Vuncanology - time to nerd out!

I thought that a Vulcanologist studied Mister Spock and other Vulcans until I went to Hawaii and learned that Vulcanology (also spelled Volcanology) is the study of Volcanoes!

So lets geek out, not on Star Trek, but on one of my other nerdy passions - geology - rock on! Do follow the links too - it took me a long time to write this since I kept reading off on a tangent about volcanoes and the youtube posts of other folks footage is simply fascinating - just don't forget to come back and finish reading my post though.

Hawaii only exists because of volcanoes. The chain of islands that make up the 50th state are due to a hot-spot on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. As the earth's mantle slides and continents drift, volcanoes go dormant and new ones are born, often producing new islands. The Big Island is the youngest of the Hawaiian islands and has five separate volcanoes, so it is entirely appropriate that it has a Volcanoes National Park! Within this park one of the longest-lived eruptions in the world is taking place - Kilauea.

Unfortunately at the time of our visit the lava was flowing in an extremely hard to get to place. It required a fourteen mile round trip , hiking over sharp rocks and lumpy lava fields. This flow has at times reached the sea, giving spectacular views of steam plumes as the molten lava plunges into the ocean but upon our arrival it had not had an ocean entry since the beginning of the year. However, Pele (the Hawaiian Goddess of the Volcano) did tease us by coming within 50 meters of the coast while we were staying at Volcano (the aptly named town closest to the volcanoes). We decided that if  an ocean entry did occur we'd fork out for either the boat or helicopter trip.  Then Pele further taunted us by dipping her toes in the water - but only briefly. Without a sustained ocean entry there was no guarantee that we'd see a plume. We decided that it would be something to come back for.

Apparently the neighboring volcano - Mauna Loa, is due to erupt again soon - we vowed to come back for that!

If you have only one day to visit the volcanoes come for one of the hikes and then make sure to stay for the sunset. Make sure to get there a good hour beforehand since traffic is horrible! Kilauea is best viewed in the dark and the park is open all night. From the viewing area you cannot see the lava during the day, just the steam and gases (vog - a cross between volcano and smog) rising from the vent.

 

While we were there the vog closed the Crater Rim Drive

 

We saw lots of these signs every where - obviously the vog goes where the wind chooses to blow it. Someone really should offer Pele a tic tac!

But at night you can see the red hot lava below reflected off the vog.

It reminded me of an open wound. As we sat watching the colors changes and the red glow deepen, it was easy to see how people would believe that this was the work of a Goddess or deity who needed to be appeased.

What with Hawaii being two hours behind California time and my sparse sprinkling of little white lies when asked by my not-a-moring-person Husband what time it was when we woke up, we hit the trail at 8.30am - a phenomenal achievement for us as a couple!

The road south from the gates of the park goes all the way to the ocean. This is Chain of Craters Road, so called as there is a chain of raters and other interesting volcano-induced features to see the whole way down to sea level.

 

Off this road are a number of hikes and we decided to do all of them. On Anne's (from the Rainforest Retreat) recommendation we decided to tackle the Lava tubes early.We parked at the trail head the for Kilauea Iki trail but did the trail in the reverse order to that laid out in the trail guide, thus beginning with the walk through the lava tubes.

These tubes are formed as the surface of the lava cools and crusts over, insulating the river of molten rock within which keeps on flowing. Eventually the lava flows out leaving an empty tube. These ones are large enough to walk through but can be any size.

This hike was stunning. It took us through the crater of a volcano that last erupted in 1959. The crater was already there at that stage having been formed several hundred years ago. Click this link to find out how. In November of 1959 a fissure opened in the 600ft deep pit and spewed a curtain of lava along its length forming a 360m deep lava lake within the crater.

 Imagine that all that flat lower ground in the middle was once molten lava!

The white specks are people - just to give you some perspective! Around the edges the rocks are more crumpled looking - this is because when the eruption finished the lava flowed out from underneath, cooled and contracted, and caused the surface of the lave to collapse. It is known as the bathtub ring. You can see it the next photograph looking like tarmacadam, or chocolate brownies!

 Lava is rich in minerals and plants try to get a foothold.

This small lava fern is called 'Ae. (The Hawaiian alphabet has only twelve letters and five of them are vowels making it a nightmare for lingi-phobe like me!). This small lava fern is one of the first plants to settle into the moist cracks of the lave. It has leaf blades that twist upwards like venetian blinds. I call it the "Venetian Blind Fern"!

 The floor of the crater still had steam vents - eerie on a cool morning!

 At one end of the crater we came across a raised area with steam coming out of the top of it.

