Volcanoes

Okay, so kinda dropped off there for a while, but I’m trying to get back into writing about my visits to the National Parks. Especially since the National Parks are apparently part of the resistance these days…

My most recent visit was to Haleakalā NP in Maui, Hawaii. We selected Maui for a family trip since it’s a direct flight, contains a National Park, and is a good size for a short visit (plus, you know, Maui!). Next time, maybe we’ll hit up the Big Island and Hawaii Volcanoes NP. I’ll admit, we spent a good portion of time watching whales (!) and turtles (!!) out our condo window, but we did take a day trip to the Haleakalā summit.

It’s pretty crazy going from literal sea level (with the turtles to prove it) to over 10,000 ft in less than 2 hours on the road, but that’s what a volcano will get you. Following the recommendation of our neighbor on the plane, we stopped in Makawao on the way up the mountain for pastries at the 100-year old Komoda Bakery (their guava pastries were amazing and may have contributed to our rental car ant problem…) and a tasty cup of coffee at Sip Me. We also grabbed lunch supplies at the market as there are no concessions in the park.

You can stop in the small headquarters visitor’s center, where I got my Passport stamps, a few miles before the summit. At the summit itself, there is a small shelter with a panoramic walk around. We could see the snowy peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island. I was a little disappointed the observatory complex is not open to the public, but since the terrain was similar to what I imagine Mars to be like, maybe we don’t need to look to the stars! It is supposed to be one of the best viewing areas in the world, however, if you do.

Now that we have a toddler on our hands, it’s fun to watch him explore the parks. Little guy walked the path from the parking to the summit himself so that we could tell him he summited a volcano (I think this was his third volcano, but first trip to the beach… priorities!). He also immediately took an interest in the red volcanic rocks on the ground. To cover a little more ground, we pulled out the hiking carrier and walked the first little bit of the Sliding Sands trail, which follows a long arc into Haleakalā crater. Interesting, the crater was carved out by water, not a volcanic blast as you might expect. It was a pretty cool site, with lots of colors contrasting with the stark landscape.

On our way back down the mountain, we stopped at Hosmer Grove, where there is a nice nature trail of the perfect length for toddlers to explore! The area was full of local birds ~ we saw at least ‘amakihi and ‘i’iwi, and I learned it is harder than usual to identify and take pictures of birds with toddlers in the mix. We also saw non-native chukar and pheasant in the park, but didn’t run across any nene.

lavo15 Flipping back through my passport book, I was reminded that a year ago I took my introductory trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park in (more) Northern California. Lassen is almost like you took the highlights from Yosemite/King’s Canyon and the Sierras and mashed them up with the best geothermal features of Yellowstone. They’ve got it all! Mountains, volcanoes, forests, fumeroles…

We stayed at Drakesbad GuestRanch, a rustic lodge & cabins in the Warner Valley area. It’s a wonderful place to get away from it all for both families and travelers without kids. The rate includes all three meals (all yummy), including a box lunch if you plan to be out and about, and they have a variety of activities, such as horseback riding, fishing, games, and a pool heated by the nearby hot springs. Another cool fact – Drakesbad is approximately half-way between Mexico and Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail, so keep that in mind if you’re ever lavo02 inclined to lavo03 take that trip on!

One of the highlights in the Warner Valley area is the Devils Kitchen, and area filled with fumeroles and boiling mudpots. The trail leaves from a boardwalk across the meadow from Drakesbad and meanders through woods until you reach the unmistakable kitchen area, wherein the trail loops through several active areas. You can certainly smell it when you reach the kitchen as well!

lavo16 — Bumpass’ Hell. These days there are boardwalks to keep us from suffering Bumpass’ fate, an early settler whose leg fell through the crust while leading a party through the area. Plans are in the works for new boardwalks to help protect park features and patrons.

It was a pretty good time of year to visit, right at the end of the season, although temperatures were definitely dropping. There may have been an afternoon we opted out of hiking in the freezing rain to play Scrabble by the fire in the Drakesbad common room.In fact, the road into the main part of the park was temporarily closed at that time due to snow at higher elevations. The next morning, however, proved a perfect time to swing through the main road and explore Bumpass Hell, view Lassen Peak (only accessible to visitors select weekends out of the year), and check out the visitors’ centers.

Now that I’m writing this, I’m realizing I need to plan another trip to Lassen – next summer perhaps?