Haleakala Sunrise Bike Ride
Inspired by my sister Sue, I book a sunrise bike ride from the top of
Haleakala Volcano (10,023') for the next morning. Unfortunately, that meant waking up at 2:30 in the morning! Quoting Locke, "What the HELL are we doing waking up at FRIGGIN' 2:30 in the morning on our Hawaii vacation?!?" I convince him that this incredible event is worthy of the pain, so we head to bed early.
Okay, so why did we have to wake up at 2:30 in the morning? Since I'm not a masochist but a practical planner
– at least according to my coworkers and friends
– we had many things to do before getting to the peak of Haleakala Volcano (10,023') by sunrise. If you understand back scheduling, these were the time hack requirements: the sun rises at 6am;
the bike company departs at 5am to drive up the 10,000 foot climb; you must arrive by 4am to register and get fitted for cold weather gear; our hotel is 1 hour away on the west side of the island, so we must depart at 3am. Thus, 2:30am is the wake up call time!
If you recall our trek up Mauna Kea, there are parts of Hawaii that are COLD! Atmospheric physics dictates a drop of
5.5 degrees Fahrenheit with each 1000 foot climb in elevation. (I actually knew this fact from my 7 years spent as an Air Force weatherman, but I digress...) So, we were fitted with cold weather gear and arrived at the top of Haleakala around civil twilight. It is the most incredible out-of-this-world view ever! With the volcano's red soil and the eerie, but spectacular view in front of us, my imagination soared and envisioned that we were on the surface of Mars
– with the appropriate amount of oxygen, of course!
Sunrise on Haleakala Volcano (10,023'), at civil twilight (above) and sunrise (below)
While walking around the summit's crater, we spot two unique and native Hawaiian species. First, was the
Haleakala Silversword, a plant found only along the slopes of Haleakala; second, was the
Nene, the Hawaiian Goose that were likely Canadian Geese who flew astray many thousands of years ago.
In a group of 24 bikers, Locke & I decide to head down first. As we descend, we stop to take in the incredible views at each vista point. Though the bike trek is mostly downhill, there are small stretches of slight uphill biking along with straightaways. So, you've got to be in decent shape to make the trek! But we finished the ride and after turning in our bikes, we head over to a Willie Nelson favorite,
Charley's in Paia for a well-earned breakfast!
Lahaina
After our early morning physical activity, it was time to relax, Hawaiian style. Locke loved this part of the vacation the best! So, we stroll around Lahaina in West Maui and stop by the great
Banyan Tree in the center part of town. The tree is 234 years old with 12 trunks descending from the branches (banyan trees have a unique ability to grow trunks down from the side branches) and is the size of 2/3 of an acre!
Afterwards, we find a local bar and take in some sports. This picture of Locke & I was both our favorite photo of the entire trip!
Lahaina