My husband wanted to climb up and look in but I was reluctant to leave the trail, being worried about the park ranger and the ecology of the crater - in that order! Against my advice my husband took off upwards, scrambling over the jagged black rocks towards the steam. Soon he was out of sight. I waited. And waited. He didn't come back. Cursing under my breath, I followed his route up a little way but still could not see him. My concern deepened as the terrain steepened. Where the hell was he? I started to call his name...no answer. It was still early and there was no-one else around. What if he'd fallen? How would I find him? I climbed up further, my heart thumping so hard against my ribs I could nearly feel them flex to the beat. Would I find him before I began to cry?

At the top my heart stopped. There was a big crack in the earth! It was a couple of feet wide - large enough for a body to slip through...

 

I crept as close to the edge as my vertigo would allow. I couldn't see the bottom - in fairness I'm a chicken with heights so I wasn't that close- yet. I always worry about the edge of cliffs, and precipices in general giving way. I called for him again, my voice laced with the warble of tears. If he wasn't dead already, I was going to kill him. (Obviously he wasn't since I sure as hell didn't take that picture!)

I edged closer to the crack preparing myself for the ordeal of climbing into it to search for him. As I stood quivering at the opening of the fissure, cursing the lack of cell phone coverage yet wondering who the hell would I call.(Certainly not the ranger since he'd probably shout at me for going off trail!) I spotted a ting figure back at ground level waving up at me. My husband had found an easy way down that left him on the opposite side from where he'd left me and had had to circumnavigate the base.

"You scared the shit out of me!" I said when I'd climbed down (the hard side not wanting to loose sight of him again.)

"I'm sorry," he said, ducking as I swiped at him. "It was cool up there though wasn't it?"

Let's just say the vog turned blue until I'd calmed down.

After that we drove to sea level to the end of the Chain of Craters Road... literally the end of  the road where the lava come across the road in one of the recent eruptions, blocking the road for miles.

From here you can hike 7 miles (one way) to see some lava flowing. If you're lucky you might see an ocean entry - best I could do was this...

The coast held a stark beauty where Pele met her sister, goddess of the sea, Nā-maka-o-Kahaʻi. 

 

On one of the ranger talks we attended the speaker asked the question, "What do sister's do with each other?" 

One person answered, "Shopping!"  

"No."

I said, "Party?"

"No." 

"How odd," I thought.

But the correct answer was fight!

And the legend of the two sisters well describes the constant battle between the volcano and the ocean.  As the lava pours into the ocean the waves constantly erode it away.

 As the lava spills, pools and cools it produces some amazing textures.

 

Sorry Pele, but I have to say that this did remind me of one huge cow pat! 

But Pele is a woman Goddess of many talents. She has a colorful palate when she puts her mind to it.

 

She can even produce semiprecious stones. I found this olivine, called peridot and chrysolite when of gem-quality. It is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4.

  

I was sorely tempted to pocket this tiny rock of perhaps 1/8" diameter, but I'd been warned not to remove any rocks from the volcano area since it would upset Pele. I reckon she could throw one helluva hissy-fit, so left it there. Ya just don't mess with a Volcano God!

 Photos fail to capture how vast this moonscape is.

 

 Sometimes it is only trumped by the sky above it.

 

Our third hike of the day was to view the petroglyphs - pictures carved into the rocks centuries ago by native Hawaiians.

 

The meanings of these carving are largely unknown.

I think the one above is telling the story of the arrival of an alien space ship!

 

In some of the drawing you can make out people and turtles - or a combination of both.

 

It is believed that they recorded significant events and that the people brought a new born's piko (umbilical cord) to the circles and that this represented connecting the child to the land. I suppose my parents must have done the Irish equivalent of dropping and losing my piko to turn me into such a global gypsy!

The forth hike of the day, Pu'u Huluhulu and Mauna Ulu, was postponed to the next day since we were so worn out from traipsing across the hard lava - it is deceptively hard going. But I wasn't going home without doing that one - it was my volcano-twin having erupted the same year I was born - Mauna Ulu.

From the top of Pu'u Huluhulu we could look over at Mauna Ulu. Pu'u Huluhulu means hairy hill and refers to the forest growth on an old cone. This forest was not buried by an eruption and is still growing but other trees weren't so lucky. Along the way we came across lava trees. Here the lava flowed around trees whose dampness cooled the lava before it burned up the trees resulting in these strange pipes in the rock.

 Here are two trees side by side.

The crater rim of Mauna Ulu is very delicate the trail guide asks people to refrain from climbing on it - you can be sure that I showed that information to my Husband!

 

In the distance we could see the cinder cone of Puʻu ʻŌʻō (pronounced Poo ew oh oh) another live volcano erupting since 1983. Heaven only knows why they haven't built a nice visitor center and cafe closer so we can get a better look!

