Our group, deep inside a lava tube, looking up at a skylight in the ceiling.
Today we visited ancient royal lands, that require special access to get through the gates. When the last of the Hawaiian royal family died, she owned about 12% of the lands throughout the islands. These lands passed into a trust with the goal of educating future Hawaiians in perpetuity. There is one local operator, Hawaii Forest and Trails, that has access to take hiking groups onto this land. It is called the Hidden Craters Hike, and is one of the best hikes you can do in Hawaii.
Our day started with a van pickup at Honokohau Harbor, just north of Kona town. A 35 minute drive, strait up the side of Hualalai Volcano, brought us to the start of our hike at 5,000ft. It was a beautiful, clear morning. Everyone got their hiking poles, and some snacks, as we geared up for the four mile loop trail. The trail heads past giant volcanic fissures and craters, and even descends into a lava tube at one point. One of the things that I like the most about this hike is that it takes us through pristine native Hawaiian environments that almost no visitors to the islands get to see.
One other amazing part of this hike, is the chance to see some of Hawaii's endemic honeycreeper birds. These brightly colored birds are actually finches, that have evolved into many different forms and colors, filling the niches left empty by other birds that never made it to the islands. Some of these finches evolved long, curved, hummingbird type beaks, while others have a beak used like a woodpecker. If Charles Darwin would have come to Hawaii, instead of the Galapagos Islands, he would have come to his conclusion of natural selection and evolution years earlier.
We finished our hike with a picnic lunch in an ancient Koa forest. Honeycreepers flitted around the canopy, serenading us the entire time. I told everyone to close their eyes and listen to all the honeycreepers. And then I reminded them that this is what the early Hawaiians would hear when they were up in this same forest. It is a unique experience, since almost everything down below has been replaced with introduced plants and birds, bringing new modern noises.
This is one of the reasons that traveling these islands with UnCruise, aboard the Safari Explorer, is such a unique way to experience Hawaii.
Our local guide, Matteo, had the key for the two gates we had to pass to enter this land. We are high enough on the mountain that we are leaving the realm of man, and entering the realm of the forest.
My big hope on this hike was to capture some photos of the famous Hawaiian honeycreepers. These are the small, finch species that found their way to the islands long ago and diverged into over 50 unique species. This was the best photo of the day, a beautiful Apapane, sitting still and in the sun, for just long enough.
The morning started sunny and clear, with views all the way down to our ship off the coast. The temperature at 5,000ft was noticeably cooler than sea level, but still great for hiking in shorts and tshirt.
Henry and Terry make their way down one of the more dangerous spots, high upon the edge of a crater.
A huge ohia lehua tree stands sentinel over a crater that was filled with lava 200 years ago.
To protect the native ohia lehua trees, which dominate the landscape for our hike, we spray the bottom of our shoes with an alcohol/water mixture. It hopefully kills any fungus that would cause a rotting disease that has killed ohia around the islands.
Descending into the lava tube. All the rocks on the sides were very jagged and sharp, so we had to be careful not to grab or rub against them too hard.
There is a lot of uphill as we traverse past hidden craters on our way up the side of Hualalai Volcano on the Big Island.
At some points of the hike, we trek past old radio reflectors and cell towers. The one we are standing under helps signal get from the northern islands, down to the city of Kona below.
Some folks opt to take the safer route down below. But Tommy and Kellie risk it all with a knife's-edge walk on the ridge of the fissure.
Matteo leading our group, high above the clouds.
The coastline looks beautiful from 5,000ft up the side of Hualalai Volcano.
Peering into a fissure, where the earth opened up in 1800 and spewed forth the lava we are currently standing on.
Descending into the lava tube.
Everyone did great, using the roots and the rope to safely get down into the bottom of the lava tube.
The start of our hike was through younger, bushy ohia lehua forest.
At over 5,000ft in elevation, the environment is so different than anything we had experienced along the coast.
We stopped in this beautiful forest for lunch. We were surrounded by rare koa trees, and ancient ohia lehua trees. And endemic honeycreepers serenaded us the entire time.
One of my favorite trees, growing out of the top corner of the fissure. The remains of an ancient Hawaiian fish pond can be seen just to the right of it.
Surrounded by ohia lehua trees after the first initial uphill push on our climb.
Is someone trying to say, "You shall not pass!"?
After a big day of hiking, this is how we celebrate the sunset back onboard.