Mauna Kea
Third time’s a charm, which is so true because it took my friends and I three separate attempts to finally reach the summit of Mauna Kea. The first two times, we were either turned away because we didn’t have a 4WD car, or because the weather decided to throw a snowstorm up at the top.
Mauna Kea is the tallest volcano in the world when measured from its base on the ocean floor, towering over 33,500 feet, and above sea level, it stands at 13,796 feet. It’s a sacred place for Native Hawaiians and home to some of the world’s most powerful telescopes. The mountain itself is steeped in history and legend. It is believed to be the dwelling place of the gods, and many rituals and ceremonies have taken place on its slopes. Even today, there is an ongoing conversation about balancing scientific discovery with cultural preservation, as the summit is also home to some of the most advanced astronomical observatories in the world.
When everything finally aligned to make the trek up, we were more than ready. Our first stop was the Visitor Information Station at about 9,200 feet. This is where you adjust to the altitude before making the climb higher, and we definitely need that adjustment time. The air gets thinner quickly, and if you rush it, altitude sickness can sneak up on you fast. I remember trying to read some of the history infographics in the visitor center and only being able to process about three words at a time before my brain checked out. It was like my body was physically there, but my mind was lagging behind. After about an hour of acclimating, we hit the road again, making our way up the Mars-like terrain. The landscape changed dramatically the higher we went, and up there, it was all reddish-brown volcanic rock, barren and almost like another planet.
When we reached 13,025 feet, we took another stop to hike to Lake Waiau, which is the only alpine lake in Hawaii. Lake Waiau is sacred, believed to be a place of spiritual significance where ancient Hawaiians would bring offerings. Some even say the water holds healing properties. But scientifically, what’s fascinating is how the water remains there. The lake is fed by permafrost and sits on a bed of volcanic ash that prevents it from seeping away. The hike to the lake wasn’t long, but in the thin air, every step felt like a workout. It was so easy to run out of breath and have a queasy stomach, but despite all that, there was something undeniably peaceful about standing at the lake. We were drawn to the stillness and serenity to the point where we ended up sitting down for half-hour to meditate. Just existing then felt so perfect, giving our minds a place of quiet. This was until we realized we were about to miss the sunset.
Because of this, we ended up sprinting back to the car with no breaks in order to make the final push to the summit. Thankfully, we made it just in time, and standing at 13,796 feet, above the clouds, surrounded by patches of snow and ice in the middle of the Pacific, was something else entirely. The cold was brutal and the windchill made us bundle up, but none of that mattered because the view was pristine. More than anything, it felt like we were on top of the world because we were standing above the clouds, and in celebratory of making it to the summit, we ate chocolate chip cookies during the final fading colors. (cover picture)
On the way down, we picked up a hitchhiker who had packed up his life a year and a half ago to begin exploring the world. He had stories from Europe, Asia, South America and gave me some really great recommendations and inspiration for my future travels. We talked the whole way down, and by the time we dropped him off, it felt like we had gained a new perspective on what it means to just go out and experience the world. He ended up eating the last half of our chocolate chip cookies though.
Mauna Kea was everything and more. Although it took us three tries in the span of two years, it made the view even more rewarding at the top.
