Mphoto Travels: Aloha from Hawai'i

As we sit in the Volcano House lounge, my wife and I are sipping on Mai Tai’s and Lava Flows. The people at the table to the left are speaking Russian and the people at the table to the right are speaking French. The only TV in the whole place is in the lounge. Guess what is on TV? Hawaii Five-O.…. I don’t know about you but I think there is a chunk of irony here.

View from hotel

Outside, Mauna Loa is on the right (12,000 feet), Kilauea Iki (a small crater) is on the left and in front of us, the Kilauea Caldera (more than a mile wide). The misty clouds are rolling in which partially obscure the 1400 ton per day plume at the far end of the caldera.

This is a very special place as there is something primeval about this location. The island is less than a million years old and it is still growing. During that time, many locations have been overtaken by fresh lava flows. You can see evidence everywhere. This is the most active volcano on the planet and has been continually erupting since 1983. Recently, an entire subdivision was buried. The danger is strangely attractive. Parts of the area are closed due to high concentrations of H2S gas. At the ocean entry point, the lava combines with water to form hydrochloric acid and the ocean is near the boiling point. The plume of volcanic gas wraps around the island to the South East and causes VOG (volcanic fog) conditions 100 miles away. The entire island is at the mercy of Pele.

The first three days were spent in Kailua at the King Kahmahamaha. It was a tired looking place whose heyday was back in the 1970’s. It wasn’t bad, just tired but they mix a mean drink. We decided to attend a luau which was not too bad and the drinks were included so that made it more entertaining. The people on the South side are very friendly and say Aloha and Mahalo often. The people on the North side are less traditional and less laid back.

We hopped in our rental and drove to the Volcano National Park, stopping at beaches and lookouts along the way. We were going to be staying in the park the last three nights on Hawaii but I wanted to check out the photo opportunities. It turns out that was a very good plan as we had some “weather” to contend with for the last three days. In the Park, the mist would roll in at two PM and leave at noon the next day. A small window of opportunity. At sea level, the weather was generally clear.

Lava, two shades, one lucky tree

On day three we went over to the Eastern side of the island, on the Saddle Road. Very cool scenery. We drove up to Mauna Loa, to the 6000 foot level. We chickened out on the rest of the road as it was unpaved and 4X4 recommended. We then headed off to Hilo to check out some water falls. The climate and vegetation on the North side is more tropical and the South side is quite stark and lava flows were all over the place. The drive from Kona area to Volcano is amazing. There is a grey mist hanging over the cinder cones. A product of Kilauea.

Rope lava

Life starting to take hold in recent lava flow

Hilo is rather tropical….

Upon arriving to Volcano National Park, we went to the visitor center and overheard a conversation about a guided lava tube tour. The two guys in front hesitated so we jumped in and said we’d take the last two spots. Turns out, it was an amazing stroke of luck as they only run the trips once per week and for twelve people only. More on the caves later.

We drove down to sea level to view the lava flows. The park is at 3000 feet so the terrain changes dramatically. The Chain of Craters Road ends at a flow which blocked the road. The view was surreal and hiking on the flow was quite strenuous. I have a 35 pound backpack filled with gear. I do like a challenge…. Very good footwear is required as it is like walking on glass. If you fell and used your hands to break your fall, you would rip them up! The sun was out and we were treated to lots of photo opportunities. We saw a lava arch and we could see where lava was entering the ocean a few kilometers away.

Plume from the ocean entry point

Smouldering sulphur vents

That evening, we drove out to the viewpoint. It opens at 5 and closes at 8. If you are going (you must go!), get there at 4:30 and get to the front of the line. Wear long pants and very good hiking boots or shoes!! Bring a high quality light. We had Petzel headlamps which used three “AA” batteries which lit up a very wide area. Bring good headlamps as when it is dark, the lava is much harder to navigate. When you get to the view point, secure a spot on the right hand side and stake out your claim. Bring a good tripod and use your backpack and jacket to lean up against the legs of the tripod. 95% of the people are point and shoot folks and there are lots of kids. They have no regard for personal space nor expensive camera gear. I get it, it is a chance in a lifetime and everybody should get a good chance to see it. Just be aware that your gear is at risk if you are not careful. Use a remote release and keep your camera strap in your hand. If somebody does trip over your tripod, you will have your hand on the camera strap. My wife guarded the area much of the time. There are hundreds of people and lots of kids so be careful. One kid was throwing rocks at me and another kept kicking my tripod. I exercised amazing restraint…. Take lots of pictures before dark as the plume is amazing and you can catch rocks being tossed up as the lava hit’s the ocean. You can catch helicopters and boats in the area and if you are luck, you will see water spouts. As it gets dark, switch to manual mode and shoot for a 2 or 3 second exposure. Longer exposures would have been nice but there is a breeze and lots of people. I was shooting at f6.3and between a quarter second and 4 seconds. You get different effects. To really get close, you need at least 300mm. I was using a 24-105 and a 100-400, usually set at 380. What an amazing experience!!! For me, this was a dream come true.

The next day we went on the lava tube tour. Caving at its best, at least for me. Very wet, guard your camera with your hand and watch your step. We used their helmets and lamps and added our own lamp. We could see very well. Lots of water dripping from overhead. Use a UV filter. No tripods or backpacks are allowed so carry what you need. That meant no controlled exposures, unfortunately. It was a five mile round trip and we were in the cave for two hours. The cave had 100% humidity I am guessing as your breath hung in the air as water droplets. You will have to clamber over boulders and on slippery surfaces. Wear good footwear. Being a true camera guy, I protected my camera with one hand and made due with half my balance. If you are not good at walking over uneven surfaces in the dark, while getting rained on, then pick the Thurston Lava Tube. They are cleaned out compared to the untouched cave we walked through with our guide BG, a Ranger from Wisconsin. We were very tired after the trip.