Monday, September 24, 2018: After the autumnal equinox, with a gentle Ipoprod

Has it really been more than a week?  It was easy to stay in The Groove during all the works of Pelehonuamea and associates.  Fairly regular cycles, at least up here, of rocking and rolling, and wondering what next.  Now our collective guard is mostly down, though lurking in darkest recesses:  What if?

But life has generally resumed its quotidian-ness (is there such a word?).  Daily tasks keeping us more-or-less on track, and productive, healthy, and happy, have resumed their places in our lives.

And of course The Park re-opened, on The Autumnal Equinox, this past Saturday.  Iʻve been four times so far to Keanakākoʻi (KKOI) and surroundings.  Methinks early mornings are by far the best.  Cool (as in degrees F or C), fantastic lighting, and that sort of quiet, when it seems that most of the rest of the world is just beginning to stir.  The walk, 2 miles roundtrip, is on part of Crater Rim Drive that closed in early 2008 because the uahi ʻawa (sulphur smoke) wafted across part of the road downwind of Halemaʻumaʻu.  Wonder if theyʻll change the name of CRD, since some of it is in the abyss?

Getting used to seeing the head-turning expanses of pali faces, many many many layers of lavas, all shades of reds and greys of varying thicknesses, the big white pali, labeled on the south side of Kaluapele, pre-pali, as "Old Sulphur Beds" back in August 1886 by Dodge:

Itʻs enough to make one dizzy.

The weathers have been fair, hottish mid-day, and clouds build followed by light afternoon rains.  But to me, cool of morning is always the best.  The predicted crowds, at least at KKOI, didnʻt really materialize.  And Iʻm learning to share.  For the time being, companions and I wonʻt be the only ones strolling.  Iʻm happy that others are curious enough to 

be outside...paying attention

To this:

Metal plate over gaping crack allows safe passage.

And this:  Maunaloa with entire slope clearly outlined, top of white pali just visible, mantled by September 1982 flow.  To the right of the brownish-reddish patch on the pali, is a small light grey area.  Itʻs part of the caldera floor and Crater Rim Drive, complete with center stripe.

Similar to the pic in this Volcano Watch from HVO:

HVO: Volcano Watch, September 20, 2018

And then to the right, from a slightly different vantage:

Annotated, so we learn something about what weʻre paying attention to:

And below, with people for some sort of scale.  Me at left...

That "sharing" mentioned earlier became a life lesson that equinox morning.  I got to the Devastation Trail parking lot early.  Making the right turn, I saw three people already walking up the road.  Harumph!  Then a few minutes after I started walking, I heard others behind me.  More harumphing!!

As it turns out, we all know each other from various times and places.  It was an endearingly sweet morning, made all the better  because it was just us (yup...just a teeny bit selfish) in that enormous immensity, and better, that weʻre all friends.  What a remarkable time.

And, as I am wont to do, I came home and wrote this:

And because there can never be too much beauty and wonder in the world, this from friend Steve Bumgardner.  A time-lapse taken at night on Haleakalā on June 20, 2018.  Leleaka, or Hōkūnohoaupuni, the Milky Way, with bright Jupiter, the glow from Fissure 8, and Maunakea, Maunaloa and Hualālai.  Wow.  The right place at the right time... 

What times these are.

If any of you make it up here, Iʻm more than happy to stroll along.  Just ask.  No shame...

As always, with aloha,

BobbyC
maniniowali@gmail.com