Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [211]
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ACTIVITIES
Hiking
Several short walks begin at the Onizuka Visitor Information Station. Off the parking lot is an area protecting the endemic, dramatic silversword, while across from the visitor center, a 10-minute uphill hike on a well-trodden trail crests Pu′ukalepeamoa, a cinder cone that offers the best sunset views near the center. Several moderate hikes also begin from the summit road (see left).
Then there is the 6-mile Humu′ula-Mauna Kea Summit Trail, which climbs nonstop about 4600ft to the top of Mauna Kea. This is a very strenuous, all-day, high-altitude hike up such steep, barren slopes you sometimes feel you might step off the mountain into the sky. Utterly exposed to winds and the changeable weather, it makes for an eerie, primordial experience.
To do this trail, start early – by 6am if possible. It typically takes five hours to reach the summit, and half as long coming down, and you want time to explore in between. Consult with rangers for advice, and before hiking, get a map and register at the center’S outdoor trail kiosk.
Park at the Onizuka Center and walk 1000ft up the road; where the pavement ends, go left on the dirt road, following several Humu′ula Trail signs to the trail proper. Reflective T-posts and cairns mark the route; after about an hour the summit road comes back into view on your right, and the vegetation starts to disappear. As you weave around cinder cones and traipse over crumbled ′a′a and slippery scree, you pass various spur trails; all lead back to the access road.
Most of the way you will be passing through the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve. After about three hours, a sharp, short ascent leads to Keanakako′i (see opposite), the adze quarry, which is off to the right; look for large piles of bluish-black chips. Do not enter, or remove anything from, this protected area.
The hardest, steepest part of the trail is now behind you. After another mile you reach a four-way junction, where a 10-minute detour to the left brings you to Lake Waiau (see opposite). Return to the four-way junction and head north (uphill) for the final push to meet the Mauna Kea Access Rd at a parking area. Suddenly the observatories are visible on the summit, and straight ahead is Millimeter Valley, nicknamed for its three submillimeter observatories (among them the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope). The trail officially ends at the access road’S 7-mile marker, but the top of the mountain still snickers at you another 1.5 miles away.
You didn’t come this far not to reach the true summit, so soldier on till you reach the University of Hawai’i 2.2m Telescope, where the short spur trail to the summit begins.
When descending, return along the shoulder of the access road rather than retracing the trail. Though the road is 2 miles longer, it’S easier on the knees and easier to follow as sunlight fades. Also, it’S common for hikers to get offered a lift downhill; sticking to the road increases your chances.
Stargazing
The Onizuka Visitor Information Station offers a free stargazing program from 6pm to 10pm, weather permitting (bad weather prevents stargazing only two to three nights per month). There are no reservations, but you could call the visitor center to confirm that the program is on that evening. At 9200ft the skies are among the clearest, driest and darkest on the planet. In fact, at the station you’re above the elevation of most major telescopes worldwide. This is the only place you can use telescopes on Mauna Kea; there are no public telescopes on the summit. How much you’ll see depends on cloud cover and moon phase. The busiest nights are Friday and Saturday.
Skiing
You brought your skis to Hawai′i, right? For a month or two (beginning in January or February), enough snow usually falls on Mauna Kea’S heights to allow for winter sports. Snowboards are preferred over skis, but on a nice day the ‘slopes’ can get crowded with locals using