THE HOUSE OF THE SUN

MOUNT HALEAKALA

On a beautiful tropical island of "must-do" escapades, Team VFH’s trip to Maui's Mount Haleakala to see the sunrise topped them all, literally. We saved the best for last, for not only did we drive up to the top of this massive mountain to see the first rays of a Friday morning in what could be described as a solemn event, we then hurtled down the mountain on bikes. The combination of sublime beauty and terrifying exhilaration made Team VFH’s final full day on Maui one to remember. 

Maui lassoing the sun

Two volcanoes make up Maui. On the western side is Mauna Kahalawai. It is the older of the two and has eroded over millions of years. There are deep valleys, ridges and steep cliffs on West Maui. Those crevices capture moisture which graces us daily with beautiful rainbows and a broad, flat western shoreline. This is where our Kaanapali resort is located as well as the spirited town of Lahaina. 

Looming over all though is the majestic Mount Haleakala. She rises 10,023 feet above the Pacific. This shield volcano makes up three quarters of Maui which is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. But Haleakala rises from the ocean floor. If one calculates the height from there, she is 30,000 feet in elevation and taller than Mt. Everest at 29,000. 

Haleakala is a shield volcano, named because of its gently sloped profile, which looks like a warrior's shield laying face up. The gradual slope that steepens in the middle before flattening out at the summit is formed by "Hawaiian eruptions", the name given to steady flows of very fluid pahoehoe lava that over time accumulates in broad sheets that result in this massive, unique shape. Also created by these "Hawaiian" eruptions are Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

Pahoehoe lava '88 (c) 2014 g dunaj

In the Hawaiian language Haleakala means House of the Sun and ancient lore has it that the demigod Maui lassoed the sun to force it to slow down as it raced across the sky. Evidently Maui's mother was unable to get her tapa cloth dried, because the sun was moving too fast. Only when the sun agreed to slow down 6 months of the year did Maui let him go and that's how we get longer days in the summer.

The crater at the summit is large enough to fit Manhattan inside it, at 7.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide and 3,000 feet deep. The crater has its own mini-mountain range inside it with a line of cinder cones with the tallest at 1,000 feet in elevation. It is possible to hike and even ride horses through the crater of the dormant volcano, but Janet and I went to the summit of Haleakala to witness the sunrise. All our week on Maui we have cooed over brilliant sunsets, on our last full day here we decided to greet the day.  

the rare silversword

SATELLITES OF LOVE

Despite the allure of a breath-taking sunrise, Mt. Haleakala is a foreboding place. You are very, very far away from the tropics at the barren summit. The only plant that grows at the top is the endangered Silversword and it grows nowhere else but above 6,900 feet at Mount Haleakala. Temperatures at the top are as much as 30 degrees colder than at sea level and some people can experience thin air sickness if they ascend too quickly. But, at 10,023 feet the visibility is incredible and on cloudless, moonless nights the Milky Way is readily seen while at the summit of Haleakala and even satellites can be seen arcing across the heavens on occasion. The potential to see such an array of heavenly beauty was fascinating to me and this excursion was high on my list. I was willing to risk cold, thin air and sleep deprivation all for this chance. The main event, the sunrise at the summit of Mount Haleakala was almost secondary. 

SUNRISE / SUNSET 

It is not necessary to book a “tour” with a company to visit Mount Haleakala. You can negotiate the zig-zag road that climbs 38 miles up the mountain yourself and pay the $10 admission per car for a three day pass to the Haleakala National Park and go at any time of the day. Activities at the summit area of the park include hiking, camping, horseback riding as well as the sunrise. The pass also gets you into the Kipahulu Valley rainforest district during the 3 day span. 

sunrise at Mt Haleakala

Now, traveling to the summit for the sunset is an option. It is less popular and far less crowded. Hundreds of people will line the guardrail at the lip of the crater to watch the sunrise, but at sunset there are a few dozen. It is beautiful either time of the day, but just be aware that temperatures will drop with the setting sun and you will have to drive down that mountain in the dark. There are no street lamps.

You may be inclined to go it alone for the sunrise, but be aware there is plenty of competition for space at the summit as this is a very popular activity on Maui and gridlock on the dark road is quite possible. When the parking lot is filled the rangers won't let anymore cars into the park. At the summit, getting out of the van, our tour guides pointed out the line of headlights still waiting to get into the park. It got to be very crowded, but the guides ushered us to an area near the guardrail at the edge of the crater and we had an unobstructed view of the sunrise as it slowly revealed the vast crater of Mount Haleakala. Plus, without the guides we would have missed the second part of this incredible excursion, which was riding bikes white-knuckled down the mountain.

