Sunrise at the summit of Haleakala at 4:30 am is a magnificent sight, even with the clouds. The summit is 10,000 feet above sea level and the temperature was at or below freezing. For two weeks in May–June, 2005, The Columbia Star managing editor, Natasha Whitling, and her fiancé, John Derrick, explored the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai in order to create comprehensive road guides. Here are some highlights.

By Natasha Whitling

John Derrick takes a rest to enjoy the view from atop the cinder cone Ka Lu’u O Ka O’o.

While enjoying the relaxing natural beauty of Maui it is easy to forget that millions of years ago eruptions from the 10,023 foot Haleakala volcano formed the island. Worlds away from the lush greenery below, Haleakala National Park offers a rare opportunity to explore the lunar–like landscape of a volcano’s crater.

The road to reach the summit of Haleakala is an adventure in itself. The Haleakala Highway is a 38–mile road of switchbacks and breathtaking cliff drops. It is the fastest climbing road in the world.

The barren landscape and colors of the crater create a strangely lunar atmosphere. Many brave tourists choose to drive this highway in the wee hours of the morning in hopes of catching a Haleakala sunrise. However, many people are unprepared for what they find at the summit, bone–chilling cold and sometimes gusty winds. Some misguided tourists try to bear the 20–40 degree cold armed only with summer clothes and a hotel towel.

Not every Haleakala sunrise is perfect. The right combination of clear sky and clouds provides the best color display. But, as seen in the picture above, even when a cloud obscures the view it is still magical.

The silversword is a type of cacti that only lives on Haleakala. They bloom once and then die. Once the sun has risen and the temperatures warm there are a variety of activities to enjoy. Bike rides down the mountain are available, as well as horseback tours into the crater.

For those independently–minded, there are several hiking trails that wind through the crater to various cinder cones. Cinder cones are volcanic vents where the volcano released its pressure. The volcanic ash and rock that fill the crater and compose the cones are a palette of reds, greens, and oranges.

One of the more popular crater hikes is the Sliding Sands Trail which descends 1,000 feet into the crater. It stops at many of the large cinder cones, the first of which is called Ka Lu’u O Ka O’o (kaa-loo-oo-o-kaa-o-o).

The trail is only 2.5 miles one way, but the thin air makes it very challenging. At 10,000 feet, clouds move in and out of the crater, sometimes enveloping the hiker or spraying them with a light mist.

Haleakala’s last display can be seen on Maui’s southeast shore at LaPerouse Bay. Scientists estimate that in 1790 Haleakala erupted to form the jagged lava rock coastline. Now there is a monument and ruins of Hawaiian natives that made their home on the sharp lava rock called a’a (ah–ah) perhaps because that is what you say when you step on it with bare feet.