Photos 6, page 18
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Lava Hike (hot!)
| December 29, 2009 |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| At it again! I read on the HVO update page that surface lava flows had reached the bottom of the pali at Royal Gardens. I couldn't resist going out to see. This time, I remembered to upload waypoints from my 2/28/08 hike when I got such great photos of the lava coming down through Royal Gardens. |
| So off I went. I got an early start - 9:10 AM and parked my car at 9:30. I started hiking at 9:50 - I wanted to allow enough time to get out to wherever the lava might be - near Royal Gardens someplace - and get back before 3:00 when people started showing up to get ready for the public opening at 5:00. Green line out, cyan line for while I was there, and magenta line for the hike back. The yellow line indicates where the USGS has determined the lava tube is that feeds the ocean entry at Waikupanaha. The pink areas on the right image indicate recent lava flows while the red area marks where the most recent flows have been - since the last map on 10/30. |
| This is just a close-up of the area where I hiked while out there. While out there I wanted to revisit some of the place I had been before, just to see the difference: "2-28 Sit" where I set up and photographed the lava coming down Royal Ave. straight at me; "2-28 Toe" which was the toe of the lava flow at the time; and "2-28 Street" which was where I was able to walk up onto the streets of Royals Gardens (see 2/28/08 and 3/2/08). I got up as far as "2-28 Street" when I found my way blocked by A'a lava and what appeared to be new lava (I could hear the ticking sounds of cooling lava). I decided at that point to head back down and return to the car. I first noticed that the new lava flows came down right beside me at "Hot" when I started seeing small breakouts of hot lava... |
| 9:47 AM The plume is blowing inland. Could be a problem... |
| 9:58 AM @ 004 A panoramic view of about 180 degrees from the ocean entry to the pali, where I'm headed. First I'm going to check out that vent of steam at the base of the pali... |
| 10:04 AM @ 005 (the number doesn't show up on the map - it's the dim flag between 004 and 006) I'm headed for that... |
| 10:10 AM @ 006 The damned plume is blowing straight at me! I don't want to breathe this shit! |
| 10:18 AM @ 007 The wind's shifted a little... |
| 10:27 AM @ Vent |
| 10:28 AM @ Vent |
| 10:29 AM @ Vent |
| 10:30 AM @ Vent |
| 10:30 AM @ Vent |
| 10:37 AM past Vent A look back |
| Here's a bunch of pictures at the vent. It isn't particularly hot here but the fumes aren't pleasant - acrid and stinging - don't want to breathe them! The fumes just seem to be coming out of crack in the lava - there's no other evidence that we're right on top of the lava tube (see the map above). |
| 10:23 @ 008 Approaching the vent... |
| 10:39 AM past Vent Looking ahead... |
| 11:05 AM @ V15 There's something burning on the hill. That's not steam, that's smoke... |
| 11:39 AM @ "2-28 Sit" This is the view from where I sat on 2/28/09. Pick the link to see what it looked like back then... |
| 11:40 AM View of "2-28 Sit" |
| Ocean entry on the left, visitors' area on the right. I hiked out past the vent --> Another angle with the ocean at the bottom, the vent I passed, and the flows coming down the hill. |
 | |  | |  |