A hike in the Lava Fields!
We could have tried to find the Lava ourselves, but even with a guide from Arnott's Lodge it took 1-1/2 hours!!!
The Kilauea Caldera at the visitors center. Can you see Lee on the right of the picture? The diameter of the Caldera is about 5km X 6km.
Black Sand Beach formed from Volcanic ash that will soon be washed away. Remnants of Pu'u O'o spewing during the previous few months.
As the Lava cools layers of minerals form
Lee and our hike on our long hike to REAL LAVA!
Sci Fi hill, Lava flowing down an embankment I guess forming really cool intertwined strands. Very Borg looking.
Two
types of Lava predominate the landscape - pahoehoe, and aa.
Pahoehoe lava is characterized by a smooth, billowy, or ropy surface. A ropy
surface develops when a thin skin of cooler lava at the surface of the flow is pushed into
folds by the faster moving, fluid lava just below the surface.
Aa lava is characterized by a rough, jagged, spinose, and generally clinkery
surface.
The chemical composition is the same, Pahoehoe can become Aa but not
visa versa.
A Ukranian Tourist brought along some bacon and eggs and a frying pan from the Hostel! He did fry up the bacon and eggs, but didn't cook it enough so only he ate...
The active Pu'u in on the Big Island today is Pu'u O'o. For activity updates check out the Kilauea Update Website
Lee Bravely poking flowing lava!
Our guide put a penny into the lava, stirred it up and the penny burned!
I'm taking a picture of the lava, underneath my feet was very hot and I
noticed lava flowing there too!
The temperature at this point was about 45oC, a very nice Sauna!
After leaving the active Lava area of Volcano National Park, we went for a little hike into the old ancient Thurston Lava Tube. A picture of the tube would not do it justice, but this is a good picture of the area surrounding the ancient lava beds.
This is what the Far North Side of the big island looks like! Near Kapauu
Here is a picture of the East Lee side of the island!
