very small, walk the trail across Kilauea Iki Craterfloor.

These views of the trail across Kilauea Iki Crater, taken from the rim of the crater, give some idea of the scale of Kilauea Volcano.

Above, a group of people, looking very small, walk the trail across the crater floor.

To the left, smoke and gases from the active vent in Halema’uma’u Crater can be seen. Halema’uma’u Crater is part of the Kilauea Caldera which is much, much bigger than Kilauea Iki Crater. And, yes, that same group is still visible on the trail in this second photo, along with several others hiking the trail.

For more information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, go to nps.gov/havo/. For more information about Kilauea Volcano and it’s eruptions, go to hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/history/main.html.

A stump-toed gecko goes for a ride

A Stump-toed gecko on a truck windshield.

For a recent hike, I got up at 4:15 a.m. in order to reach my destination when the gates opened at 6 a.m. I was about 10 minutes into the hour-long drive when I noticed something on the windshield. At first I thought it was a leaf that had lodged itself in the windshield wiper. But then I recognized that it was a gecko.

This isn’t an unusual event. Many times, I’ve been driving in daylight and seen a gecko emerge from under the hood, looking a bit stunned, and flapping in the breeze. In these circumstances, if I were a good person, I’d stop the vehicle, get out, and usher the gecko to safety. The problem is that, for the gecko, safety is usually back under the hood. That means, when I drive off again, I’m likely to see the gecko back on the windshield five minutes later. An hour’s drive could take two.

Sometimes the gecko will head back under the hood or shelter behind a wing mirror. In this case, the gecko hung on where it was. When I stopped at junctions and once, for a longer period, at a traffic light, the gecko stayed put. It says something to the amazing stickability of geckos that I’ve never once seen one flying off into space.

When I reached my destination, it was still there. I got out and took this photo. I’m pretty sure it’s a stump-toed gecko, which is nocturnal. It could also be described as a stunned gecko.

When I returned from my hike, a few hours later, the gecko was gone. It might have jumped off or gone back under the hood. Either way, it did not reappear during the drive home.

 

View from Pu’u Wa’awa’a bench

This bench is one of two on the summit of Puu Waawaa, and this is the view looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.

Benches are the friend of pedestrians everywhere. One nice feature of the hike up Pu’u Wa’awa’a is that there are several benches where one can not only rest, but also enjoy spectacular views – if the weather cooperates. This bench is one of two on the summit and this is the view looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.

Old Pu’u Wa’awa’a blockhouse view

A view from the window of an old building on the Pu’u Wa’awa’a trail.

The trail up Pu’u Wa’awa’a passes through old ranch land, some of which is still used for livestock. Part way up, near the old quarry, is a small, flat-roofed building made with concrete blocks. This could have been a home for a ranch worker or perhaps a basic office associated with the quarry.

Whatever it was, it no longer is. The building is gutted, the doors and windows gone. Nowadays it serves as a shelter for sheep, goats, cattle and whatever else wanders in. One things it still has is a commanding view of the Kona coast.

These old windows look out onto the side of the hill and down toward the coast in the distance.

For more information about Pu’u Wa’awa’a and its trails, go to puuwaawaa.org.