Hiking a Volcano

As you travel the 0.8 mi hike to the southern crater overlook, the first thing you’ll notice is its cold— strangely cold for what you thought was a tropical island. Thanks to the crater’s elevation of roughly 4,000 feet and the strong trade winds, along with the frequent mist, the weather is not freezing but just cold enough to make you wish you had a jacket.

Volcano Trail

Then, as you continue your hike, you may notice several scents such as sulfur from the volcanic vents or mold from the nearby rainforest. But then, something peculiar: the scent of maple syrup! And you may wonder what exotic sub-tropical flower produces such a scent. And you’d be surprised to learn that it’s not a flower but a grass! Melinis minutiflora, or more commonly molasses grass, grows all over the Big Island’s Puna region but seems to concentrate around Volcanoes National Park.

Volcano Sunset in Hawaii

Then, as the sun sets, you may see something truly amazing: stars, and not just 1 or 2 or even 100 peppered across the sky, but billions upon billions of stars. And just when YOU think you can see them all, you look a little closer and you can just barely again just for a little bit see more stars! You might even notice a faint cloud stretching across the sky.

But finally, you’re there after all day. It comes to this. You over looking the caldera of the most active volcano on Earth. The bright red hues of the fiery lava below mix with the infinitely deep pattern of the night sky, breathing in the scents of the park, all while being chilled by the frigid wind. It’s an experience so grand you can’t capture it! But nonetheless, you TRY.

The Creation of 'Aina

This is my attempt to capture that. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine.

And I’d like to share it……