This was by far the most spectacular experience of the trip. The Volcano
National Park is an amazing place, like being on another planet.
Lava flows from various times, some young, some very old, and some erupting
RIGHT NOW!
The rugged coastline on the drive down to the Volcano National Park. It
was about a 3 hour drive from Puako, around South Point to the Volcano.
We left really early (7am) and
go to the end of the road at the flow by around 11am.
You can see an old dock behind me. This where they loaded sugar cane onto
barges for transport to other islands or to the mainland.
Lava fields, but with life peaking out of the cracks. This type of lava
is called "pahoehoe" lava, which is smooth liquid-looking lava.
The other main type of lava is called "a'a" (ah-ah). It is easy
to remember which type this is. It is the sharp, craggy, nasty lava that
you yell "a'a!" when you step on it with bare feet.
This is on the Chain-of-Craters Road down towards the sea. The sky with
the clouds here was really cool, but my camera didn't quite capture it.
We've reached the end of the road. You'll notice the top corner of the
sign has been MELTED by something.....maybe lava?
No parking? No sh*t!
This was an interest lava wall formation. This would have formed flat
at first, then cooled, and then got turned on it's side by a later flow
pushing up from underneath.
This lava dome cracked from lava pushing up from underneath as well.
Dunno if I'd even try for 15 mph on this road!
Here are the pictures from the flow itself. The red glow you see is liquid
hot lava that was actually flowing from the rock.
If it was dark, large parts of the lava that looks black here, would actually
have a dull red glow from the heat.
Got pretty close to the flow. Man, it was hot!
The "Great Lava Wall". The people standing around give you an
idea of the size of this lava wall. It was pushed up by flows underneath.
Amazing the power that lava has.
Dad with a couple of specimens of very young lava. Lava has an irridescent
sheen to them before they get weathered.
They remind me of the look of coal (not BBQ briquettes, but bitumen that
they used in steam engines).
The hike out was 2 miles over lava. We would walk from pylon to pylon.
Each one was just within visual range of the next one.
Video of the "lava experience".
After our hot experience at the end of Chain-Of-Craters road, we headed
back up the to the Kilauea Crater area, far upslope from the flow.