HURTLING DOWN HALEAKALA

There was a savings booking our trip to Mt. Haleakala through the concierge at our resort, but the fee was still as steep as the road to the crater. At least the outfit we went with, BIKE IT MAUI also included a breakfast with their $120 tab per person. 

The Bike It Maui van picked us up at the ungodly hour of 2:00 am, which seemed excessively early. But, sunrise was around 5:40 that morning and from our resort to the crater was 54 miles. They also made the rounds picking up other patrons from other resorts and then picking up one of the guides, Manny, in Kahului. We also stopped for refreshments in Kahului, for there is nothing available at the crater summit, and then later the actual equipment in a trailer that they hitched to the van. This all took a long while, so sadly by the time we reached the crater. bundled in the warm rain gear Bike It Maui provided us, the sky already had a hint of light on the horizon. We did not see the Milky Way.

Janet's suggestion to take a blanket from the resort seemed a bit over zealous, but it proved to be very necessary. Balmy at sea level it was very cold at the top. The wind was steady and added to the chill. Already bundled in our Bike It Maui attire we gathered the blanket around us and I hugged Janet close for warmth as we watched the night slip away and the glorious sun illuminate the other worldly crater that stretched out from our perch. Just as the sun came up a National Park volunteer greeted the day with a Hawaiian chant in a loud clear voice which only added to the revered start to this day.

DAWN

E ala e Ka la i kahikina
I ka moana
Ka moana hohonu
Pi’i ka lewa
Ka lewa nu’u
I kahikina
Aia ka la.
E ala e!

It is called a Mele Oli or a free verse chanted poetry. When the volunteer began this blessing of the day I was in awe to be so graced. Truthfully I felt humbled; by the enormity of the mountain and its beauty, the solemness of this sacred place and the reverence shown it by the native Hawaiians. I hugged Janet a bit closer.

We lingered for awhile afterwards around the summit and through the visitor center before being ushered to the van by our guides. It was time for us to head down the mountain. 

Safety First

RIGHT SIDE OF THE YELLOW LINE

This last part of the morning would have been frightening if the crew from Bike It Maui did not place a strong emphasis on safety. Throughout the ride up Mount Haleakala, while fitting us for clothes and gloves and helmets and bikes they talked about safety concerns. How beautiful the scenery will be and how treacherous the road will be if we admire it for too long as we ride our bikes!!! After a number of fatalities in the park from riders ooing and aahing at the great vistas and going off the edge of the road, riding bikes in the park has been prohibited. All bike tour companies are required to drive their patrons out of the park to begin their descent.

After fitting us with helmets and bikes and telling us again and again about keeping a safe distance between us and the next bike AND making sure we stay on the right side of the yellow lines (because bad things happen on the wrong side), we set off for a 28 mile trip down hill. 

Thankfully our bicycle brakes worked. Except for a brief period, we rode almost the entire way down without pedaling. We barreled down the mountain in an orderly line with our guide, Manny, in the lead, somehow negotiating his way half the time looking back on us. The support van trailed us. We never felt in danger despite the swift speeds, and, as for the remarkable views, we did stop a ways down to pose for pictures with Manny orchestrating silly poses for us. 

At one point we all got back in the van to get through the rustic upcountry town of Makawao. The Bike It Maui team thought it was too busy and they did not want to risk getting hit by a Paniolos in his Mercedes. Paniolos is what they call cowboys in Hawaii. We did not get a chance to stop and explore this town that has a vibrant artistic community as well as the largest rodeo in all of Hawaii. The Makawao Rodeo has been held on the Fourth of July for over 50 years. As we negotiated the streets of Makawao we ogled the boutiques, galleries and the Rodeo General Store making mental notes that this is yet another destination on Maui worth exploring. MAKAWAO. 

The last leg after Makawao was short. The temperature rose. We finally shed all the outer layers provided us by Bike It Maui. The biking portion of the trip ended at the Holy Rosary Church in Paia. As Manny and his assistant fiddled with the equipment before we headed off for our well earned breakfast and a much needed nap in the van we peeked inside the Holy Rosary Church. All this paradise and beauty that is Maui and lives still are lived. We smiled back at the young faces of the newly confirmed posing happily in pictures displayed in the church's foyer.  I love Hawaii. 

Mahalo for reading and hope your day is filled with Aloha.

Manny in front!

