Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s Big Island is a massive shield volcano that rises majestically 13,803 feet (4,200 metres) above sea level. By some calculations it’s also the tallest mountain in the world if measured from its base deep below the ocean. Mauna Kea formed over the Hawaiian Hotspot over the last million years, still an active volcano although currently dormant as it drifts northwest on the Pacific Plate. It last erupted a few thousand years ago.
The slope is rather gentle like other shield volcanoes, all things considered, and a road goes straight to the top. People can drive from sandy beaches to Hawaii’s roof in about an hour, which is pretty amazing.
Visitor Station
We came from the Hilo side although it’s just as easy from Kona. Both use Saddle Road arriving from different ends of the island and then take the turnoff to the Mauna Kea access road. This part starts easy but becomes a serious climb. Our poor little car struggled with the gradient and altitude. Fortunately we arrived at the Visitor Station at about 9,200 feet (2,800 m) before the car gave up, and there we parked.
This isn’t part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Rather, it’s managed as the Mauna Kea State Recreation Area, independent of Federal control. So the rules are a little different with a particular emphasis on native Hawaiian culture and beliefs.
The park recommended spending some time at the visitor station to acclimate to the elevation before proceeding any further. For us, that wasn’t an issue. We were meeting an organized tour for the remainder of the journey and it wouldn’t leave for another hour or so. We were banking on clear skies at the summit so the thick fog that rolled in initially concerned us. However, it’s routinely clear 300+ days per year higher up and the summit webcam confirmed it. We would be fine.
Summit
Park rangers block the road past the visitor station. Anyone wishing to go further must have a 4-wheel drive vehicle and proceed at their own risk. Pavement transitions from asphalt to gravel, the incline increases with tighter switchbacks, and oxygen continues to thin. None of this was a problem for us because we were sitting comfortably in a van configured for these conditions, operated by an experienced driver. We broke through the clouds and into the clear once we got closer.
Well, I did have one little problem but not until we arrived at the summit and I started moving. The lack of oxygen affected me more than I expected. I’ve been at high elevations before, and even higher than this, so it caught me by surprise. I slowed down, took my time as I walked around, and the dizziness, nausea, and mental fog passed. But it’s no joke that high up.
Observatories
It looked like another planet at the top, all barren and covered with observatories. There were even more here than what was saw on Maui at Haleakala a few days earlier. Currently thirteen telescopes dot the ridge, all independently managed and operated in a special “Astronomy Precinct” of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve. Conditions are absolutely pristine for scientific observations; some of the best in the world.
This isn’t entirely without controversy because of legitimate cultural and ecological concerns. In fact, a couple of telescopes have been removed in recent years with others planned for decommissioning. But for now there’s still a lot of hardware atop the mountain.
State Highpoint
Mauna Kea is about 125 feet (38 m) taller than its sister volcano, Mauna Loa. That makes it the highest point of elevation in the state of Hawaii. So, naturally, state highpointers flock here to add Hawaii to their collection.
However, most people cannot actually access the true state highpoint. It’s not at the big open area with all the observatories, it’s across the way on a cinder cone which apparently reaches a few feet higher. And atop the cone sits an Ahu, a small stone altar, because this is a sacred place for Hawaiian people. You can just see it in the photo, the little nub at the peak. A trail runs up to it but a park ranger sat at the trailhead by the road. Nobody was going up there unless they were a native Hawaiian with a valid religious reason.
I know this might disappoint any purist state highpointer, but I’m not that guy. I’ve been to many highpoints, generally the easy ones, and for me this was “good enough”. Plus, I’m not sure I had enough oxygen getting to my brain to attempt the walk anyway even if it was allowed. So it was an easy decision for me.
Sunset
Mauna Kea has a spectacular sunset and it’s a very popular time of the day to visit. That was one reason why we came. Soft light reflects from the clouds several thousand feet below, painting the sky in fiery orange. The observatories began to whir and rotate, and open their doors. We all waited breathlessly for the sun to dip below the horizon. Then everyone had to leave. The rangers don’t want people hanging around up there after dark.
Stargazing
So we drove back down the road to a viewing spot a couple thousand feet below for our other purpose, to look at stars. We got to experience the same dark skies that attracted all the observatories to Mauna Kea in the first place. I’ve never experienced such vibrant starlight before including a Milky Way that certainly explained how it earned the name.
Weather
It doesn’t matter what the weather is like anywhere else on the Big Island because Mauna Kea will be different. Hilo may be humid and wet; Kona may be hot and sunny, and you’ll still need a winter jacket at the summit. This is an alpine climate well above the treeline and it makes no difference that Mauna Kea sits only 19° north of the equator. Extreme elevation creates its own reality.
Ice and Snow
We visited in the middle of summer and the temperature hovered around 39° Fahrenheit (4° Celsius) at dusk. So it was safely above freezing. However, Hawaii does have a winter. It’s not very pronounced along the shore but it’s enough to drop the summit temperature below freezing many days. It can and does snow there, which is mind-boggling for a place better known as a tropical paradise. In fact the summit shows evidence of multiple rounds of ancient glaciers, happening when the world enters an Ice Age.
Wind
Let’s not forget the wind too. We were lucky and grateful to find perfectly calm conditions. Even so, the wind can absolutely howl across the summit. Road signs include large holes to reduce wind resistance and keep them from blowing away. Otherwise they’d tumble off the mountain during the next storm.
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr.
Leave a Reply