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| Christmas Day snow on top of Mauna Loa Volcano, the long mountain that makes up most of Ka‘ū. The photo was taken Dec. 25 at Moku`aweoweo caldera's South Pit. Image from USGS |
HIGH IN THE SNOW ON CHRISTMAS DAY above Ka‘ū is the top of Mauna Loa, 56,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean floor. At an age of 700,000 to a million years old, it is the largest and tallest volcano on Planet Earth by size and volume, rising 13,677 feet above sea level. It last erupted in 1984, but steam rising from fissures in Mauna Loa's Moku`aweoweo caldera floor and measurements of molten movements signal scientists that lava is on the rise.
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| Mauna Loa's summit cabin. Photo from summitpost.com |
It is filling chambers to someday send liquid rock down its slopes, likely flowing onto Ka‘ū, somewhere.
Most Ka‘ū people live on Mauna Loa volcano.
The path that early explorers took to reach the rim of Moku`aweoweo caldera at the top of Mauna Loa is the native Hawaiian Ainapo Trail through Kapāpala between Pāhala and Volcano Village. Summitpost.org reports some of the history:
"The summit of Mauna Loa was visited by prehistoric Hawaiians for ceremonial purposes. They constructed the Ainapo Trail from their closest village, Kapāpala, to the rim of Moku'aweoweo caldera. The Ainapo Trail had a series of shelters that were stocked with drinking water and firewood. The Hawaiian method of ascent involved moving upslope in easy segments to lessen fatigue and to allow proper acclimatization. Footwear for the climb usually involved wrapping the feet with ti leaves or merely going barefoot.
The path that early explorers took to reach the rim of Moku`aweoweo caldera at the top of Mauna Loa is the native Hawaiian Ainapo Trail through Kapāpala between Pāhala and Volcano Village. Summitpost.org reports some of the history:
"The summit of Mauna Loa was visited by prehistoric Hawaiians for ceremonial purposes. They constructed the Ainapo Trail from their closest village, Kapāpala, to the rim of Moku'aweoweo caldera. The Ainapo Trail had a series of shelters that were stocked with drinking water and firewood. The Hawaiian method of ascent involved moving upslope in easy segments to lessen fatigue and to allow proper acclimatization. Footwear for the climb usually involved wrapping the feet with ti leaves or merely going barefoot.
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| Walking on Mauna Loa in the snow. Photo from summitpost.org |
"The major stages were a series of overnight camps, complete with small, warm, thatched houses and supplied with food, water and firewood. Smaller stages were areas used as frequent rest stops in natural rock shelters, caves and lava tubes. Ascents of Mauna Loa by prehistoric Hawaiians were made during summit eruptions, when the goddess Pele was present to honor her with chants, prayers and offerings.
"The first non-Hawaiian credited with climbing Mauna Loa is Archibald Menzies. Menzies was the surgeon/naturalist for the 1791-1795 Voyage of Discovery led by Captain George Vancouver of the British Navy. An expedition set out on Feb. 6 1794 from Kealakekua Bay with Chief Luhea in a large double hulled canoe that belonged to King Kamehameha. Menzies reached the summit of Mauna Loa on Feb. 16, 1794 where he used barometric readings to calculate the summit elevation at 13,564 ft. An excerpt from Menzies journal:
'We managed to boil the chocolate in a tin pot over a small fire made of our walking sticks, and each had his share of it warm, with a small quantity of rum in it, before we went to bed. ...as it was agreed we should all sleep together to keep ourselves warm, we joined together everything we had for our general covering, made pillows of hard lava, and in this [way] was passed the night... Febuary 16. Next morning, at sunrise, the Thermometer was at 26 degrees and the air was exceedingly keen and piercing... About 11 in the forenoon we arrived at the mouth of an immense crater... [we] crossed over this rugged hollow after a hard struggle, and by noon got to the highest part of the mountain, on the western brink of the great crater, where I observed the Barometer...' For more, see www.summitpost.org.
