Training for Alaska on Haleakala Volcano, Hawaii

 

  As spring brings warm temperatures across the mainland the wonderful climate of Hawaii maintains a steady 65-85 degrees every day. Visiting beach goers try to tan before heading back to their 9-5's and surfers load up on sunscreen because no wetsuit is needed. However, for the intrepid adventurer a very different climate is just a short hour and a half drive up a volcano. Looking for a different Hawaii adventure we decided that hiking through the volcano crater was the goal for today.
  
     Ben, Magen, Kelly and I gathered some cold weather clothes and all piled into a cheap rental car. I was pretty confident in my new wool socks and a loaned Patagonia fleece but would soon find out I was vastly under-clothed. About 5000ft up the side of the 10,000ft volcano we entered a rainy, dark, cloud. However hopes were still high that we would emerge above the cloud before reaching the summit. 8000ft....9000ft....still in the cloud I began thinking this adventure might be a bust. After parking at the visitor center on top of the crater I fully expected to turn around. The cloud was moving horizontal here up and out of the crater, whipping ice cold rain seemingly right through me. That is when I noticed everyone else putting on their rain coats. Hmmm. After a quick conference Kelly was able to talk everyone into going for it. In my mind I figured it would be good training for Alaska this summer and possibly Kilimanjaro this fall.
 

   The misty cold rain would batter one side of you until the trail switch-backed thus turning your other cheek to the elements. The rain would cycle through letting up and picking back up until we were near the bottom of sliding sands trail at the floor of the massive Haleakala crater. At this point the rain stopped, the clouds cleared, and an incredible view opened up before us. The otherwordly scene inside the crater was enhanced by white clouds rising seemingly up out of the ground making it look like we were inside an active volcano with steam vents all around.  Spirits were high as we quickly started to dry out and joked about needing sunscreen. Then as if the eye of the storm had passed the clouds and rain returned with a vengeance. The tides had turned. We took off on the trail heading up, back towards the crater rim.

    Freezing cold and soaked thru we blasted the heat as we drove back down the volcano. Despite not having a rain jacket I was in high spirits that we tackled the trail and the elements. It was a great adventure and it turned out that the scariest part was yet to come. To help us thaw out we stopped for hot chocolate and lattes at the beautiful Kula Inn which we sipped in front of the raging fireplace. With a little warmth back in our bodies we jumped back in the rental car. About a mile down the ever-descending road I pushed the brake pedal all the way down to the floor with no resistance. Uh oh. Two more times I pressed down with no response at all from the brakes, just a slight hissing sound. By this time we had picked up more speed with the knowledge that hairpin turns and steep cliffs were all around us. I grabbed the e-brake and with a tremendous amount of hope pulled up. I felt the car slowing. Keeping the release pushed in I worked the e-brake just as I would a normal brake, gradually pulling the car off the road. Luckily no one else had to go through the range of emotions that pour into me in this kind of situation, since they didn't know the brakes had gone out until we were already slowing down.
 
  After a quick call to the rental agency we had a convertible rushed up to us which we took on a wild joy ride the rest of the way down the hill....strait to the hot doughnut sign at the only Krispy Kreme in the islands.