Itʻs been awhile. Again. Trying to figure out a workable schedule for writing has obviously not been the easiest thing to do. Chalk it up to lack of urgency, to procrastination, to being busy with other of lifeʻs many details. And maybe even to A.D.D. or something. Good friend hk suggested a three-consecutive-day regimen. Sounds like a great plan, though figuring out WHICH three days is problematic. What with all the distractions and all.
So here we are. Walking to Keanakākoʻi has been excellent. The seasons changed on October 22 here in Volcano. That morning when you wake up with that certain chill in the air, and you know that Fall/Winter is here. And though itʻs been mostly sunny, save for the sporadic torrential downpour, the lower angle of the sun and cooler temperatures make for very agreeable walking conditions. Friends have joined us, and views are still remarkable. I wonder how long itʻll take for the scenes at Kaluapele to become "regular"? So that when we look at new pali faces and new contours weʻll think: Of course. Here we are. One interesting comment heard a few times: Oh. Itʻs like a quarry back home. If one was not acquainted with the lua before, the changes mean nothing. There is no frame of reference. Those with keen eyes and understanding can pick out that hanging slab of former floor with the diagonal center-stripe of Crater Rim Drive. Others might simply remark on the nice views.
The photo above, on the HVO website, was taken from the south rim of the lua, looking toward Volcano House, perched on the distant mostly-green pali. Former roadway at middle right. Yellowish sulphur deposits on walls of the abyss. Pali face below the green one is new, and in places is 450 feet tall. It formed during the 62 lūʻōniu (collapse explosions) between late May and early August. Bewildering.
And, just because, webcam views of a beautifully lit and cloud-decorated summit of Kīlauea:
And a lei ʻohu bedecked Maunaloa from the tower at HVO:
ʻohu nvs. Mist, fog, vapor, light cloud on a mountain; adorned as with leis.
On to other bewilderments, confoundingnesses, perplexments, and related sundry topics:
Kalanianaʻole Ave in Hilo, between Kanoelehua (the intersection with Kenʻs and Vernaʻs) and Kūhiō Street (the entrance to Hilo Harbor), is being remodeled.
Itʻs estimated to take Two Years (plus weather-related delays), at a cost of $17,000,000+ dollars. Seventeen Million Dollars for 4,000 FEET of road. My math tells me that the project is costing $4,250 PER FOOT. At about $32,692 per day.
Why? Who approved this contract? Theyʻre building (slowly) a stone wall, by hand, to hold up the bank on the ma uka shoulder in places. I know that sometimes I dwell in the fog, but it seems that they made the Saddle Road a LOT quicker. And yes, get major utilities buried in the current road, and they gotta make a sidewalk, and figure out drainage, and...
And then we visit Puna ma kai. Helicopter pilot extraordinaire David Okita posted this in late October. Math I did in early September, aided by the Flow Map on the County website, shows that between MacKenzie park and Pohoiki is about 2.3 miles. Seven-tenths (0.7) of a mile of the road is covered by pele. Theyʻre "Working On It", and started on October 19.
Below, from GoogleEarth, the two houses at the bottom. MacKenzie park is the brownish area on the coast, a third of the way down from the top of the photo.
Much has been said about the fact that rock is an effective insulator, and itʻll take "awhile" for the tens-of-feet-thick flows to cool. Cannot work on it for six months. Too hot. No can hemo the lava from the road.
But...
On November 17, 2017, there were sluggish breakouts on the lava delta at the Kamokuna ocean entry. When the eruption in Keahialaka began in early May 2018, it was deemed necessary to reopen (again) the Chain of Craters Road as an escape route.
Work, by Goodfellow Brothers, began on May 30, 2018. The work was pau and the road ready for traffic on Saturday, June 2, 2018. Letʻs see: one, two, three days. THREE DAYS!!! Oh. They had to make seven-tenths (0.7) of a mile of gravel road. Same as between Mackenzie and Pohoiki. Three Days at a cost of $120,000. Wow.
KHON2 News Re-open Chain of Craters, June 1, 2018
The reconstructed gravel Chain of Craters Road is 26 feet wide, and to make the surface, a three foot thickness of lava was excavated and crushed. Pretty tidy.
When I worked at the Park, I spent thousands of hours on and/or next to active pāhoehoe flows. One can walk on a flow several hours old. Of course itʻs hot, but itʻs walkable. And yes, rock is a very good insulator. Go visit the old stone churches in the Kona districts. Nice and cool inside. The flow will indeed stay hot, inside, for awhile. And when it rains, it will steam. But fresh flows are also able to bear weight. They arenʻt mushy and you wonʻt sink in like quicksand. The only problem might be if a lava tube was created and fed the flow front. If the roof is thin then thatʻs a hazard. But the Keahialaka flows were channel-fed pāhoehoe that transitioned to ʻaʻā. No tubes likely developed.
When I hear Officials talking about removing the lava from the road, and cannot because itʻs too hot...it makes me...frustrated. Look the picture above. Thatʻs all they have to do: Three Feet. Bust out the GPS, use records, resurvey the centerline, hire competent contractors, and Just Do It. Iʻm hoping that The County already knows how many linear feet of roadway, in which specific locations, need to be redone to provide access for residents whose properties are now in kīpuka. Gravel road. No need guardrails, no need reflectors, no need shoulders. Just the basics to get people back to their properties. As weʻve seen above, it CAN be done quickly. If The County doesnʻt have that info now...someone needs to be held to account. Oh. Sorry. No can. That simply doesnʻt cut it these days. Can! Figure it out!
No Can. Get Law. No Can. Need Permit. No Can. No moʻ money. No Can. Get building code. No Can.
Figure it out!!! Of course CAN!!! If youʻre too lazy or incompetent to figure it out, get out of the way and find someone who can. People make all the laws, rules, permits, and codes. All those things can be changed if thereʻs a will.
OK. Better stop the rant now... But really...No More Excuses.
And in Leilani Estates...
Visitors want to see the lava. They want to see Fissure 8. What great opportunities to educate, and at the same time to make some money to help those in need.
The community association might buy a couple lots near the edge of the flows. Clear them to provide parking and space for PortaPotties. Charge an admission fee at a controlled access point. Provide TalkStory sessions by residents so they can share their experiences with visitors. Have guided lava walks so the important features arenʻt destroyed. Explain and share about Pelehonuamea and Native Hawaiian history and culture and geography and geology and....
And I gotta go walk...I have another busy week ahead, but will be here again next weekend.
Closing with a remarkable photo by Sean Goebel. The shadow of Maunakea over Hualālai, and ka mahina, the moon...
Please...VOTE...Itʻs your civic duty and kuleana.
As always, with aloha,
BobbyC
maniniowali@gmail.com
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