But at least we can always go back to the Jaggar Museum and look out in comfort at the volcano...but still there is no cafe. For a nation that spawned Starbucks why, oh why, is it so hard to get a nice cuppa in a National Park (or any park or good view for that matter) so we can sit back and take in the view in comfort?

Still, I shouldn't gripe - it was a privilege to be a guest at Pele's house all the same.

 Byddi Lee

 

Volcano on Dwellable

The Pineapple Express

It's one of those rare days in San Jose - grey clouds hang so low in the sky that you feel like you can touch them if you just stretch that little bit further, the rain is not waiting to fall, and I have even have puddles in the back yard. Yep, it's most definitely rainy season. According to the weatherman, we are experiencing the effects of the pineapple express - a blast of storms all the way from Hawaii - weather that has followed us, in fact, because this time three days ago we were snorkeling in the warm blue waters off the Big Island, Hawaii. Coming home to this weather feels decidedly surreal, more like the days when my bump-down-to-earth after vacations dumped me into rainy Belfast and a trough of depression. Did I dream Hawaii? Did it really happen? It feels like a hazy, beautiful memory from another world. Still, I wonder if anyone who has holidayed in Hawaii can avoid the post-vacation blues, no matter where they live?

One thousand, two hundred and something photos later, (and that's not counting the two disposable underwater cameras I sent off for development yesterday) I realize that the Hawaii trip cannot, and should not be blogged about in one post. So I'll be breaking it down into at least six posts - the volcano, the East Coast one day road trip including the amazing Tropical Botanic gardens, the coffee growing, Manu Kea - the largest mountain on the planet (yes from undersea-base to tip 10000 meters compared to Everest's 8000m above sea level) and the snorkeling. Today I'll be starting with transport and our lodgings in the rainforest.

We flew with Alaskan Air directly to  Kona from Oakland International Airport (OAK) early on Thanksgiving morning. The drive took us about 45 minutes since the roads were empty given the holiday. The parking was  reasonable and even though the long term parking lot was full, they allowed us to park in a closer, shorter term lot for the same price. I thought this was pretty decent of them. Overall, OAK proved to be as handy to us and cheaper than SFO. The terminals were nice and easy to navigate.

I wasn't quite expecting the singing girls, in grass skirts, handing out garlands of flowers on our arrival,  (though a tiny part of me hoped that all that those old Elvis movies, from BBC2 on rainy Saturday afternoons of my youth, would be played out upon our landing in Hawaii) but I was totally unprepared for the airport at Kona on the Big Island.

Passengers sheltered from the sun and rain under canopies in wall-less departure lounges.

From here you could comfortably watch planes take off and land.

A very unique gate complete with palm trees!

 

The open air gates reminded me of the toll booth in Blazing Saddles!

Alaskan Airlines charges for checked bags. The Big Island of Hawaii has 11 of the 13 climate zones that exist on earth and we had planned to visit all of them so we needed to pack warm clothes as well as just bikini, sarong and toothbrush! Our one checked bag was waiting for us at the baggage carousel and we went straight from their across the road to the Hertz van waiting to drive us to pick up our rental car.

I was amused by Hertz's offer of a free "upgrade" from the compact car we'd booked, to either a mustang convertible or a minivan! Apparently compacts were in short supply.  We politely turned down the gas guzzler "upgrade" and waited the 15 minutes until a Toyota Corolla became available. We planned to do a lot of driving beginning with a three hour drive to the town of Volcano, on the doorstep of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The temperature fell from a humid 80F to a chilly, damp 60F as we climbed up through the coffee belt to the rainforest. Vines, ferns and unfamiliar vegetation thronged the sides of the road - so much of it that it felt like if you turned your back it would engulf the road too.

We stayed in the Forest House at the Rainforest Retreat, Volcano and I cannot write enough good stuff about this idyllic spot.

 

Anne met us as we parked. By the time she had guided us beneath the giant tree ferns to our home for the next three days, I'd already fallen in love with the place.

Anne got us settled in and gave us great advice about how best to view the volcano. The house had maps and she outlined a possible hiking itinerary for the following day and recommended Thai Thai Resturant in Volcano for dinner that night - possibly the best Thai food I've ever eaten!

She gave us her phone number and told us to call her if we needed anything. Feeling completely pampered, we used the last of the daylight to explore our new found paradise.

 

Anthuriums abounded in different colors and size, growing wild in the forest. 

They made beautiful flower arrangements inside and out.

Beauty soothed the soul wherever the eye fell, and to sooth the body we had the use of a hottub, right in the forest.

 

Nestled in the rainforest this hexagonal shaped cabin had everything we needed - robes to keep you snug to and from the hot-tub, flip-flops, torches (it gets really pitch-black at night), and umbrellas.

The continental breakfasts were huge - the bananas like none I'd ever tasted - so delicious! We had enough breakfast left over to bring with us on our hike for a picnic lunch.

