(Read part 1) On this evening, the flows have moved within a mile of the end of the road, and hundreds of people are trekking to see them. We see old folks walking carefully over the lava and dads carrying toddlers on their shoulders. Those clad in shorts, sandals and tank-tops may not realize they risk taking off some serious skin should they fall. The park rangers have marked out an easy path to the flows by affixing yellow reflectors to the rocks. They offer advice at the trail head but if we wanted to we could hike far back into the lava wilderness and no one would stop us. While that might sound great, rangers and park personnel do not recommend hikes over lava fields on unmarked trails and they are generally annoyed when they have to come in – sometimes via helicopter – to rescue stranded trekkers.

Kaye and I set out with heavy leather gloves, water, flashlights, cameras and sturdy boots. I struggle to keep up with him as he virtually sprints over the rough lava rocks formed months, weeks or even days ago. To our right, steep cliffs plunge down to the sea and swells surge and subside with the heft that long-time Hawaii residents recognize to signify deep-water wave. Off the coast a few hundred feet from where we walk, the ocean drops off rapidly to the next Hawaiian Island, the growing volcanic seamount Lo'ihi, The place feels both surreal and profoundly isolated. Thankfully, most of the lava around our hike will be pahoehoe, which is smoother and more solid than cindery, razor-sharp a'a, the other prevalent type of lava in Hawaii. The other type of lava, a’a, is more akin to sheets of broken glass. A’a is prevalent higher up Kilauea closer to current source of the eruption, the Pu’u O’o vent.

Though scientists suspect that Kilauea erupts when a magma chamber below the caldera fills beyond capacity, they still have many questions about the actual mechanics of the eruptions. For example, why has Kilauea on several occasions erupted in a spectacular explosive fashion shooting jets of lava high into the air? That contradicts the normal eruption pattern for shield volcanoes. These gently rounded massive peaks tend to pour lava down their long slopes rather than spit fiery plumes into the air. Part 1

Hawaii Volcano Links

* Eruption Updates
* Where to Stay, General Info
Flickr Pics

—Alex, 08/15/06