Day Four: Mauna Kea Summit

Day Four:  We spent a few well needed hours of lounging around time in the condo and enjoying the awesome view before hitting the road today.....this vacation is moving at a fast pace!  Oh well....Rich and I will most likely never pass this way again....so we will see all we can!  Here are a few shots of and from the condo.  Also, check out their unit at http://www.vrbo.com/329786

The sliding paned doors open up the master bed room.  Feels very roomy!  This view is from the dining room table.

Everything is beautifully remodeled.  We didn't have time to fully enjoy the kitchen....no cooking for us here.....but a nice place to have a quick breakfast and store our snacks before heading out again.

Breakfast with a view!  You HAVE to stay here if you come to the Big Island!!!!

Early morning view.....loved listening to these waves!

We picked up a different rental car for today from the only company that allows their cars on some rugged terrain.....we are headed to the Mauna Kea summit today for sunset and stargazing!

We now have a Subaru Forester......getting ready to change altitude!

Driving along Saddle Road which goes between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa...... we are trusting that these volcanoes really are "dormant". 

Mauna Kea is Hawaii's highest peak and is usually snow-capped in the winter (sometimes in summer!). It is the best location on earth for observatories with their telescopes and near the summit it is dotted with white and silver colored orbs ready to open up and peer into the sky! The actual summit, along with other places on the mountain, are still considered sacred places to the Hawaiian people and are an important part of their heritage.  Fun fact to know.....it is the world's tallest mountain (taller than Mt. Everest) from its base to its summit...Mauna Kea's base just happens to be on the sea floor.  Mt. Everest's base happens to be above sea level....Oh well.....after today, we have been at a higher altitude than ever before and we do not prefer to go any higher. 

We drove to the Visitor's center around 9,000 feet and stayed an hour to acclimate and watch the informative movie about the scientific research and the significance of this sacred place to the Hawaiian people (as you can imagine this is a sensitive contrast to many and they seem to have worked it out).  We joined the Saturday free tour to the top.  We caravanned with others and the visitor center staff gave an informative talk about the telescopes up there.  We even got to go in the visitor's gallery at the Keck Observatory and see inside.  Very cool.....literally and figuratively!

Heading up above the clouds. 

Many observatories dot the mountain up here.

Subaru Observatory on left.  Keck Observatories on right.  We went in the one in the middle.  The mountain you see in the distance is the island of Maui to the north.  Very cool views!

Rich and Michael inside the Keck Observation Gallery

Here we are, prepared for the cold (because Renee read the guide book and did her homework!).  The gift shop sells quite a few sweatshirts, jackets and hats to those who were clueless or thought it really wouldn't be cold!

Enjoyed the informative talk from the staff at the visitor's center.  This is available on Sat. and Sun. afternoons.  Bring your own AWD vehicle and you can join in. (Again....thanks to a good guide book....this is an inside joke for some males with me who have been known to make fun of my guide book reading.)

We were told that astronauts preparing for moon landings trained here....looks like another planet to us!

The observatory on the right is one of the oldest (1970) and is owned by the University of Hawaii.

                                                  
Rich and Michael took the short hike to the actual summit while Renee (who huffed and puffed every 10 feet at that elevation) rested in the car.  Other than some slight dizziness and shortness of breath on exertion, the effects of the altitude were thankfully not that bad.

Rich and Michael are two of the stick figures at the summit in this picture....see them?

The time we were waiting for had come.....time to position ourselves for the sunset.  We picked a great spot near the Subaru observatory (not related to the car company) and got some great shots of the sunset!  I'm sure we will post some of these other great shots when I can find them (or Michael releases his!....I am working with my phone camera and another camera and it is a bit confusing to me to find these pictures at times!)  We felt very cold and were ready to head back.  We were perched above the clouds in thin air....32 degrees just felt colder up there.  Just after sunset, as observatories began pivoting and opening up to peer into the heavens, we visitors had to depart, and the scientist's night work began. 

Michael setting up his sunset shot.  It was COLD.....only 32 degrees but windy and we had been up there for a few hours

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Rich did an excellent job with the AWD vehicle, but it was not your typical drive down....I never felt that we were at risk of sliding off the road....I did wonder if the car's engine and brakes would survive those conditions!  We joined in the group gathered at the visitor's center for hot chocolate and some star and planet gazing through their telescopes.  Stargazing was not that great with an almost full moon showing off....but Michael did get a great picture of the moon with his camera!  I suppose it will be in his book! 

One interesting thing about the trip back....while passing through some farm country I noticed what seemed to be something crossing the road....only saw the eyes at first, then noticed 3 black sheep crossing!  They were the same color as the road!  All made it across safely and I think that was our first time to ever see black sheep anywhere...they needed their reflective fleece on!

On our descent, we went from 32 degrees to 72 degrees in 2 hours....what a day of contrasts!  A great experience, but glad it's checked off the list!  I'm so glad we went....it was AMAZING!  But as I told Michael, "That was a once in a lifetime experience"...and it really was.  Been there, done that!  But DO plan to do this if you can!  Michael says he plans to come back here!