CRATER SNORKELING

MOLOKINI
Every day Team VFH stayed on Maui was planned, even our idle times. All the sightseeing excursions and even the well-earned time at sand gravity were all charted and coursed and with good reason. There is so much to do on Maui and with only a week available to us at the Ka’anapali Beach Club we were determined to see as much of Maui as possible. After all it’s expensive to get to Hawaii and Maui is a very pricey place so no time was wasted, but, even with all of our planning we had to make executive decisions about where our allotted time would lead us and we had to sigh with resignation at not having enough time to do everything. 

Now, you may think this would be debilitating to a vacation, to have every moment planned? It is very feasible to just kick back at the resort and let the days saunter into happy hours and sunsets, but Hawaii, and particularly Maui, has so much beauty to offer that it would be a shame to just sit on a chaise lounge every day!

A room with a view

So far on Maui we have done a lot. We’ve ambled past resort after resort along the Ka’anapali Beackwalk, stopping for Mai Tai’s (of course) at Duke’s. We have taken the lovely and treacherous Road to Hana. We have gone “full tourist” to attend the “authentic” Old Lahaina Luau. We have dodged Honu the sea turtle while frolicking in the surf at the clothing optional Little Beach at Makena State Park and attended an incredible Uncle Willie dinner show concert at Mulligan’s on the Blue. Of course, we have also sat at the pool, were graced by rainbows each afternoon and sighed at the sunsets over Molokai as we stood on the beach hand-in-hand. We’ve had dinner at a restaurant along busy Front Street in Lahaina and had drinks at the Maui Brewing Company Brewpub, whose bar features a strip of ice to keep the beer cold. It’s been a very busy half week with all these “must-do” Maui destinations.

Next on the agenda for Team VFH was another must-do Maui excursion; snorkeling at Molokini. It is a partially sunken volcanic cone that has formed a curved islet. Approximately 3 miles off shore, in the channel between Makena State Park and the Target Isle, Kahoolawe, Molokini is the number one spot to snorkel on an island that has plenty of exceptional sites for the sport.  When I first saw pictures of the crescent shaped island I was shocked by the exotic beauty and my immediate thought was this had to be very inaccessible and a destination only for locals or the privileged. Thankfully Molokini was neither. With morning sails out of Maalaea Bay from several companies Molokini proved to be very accessible and a top tourist destination with good reason.
Because of the curved shape of Molokini the water inside the crater is sheltered from the ocean currents and this calm safe haven is home to several hundred species of fish and other marine-life. Molokini is in the middle of the channel and deep water and there are no sand deposits. The water is exceptionally clear and visibility is up to 150 feet. This combination of calm waters and pristine clarity make Molokini the number one destination for snorkeling on Maui. 

MAUI SNORKELING DESTINATIONS

Molokini is a State Marine Life and Seabird Conservation District and access is limited and going ashore is prohibited. Obviously disrupting the coral is too. Of course the fish are used to humans invading their home and are tame. Still to get to Molokini you need to take a tour. Each of the licensed tour companies have mooring spots so as not to disturb the coral. We went with Quicksilver and purchased our tickets through the resort at a discount. Still it was not cheap at $123 for the two of us. It was well worth the expense for this unique experience though. The price included a continental breakfast and a lunch. Alcoholic drinks were available after snorkeling for a very reasonable price. Underwater cameras were available for rental and by the time the Quicksilver docked again at Maalaea Bay the crew would have burned dvds of your pictures. We rented wetsuits because the water was cooler and they helped keep us afloat but the snorkeling gear was all included. 
QUICKSILVER MAUI

I have to say that the crater was somewhat crowded There were a lot of tour companies represented and there were a lot of bodies in the water, but Janet and I were able to glide along with comfort. The captain announced that the visibility at Turtle Town was poor. This was the second destination for our planned snorkeling adventure and because of the conditions there the Captain opted to stay longer than usual at Molokini, that it was not worth the effort to travel there. After awhile a lot of people returned to the boat anyway and for awhile we had free run of the crater largely to ourselves, unpressed for time. 

THE MAYOR OF TURTLE TOWN

We were disappointed though in not venturing over to "Turtle Town". It is an area near Maluaka Beach in South Maui and the protected Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is in abundance here. The waters of this beach are calm and inviting to the turtles because Mount Haleakala blocks the prevailing trade winds. It is possible to drive to the area and snorkel from shore. Had we more time on Maui we might have visited these gentle creatures.
TURTLE TOWN INFO

Mahalo for reading. Sorry for the delay between entries. Please come back to read more about Team VFH 's extended trip through the Hawaiian Islands!

Janet and greg