Climbing Mauna Loa

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

But I just want to let everybody know that I'm alive.

Never doubted it - but still thought about you every day. Glad to hear this news.

[tikiyaki]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

TK, I was thinking about your adventure today, and wondering if you were back or not.

Crazy, man, you are friggin CRAZY...In here, we all know this, but you took it to another level.

Glad to hear your alive and well....except for the hamburger feet, that is.

So, Mt Everest is next ?

[beaker]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

I wonder how far the Mauna Loa observatory is from the actual summit. Me and my brother drove up there in a Dodge Neon once, It was way cool, although it wrecked his car.

The road to the weather observatory on Mauna Loa is quite good. There's a rough bit across the saddle, but it's no problem, and some of that has been recently repaved. The road gets smoother as you climb up the slope to the weather observatory. The hiking trail is about 3 miles from the weather observatory to the Eastern end of the Caldera, I think. It's longer if you follow the old road. Another couple miles from there to either the cabin or the summit, on the South and North sides of the caldera respectively. Makes a fine day hike. A Sierra Club group is going up there next weekend via the weather observatory and staying 2-3 nights at the summit cabin, if anyone's interested. I'd like to go, but the timing isn't right.

[Konaguy]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

The road to the weather observatory on Mauna Loa is quite good. There's a rough bit across the saddle, but it's no problem, and some of that has been recently repaved. The road gets smoother as you climb up the slope to the weather observatory. It's about 3 miles from the weather observatory to the Eastern end of the Caldera, I think. Another couple miles to either the cabin or the summit. Makes a fine day hike. A Sierra Club group is going up there next weekend via the weather observatory and staying 2-3 nights at the summit cabin, if anyone's interested. I'd like to go, but the timing isn't right.

I heard they repaved a portion of the road up to NOAA facility. But nonetheless I guess we have different expectation of a quality roadway. It was riddled with potholes and was essentially one way road (if a car was coming down, you'd have to make a mad scramble to get off the road).

The closer you get to the NOAA facility, the road does get better though.

[mel]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

OH GAAWWWDDD !!!! That was so hard.

Feet look like hamburger. Lost about 18 lbs. Can't walk today. Calves, and gluteus, are murdered. 40 miles in 4 days. Never again.

I will post the whole story soon. But I just want to let everybody know that I'm alive. I made it to the summit cabin, but not the actual summit.

The beauty at the top is surreal color, like the inside of a geode, as viewed through a kaleidoscope. Mokuaweoweo is gigantic.

Congratulations for having done that. Not too many of us can say we have climbed a mountain of any size. I hope you also took a camera and got some good pictures to also share with us. I never go anywhere scenic without taking some kind of camera with me.

[LikaNui]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

Congratulations, TK!
Your feet may hurt but your fingers should be okay, so feel free to tell us all about the adventure!

[Menehune Man]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

Awesome! Can't wait to hear the whole story of the adventure!

You're King of the mountain.

My latest expedition... http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...5-ce4e4f9d4735"King of the Hill"

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

Glad you made it home safely, Tim. You know what this means in Hawaiian mana'o, eh? That you were a completely unworthy sacrifice for Tutu Pele. Consider yourself lucky that your beauty does not rival that of Lohi'au, lest she either keep your butt as her lover, or, in the case that you would reject such advances, turn you into lava bait. *ahem*

(seriously, that was a very dangerous trek and I am glad that you made it safely through).

aloha, P

[beaker]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

Here's a description of a real Mauna Loa adventure that you should read. (In Colorado they'd consider it a fairly easy week-long getaway hike) The sulfur field on the southwest rift zone would really be something interesting to see. I'd love to do this hike sometime.

http://www.geocities.com/oheposts/March02/3-22.html

[MountainBikeMike]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

Way to go man! Congrats on pushing yourself to the limit. Did you require any climbing gear for this endeavor, or is it just one hellified hike straight up?

Glad you're ok, and happy b-day friend! I (and the rest of us) will be anxiously awaiting details, every blister, every #$%&#)$_#.



Mike

[beaker]

Re: Climbing Mauna Loa

Way to go man! Congrats on pushing yourself to the limit. Did you require any climbing gear for this endeavor, or is it just one hellified hike straight up?

Mauna Loa has very shallow slopes, and the long trail up the rift zone is as shallow as the slope gets. It's just a long long hike on rough ground carrying all your stuff with no shelter if the weather gets bad.