 
When night fell, black and inky around us obliterating the beauty of the rainforest, the cabin became a cozy haven as we tucked up in front of the gas fire watching dvds about the volcanoes so that relaxation battled the excitement of knowing that tomorrow we would see a real live volcano....

Byddi Lee

Hilo on Dwellable

Thankful for growing up all over again

As I look back on the last four years, my immigration to and settling into California reminds me of growing up.

SFO - the "maternity" ward!

First, of course, you are born. You arrive to a whole new world where everything is novel and fascinating. The temperature is different, the light is bright (the sun being almost alien to Irish folk!), people sound different to what they sounded like muffled in the womb of the Irish brogue, missing Irish chocolate, and exchanging the love of the smell of turf smoke for the perfume of California sage bush (aka Cowboy Cologne). Moving to the other side of the planet brings change in every sense of the word.

Dawn in Yosemite Valley

I was lucky/unlucky (in a glass half-empty/half-full sense) enough to be moving without a job. This presented benefits along with problems. The obvious advantage was time to get us organized. The less obvious disadvantage was time on my own that left me bored and fighting loneliness and homesickness. Fortunately, I'm a silver lining seeker and knowing how many people would have loved to have been in my position, (some of whom are dear friends and relatives...) in their honor, I always counted my blessings.

So, like a young infant that is mesmerized by everything from her own hands to the clouds in the sky, I marveled at the world around me. I exercised my new-found vision to better focus on the important things that my new life had to offer. In those early days, I had hours and hours to spend on any project I chose - buying the furniture we needed for the new apartment, swimming, and even knitting (though the sweaters turned out to be too warm for this climate!)

But without a job, I found it hard to find people to make friends with. Without kids, I had no Moms to chat with at the school gates. As the novelty of moving wore off, I revisited a feeling I hadn't truely experienced since I was a kid. Boredom!

Like a cooped-up puppy, I'd pounce on my husband when he came home exhausted from work, demanding his full attention. As patient as the saint he is, he encouraged me to follow my dream of writing and dissuaded me from feeling guilty for not bringing money into the household.

Tollymore Forest Park, County Down, Ireland

With this freedom to pick whichever path I wanted, I decided to write and also try out some volunteer work. (Writing is a lonely job.) I joined the Edgewood Weed Warriors and like a kid in primary school (kindergarden-elementary in the US), thirsty for knowledge and friendship, I found exactly what I needed!

Tidy Tips - California wild flower

Just as a child's perspective changes from the toddler's egocentricity to the peer sensitive middle-schooler (which is first - third year in the Irish and UK school system) as I met more people and acquaintances became friends, the new life blossomed and with the move to our house and garden another dimension of this brave new world opened up to me - the garden.

Pulling out the oleander to make way for the natives

This pulled me happily to the high school stage - here I could pursue projects that gave me personal satisfaction - producing my own food - my husband teases me about being like those pet cats that present their owners with their dead quarry so as to contribute to the pride, as I bring in the produce from the garden.

My writing is still a daily anchor, and the people in my writing groups now valued friends as well as peers.

Along with these, I have other play mates for swimming, biking, hiking, shopping, coffee chats and generally hanging-out, so that my poor husband can finally have some "alone" time outside of work - like the parent whose kids have reached an independent enough stage to go off on their own for the afternoon to hang out with their buddies.

Mono Lavender - South African hybrid

With a vibrant circle of friendships blossoming and lots of things to do now, I find it harder to find the time to sit down to write my blog, an activity that gave me such pleasure back as an eager sixth-grader in "immigration" time.

During the week I was at a Master Gardener talk. I was standing at a stall at the back, the speaker was just about to begin and another MG came in at the last minute. As she passed me she leaned towards me and whispered, "I love your blog." She moved on not waiting for a reply and my heart bloomed with gratitude towards her. Those few simple words mean so much. To be appreciated by even one person makes the effort worth it.

Now, I'm like the sixth-former (high school senior) with gardening, my budding business and emerging novel being the subjects that are my seeds for future enterprise, my 'after-school' clubs - namely Master Gardeners, swimming and biking, and a circle of friends to enjoy it all with.

Thanks to modern technology I can still hold dear the friends from my old life.

Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that.

 Ally Condie quotes   

No longer do I hear myself echo the teenagers whine of, "I'm bored," and thank goodness too, for now relaxation time can be exactly that.

Instead, the mantra is, "How time flys!" I've learnt to appreciate the joy of "busy" because it sure does beat the butt of the other B word!

So in this "Thanksgiving" week I'm thankful for being kept busy with friends, family and projects, the hindsight with which to view the journey and sharing with you readers ...whose appreciation keeps me returning to the keyboard time and again.

Byddi Lee