A lava breakout in a flow from Pu’u O’o covers the old coast road, which is now a trail (here).
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Parks.’ See more responses here.
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is the best known park on the island. It covers 354,461 acres, which includes, not just the Kilauea area, but up to the summit of Mauna Loa and down the southwest rift zone of that volcano. The park contains 106 miles of roads and 155 miles of marked trails, many of them well off the beaten track.
I’ve hiked a lot in the park, though I doubt I’ll ever cover all the trails, but these photos are from ones I’ve done with links to the original posts for those interested.
On the Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs Trail (here).Great views on the Hilina Pali Trail, but this one nearly did me in! (here).Puʻu ʻŌʻō from the end of the Nāpau Trail (here and here).Puapo’o lava tube is only accessible on a guided tour (here).Nahuku lava tube is one of the most popular stops in the park (here).Kilauea Iki is another popular trail, across the floor of an old vent (here).Steaming Bluff on the Crater Rim Trail (here).The Jaggar Museum viewing point. The museum has gone but the viewing point just reopened (here).Sulphur Banks Trail (here).Halemauma Trail passes through the woods (here).The Puna Coast Trail features colorful lava (here)……As does the Ka’u Desert Trail (here).A lush valley in the Kahuku section of the park (here).
Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.
This Gold Dust Day Gecko snagged a moth for lunch.
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 194. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
A rusty water tank.A cow alongside the road.The Ala Kahakai Trail near Kohanaiki.Too heavy to drink?A Bird Wrasse.An Hawaii Amakihi taking a break.
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 188. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
Sunset off Kohala.Lesser Grass Blue Butterflies.Vireya Rhododendron flowers.Orchid Onc. Tsuiki Magueritte.A Snowflake Moray Eel.A lava breakout on a 2016 Kilauea lava flow. The couple on the right hadn’t yet noticed it. Original post here.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Walk in the Park.’ See more responses here. These photos are from my last hike at what is officially known as Pu’u Wa’awa’a Cinder Cone State Park. The hike took place under heavy skies, but the clouds hovered just above the top of the hill and the rain held off until late in the walk.
A Northern Mockingbird announces its presence.Silk Oak flowers.A view of Pu’u Wa’awa’a from a new section of trail.Sheep and cattle are often seen on the trail.Seeds on an endemic Wiliwili tree.The trail up through the center of the pu’u, pu’u being Hawaiian for cinder cone.Tree roots snake across the trail in places.A horse and rider enjoying the walk, too.A view from near the top, looking towards the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Stark.’ See more responses here.
This seemed a good opportunity to recap a hike I did last year, but have failed to get organized into a post! The hike started at Punulu’u Black Sand Beach Park, home of the island’s most famous black sand beach.
As usual, there were a few Green Turtles resting on the beach. The trailhead, at the east end of the beach, isn’t marked, but hike up through a narrow band of trees and it opens out onto a lava bench. On this bench is Kāne’ele’ele Heaiu, an ancient Hawaiian heiau where human sacrifices were carried out.
Beyond the heiau, the trail is marked by flat stones. This is the ancient Ala Kahakai trail, which followed the coast from the northern tip of the island all the way down and around the west and south coasts, to the southeastern corner of the island. The hike follows the coast, passing through scrubby vegetation and across stark lava fields.
There are some tenacious plants growing along the way, notably Beach Naupaka, which tolerates rocky terrain and salt spray. There’s also a variety of birds and other wildlife to be seen.
Cairns mark the trail, though they’re not always easy to spot. It’s easy to wander off the trail, which is not a good thing given the large cracks in the lava and potential thin spots that one could fall into.
But if you don’t get lost or fall into a lava tube, eventually Kamehame Beach will come into view. This beach is important as a nesting place for both Green Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles. The nesting season runs from June to November, which was when I was there, so I knew I wouldn’t be walking on the beach for fear of disturbing anything. In fact, I thought I hadn’t seen anyone on this hike once I left Punulu’u, but when I looked at my photos, I saw someone at the far end of the beach. This was undoubtedly one of the researchers who monitor these spots for turtle activity.
The beach itself is quite steep and, even if it wasn’t turtle nesting season, I’d have been reluctant to walk it given the high surf on this particular day. The round trip hike is around 6 miles unless you get lost!
Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 180. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
A Katydid on a Castor Bean plant.A Lesser Blue Butterfly.Rooster and hen.Hibiscus tiliaceus.A Hawaiian Hogfish.Small fish in the golden pools at Keawaiki.
The Humpback Whale season here has been underway for a few weeks, but I hadn’t seen many until a few days ago. Then, on one of my coast walks, I saw half a dozen or more.
This whale was in the company of another one, which had dived just before this. I like the curve of the tail and how the water drains off it, just before it’s full submerged.
A Black-crowned Night Heron in a spot of bother in a pond at Kawaihae.
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 174. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
A lively Lesser Brown Scorpion.A Passion-vine Butterfly getting to grips with a tasselflower.A White-tailed Tropicbird.Beer taps.Just so you don’t get lost at Kaulana Manu Nature Trail.The breakwater at Kawaihae appears to lead the way to Maui.
Graham's Island 