To climb Mauna Loa through Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, permits are required. Stays are limited to three nights per site; group size is limited to a dozen people. The number of bunks are limited at Red Hill and Mauna Loa summit cabins. "Backpackers to Mauna Loa should be adequately equipped, experienced in wilderness/high altitude trekking, and physically fit," says the statement from the National Park Service. Learn more about making the trek to Mauna Loa summit at https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hike_
"The first non-Hawaiian credited with climbing Mauna Loa is Archibald Menzies. Menzies was the surgeon/naturalist for the 1791-1795 Voyage of Discovery led by Captain George Vancouver of the British Navy. An expedition set out on Feb. 6 1794 from Kealakekua Bay with Chief Luhea in a large double hulled canoe that belonged to King Kamehameha. Menzies reached the summit of Mauna Loa on Feb. 16, 1794 where he used barometric readings to calculate the summit elevation at 13,564 ft. An excerpt from Menzies journal:
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| Mauna Loa with snow, seen from Kīlauea caldera. Photo from summitpost.org |
To climb Mauna Loa through Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, permits are required. Stays are limited to three nights per site; group size is limited to a dozen people. The number of bunks are limited at Red Hill and Mauna Loa summit cabins. "Backpackers to Mauna Loa should be adequately equipped, experienced in wilderness/high altitude trekking, and physically fit," says the statement from the National Park Service. Learn more about making the trek to Mauna Loa summit at https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hike_
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| Use of Ainapo Cabin on Mauna Loa requires a state Department of Land and Natural Resources permit. Photo from DLNR |
The Ainapo Trail is managed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and Kapāpala Ranch. Overnight hikes and reservations for the Ainapo Cabin require permits. See more at https://camping.ehawaii.gov/camping/all,
See webcams on Mauna Loa, showing the caldera, craters, pits, its weather and vistas from USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory sites at https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cams/.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE
Girls Basketball: Wednesday, Dec. 27, @ Pāhoa.
Friday, Jan. 5, Konawaena @ Ka‘ū.
Swimming: Saturday, Dec. 30, @ Kamehameha.
Saturday, Jan. 6, @Kamehameha.
Boys Basketball: Saturday, Dec. 30, Konawaena.
Tuesday, Jan. 2, @ Kea‘au.
Saturday, Jan. 6, Laupahoehoe @ Ka‘ū.
Boys Soccer: Saturday, Jan. 6, Konawaena @ Ka‘ū.
Wrestling: Saturday, Jan. 6, @ Kea‘au.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
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| See public Ka‘ū events, meetings entertainment at kaucalendar.com/octnovdec/decemberevents.html. See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, weekly events at kaucalendar.com/octnovdec/decembercommunity.html. December print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano. Also available free on stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com. |
KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE
Girls Basketball: Wednesday, Dec. 27, @ Pāhoa.
Friday, Jan. 5, Konawaena @ Ka‘ū.
Swimming: Saturday, Dec. 30, @ Kamehameha.
Saturday, Jan. 6, @Kamehameha.
Boys Basketball: Saturday, Dec. 30, Konawaena.
Tuesday, Jan. 2, @ Kea‘au.
Saturday, Jan. 6, Laupahoehoe @ Ka‘ū.
Boys Soccer: Saturday, Jan. 6, Konawaena @ Ka‘ū.
Wrestling: Saturday, Jan. 6, @ Kea‘au.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
KA‘Ū FOOD PANTRY offers free food to those in need on Tuesday, Dec. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.
FIREWORKS AND A FIREWORKS PERMITS are available starting Tuesday, Dec. 26. Firework and permit sales end midnight on Sunday, Dec. 31.
Setting off of Fireworks for New Year celebrations are allowed between the hours of 9 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, and 1 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. Permits should be visibly displayed at the site of use, during the time of the firing.
Each permit costs $25.00 and will entitle the holder to purchase 5,000 individual firecrackers - multiple permit purchases are authorized. Permits will only be issued to persons 18 years of age or older and are non-transferable, and non-refundable.
LEARN THE SIGNIFICANTS OF THE COCONUT TREE and its myriad of uses in Hawaiian culture and the Pacific during Pulumi Nī‘au Demonstration on Wednesday, Dec. 27, from 10 a.m. to noon at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Free, park entrance fees apply.
ALOHA FRIDAY: ‘OHE KAPALA WITH NOE NOE KEKAUALUA is Friday, Dec. 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Volcano Art Center. Learn about the various aspects of traditional hula arts - lei making, pa‘u styles, fabric stamping and more. For more details visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.
KANE PŌ GOES TO WASHINGTON is the featured topic for Coffee Talk at Kahuku this Friday, Dec. 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is located near the 70.5 mile marker on Hwy. 11. Kane Pō is the name of a large pōhaku (stone) from the Ka‘ū Desert on loan to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Keola Awong, former Cultural Anthropologist at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, will share her experience of this special event. Coffee Talk is free to attend. Ka‘ū coffee, tea and pastries will be available for purchase. For more details, visit nps.gov/HAVO.
A FREE PUBLIC HEALTH SHOWER WITH HOT WATER, soap, shampoo and clean towels is offered at St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View every Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with a free hot meal.
EXPLORE THE RICH GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF KAHUKU on a easy-to-moderate guided hike that traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, displaying different volcano features and formations in the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday, Dec. 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The hike, titled Birth of Kahuku, also offers hikers the opportunity to learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku.
HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ASKS VOLUNTEERS to help remove invasive non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing at a Stewardship at the Park event Saturday, Dec. 30. Volunteers should meet leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at 8:45 a.m. Free; park entrance fees apply. Fore more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.
CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY, FEATURING THE ANNUAL INVITATIONAL WREATH EXHIBITION, BEGINS continues through Sunday, Dec. 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Christmas in the Country features a fresh lineup of artists hosting special events throughout each weekend.
The concurrent Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit presents one-of-a-kind wreaths in a variety of imaginative media, techniques and styles, from the whimsical to the traditional. “Those looking for truly original wreaths as well as one-of-a-kind, handmade gift items will not be disappointed by the selection created by our local artistic community, ” states gallery manager Emily C. Weiss. Free, park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-7565.
A NEW YEAR'S EVEN TOAST is hosted by Kīlauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Sunday, Dec. 31, from 9:30 p.m. to midnight. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, 967-8371
REGISTER BY SUNDAY, DEC. 31, FOR THE 2018 MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM which begins Saturday, Jan. 23 and continues for 13 weeks. The program is open to Ka‘ū applicants through the U.H. Cooperative Extension Office.
Each person enrolling in the Master Gardener Program commits to completing 39 hours of instruction plus nine field trip hours, an open-book Midterm and Final Exam, plus 40 hours of volunteer service within 12 months of completing the Master Gardener instruction. To continue being Certified as a Master Gardener, on-going service of 30 hours of volunteer time is required every year.
Classes are held at The Kona Cooperative Extension Service office in Kainaliu, with field trips and workshops in the area. The next program will be held for three hours every Tuesday morning through April 17. Classes will be involved with current Master Gardener projects and will include hands-on orientation to the Helpline and Outreach programs.
Apply online by googling West Hawai‘i Master Gardeners. For more information, call the UH Cooperative Ext. Office at 322-4884.
LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS BEDECK THE STONE AND WOODEN COTTAGES at Kīlauea Military Camp. They are open for outdoor strolling within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park through Friday, Jan. 1.Vote on the best decorated cottage. Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-8371 or visit kilaueamilitarycamp.com.
FIREWORKS AND A FIREWORKS PERMITS are available starting Tuesday, Dec. 26. Firework and permit sales end midnight on Sunday, Dec. 31.
Setting off of Fireworks for New Year celebrations are allowed between the hours of 9 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, and 1 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018. Permits should be visibly displayed at the site of use, during the time of the firing.
Each permit costs $25.00 and will entitle the holder to purchase 5,000 individual firecrackers - multiple permit purchases are authorized. Permits will only be issued to persons 18 years of age or older and are non-transferable, and non-refundable.
For more information on the purchasing of Fireworks permits, or the use of Fireworks, please call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2911 (Hilo) or 323-4760 (Kona). For a list of places to purchase fireworks permits visit Dec. 23 Ka‘ū News Briefs.
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| Learn about the myriad of uses in Hawaiian culture and the Pacific for the coconut tree. See event at left. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie |
BUY TICKETS FOR DISCOVERY HARBOUR'S NEW YEAR'S PARTY by Thursday, Dec. 28. The party will be held in Discovery Harbour Community Center (Kahiki & Makali‘i Streets) on Sunday, Dec. 31, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (or later for those who wish to stay). A potluck dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. for those who wish to participate.
The Robert Thomas Band Trio will entertain from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Pre-sold tickets are $15 per person. Seating is limited to 72 persons; first come, first serve. To purchase tickets or for more information call Elaine at (805) 479-6266 or Sue at (310) 770-9644. The event is B.Y.O.B.
ALOHA FRIDAY: ‘OHE KAPALA WITH NOE NOE KEKAUALUA is Friday, Dec. 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Volcano Art Center. Learn about the various aspects of traditional hula arts - lei making, pa‘u styles, fabric stamping and more. For more details visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.
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| A view from Birth of Kahuku Hike. Photo from nps.gov/HAVO |
A FREE PUBLIC HEALTH SHOWER WITH HOT WATER, soap, shampoo and clean towels is offered at St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View every Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with a free hot meal.
EXPLORE THE RICH GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF KAHUKU on a easy-to-moderate guided hike that traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, displaying different volcano features and formations in the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday, Dec. 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The hike, titled Birth of Kahuku, also offers hikers the opportunity to learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku.
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| Volcano Art Center's wreath exhibit continues through Dec. 31. See event details below. Photo from Volcano Art Center |
Christmas in the Country features a fresh lineup of artists hosting special events throughout each weekend.
The concurrent Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit presents one-of-a-kind wreaths in a variety of imaginative media, techniques and styles, from the whimsical to the traditional. “Those looking for truly original wreaths as well as one-of-a-kind, handmade gift items will not be disappointed by the selection created by our local artistic community, ” states gallery manager Emily C. Weiss. Free, park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-7565.
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Master Gardener classes start Jan. 23.
Photo from ctahr.hawaii.edu
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REGISTER BY SUNDAY, DEC. 31, FOR THE 2018 MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM which begins Saturday, Jan. 23 and continues for 13 weeks. The program is open to Ka‘ū applicants through the U.H. Cooperative Extension Office.
Each person enrolling in the Master Gardener Program commits to completing 39 hours of instruction plus nine field trip hours, an open-book Midterm and Final Exam, plus 40 hours of volunteer service within 12 months of completing the Master Gardener instruction. To continue being Certified as a Master Gardener, on-going service of 30 hours of volunteer time is required every year.
Classes are held at The Kona Cooperative Extension Service office in Kainaliu, with field trips and workshops in the area. The next program will be held for three hours every Tuesday morning through April 17. Classes will be involved with current Master Gardener projects and will include hands-on orientation to the Helpline and Outreach programs.
Apply online by googling West Hawai‘i Master Gardeners. For more information, call the UH Cooperative Ext. Office at 322-4884.
LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS BEDECK THE STONE AND WOODEN COTTAGES at Kīlauea Military Camp. They are open for outdoor strolling within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park through Friday, Jan. 1.Vote on the best decorated cottage. Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-8371 or visit kilaueamilitarycamp.com.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
