Sunset on the Big Island of Hawaii
How to enjoy the sunset of a lifetime on the Big Island of Hawaii
During my few days on the Big Island, I never had the chance to formally see the sunset. Either because I misremembered the sunset time and was rushing in the mountains, or because the clouds were so dense that I was panting to catch up. Until the last evening, at Mauna Kae, I finally witnessed a beautiful sunset that I will remember for half a lifetime😭
Before departure, I was indecisive. The guide described the difficult road up the mountain, and although I rented a four-wheel drive, the fear of the unknown made me start looking for a guided tour up the mountain. However, I was scared off by the high price of $750 for a chartered car🙂 Strictly speaking, it was money that drove me to face the fear of the unknown🙂
The road to Mauna Kae is divided into two sections: the first is to navigate to the Mauna Kae Visitor Information Station; the second is from the visitor information station to the observatory (no navigation required, there is only one road).
The first section of the road leads to the visitor center, which is a normal mountain road without much difficulty. On the way, you will pass through the clouds, visibility is low, and it may rain lightly (see picture 14). Drive slowly, this road is very beautiful, with quiet rain and fog, strange plants, and a sudden drop in temperature, full of mystery and emotion. At the visitor center at an altitude of about 2000 meters, you can stop for a while to adapt to the high-altitude environment and use the restroom (the restroom is very clean, and if you continue to go up, there are basically mobile restrooms). But if it's close to sunset time, if your body allows, it's best not to stop and queue up the mountain as soon as possible. The queue will be checked one by one by the ranger, who will teach you how to shift gears when going up and down the mountain, and will also chat a few words. If the queue is long, it is likely to miss the sunset.
The second section of the road is described as a terrifying mountain road in various guides, but if you have driven on more primitive mountain roads in China, this road is nothing! The first three-quarters are dirt roads covered with small stones (but it feels like they have been leveled), and the last quarter is a well-paved asphalt road. Proceed slowly in the correct gear throughout the journey, and when there are no other vehicles, try to drive close to the center of the road, and there will be no big problems! About manual shifting, we checked various materials a few days in advance, memorized various fancy skills, and found that even if you don't know anything, when you face the ranger, they will patiently teach you how to shift gears and which gear to use when going up and down the mountain. This is not complicated! You will understand it as soon as you hear it! It even seems that the same gear is used for going up and down the mountain, and the ranger teaches the safest way. In fact, we still shifted to other gears at a slower speed on some sections of the road. If you are not an old driver, you should follow the instructions! Safety first!
Drive all the way to the end, and you will reach the observatory at the top of the mountain. The altitude here exceeds 4000 meters. If you are worried about altitude sickness, you can refer to my experience. Generally speaking, when the altitude exceeds 2000 meters, I will feel dizzy, and if I stay for a long time, I will have symptoms of headache and nausea; when the altitude exceeds 4000 meters, I will stay in bed and not get up🙂 We stayed at the observatory for forty minutes, and only in the last five minutes did I clearly feel dizzy, my eyes were spinning, and my ears were ringing, so as long as the time is not too long, you don't need to worry too much about altitude sickness.
it was such a beautiful experience. especially learning about the stars. highly recommend wearing super warm clothes tho
Maunakea volcano is also one of Hawaii's many volcanoes. It is a huge and interesting space. The volcano is still relatively large. The whole volcanic atmosphere is also quite good. Some things that come here are quite large. The vegetation near the active volcano is dense.
At 13,796 feet (4,205 meters), this is the highest peak on the Big Island of Hawaii, if it is submerged in the sea, it will be more than 10,000 meters high, the world's highest peak (more than the Himalayas). But height is only one measure of it. I love the stargazing experience on the mountain. In the traditional Hawaiian people's mind it is a sacred place, the weather here is dry, there is no light pollution, there are more than 300 sunny nights throughout the year, so it has become one of the world's best astronomical observation sites, various astronomical telescopes around the world are scattered on the hilltops. In the afternoon, drive to enjoy the spectacular sunset on the earth on the cloud, step on the brown volcanic land, the view is infinitely wide, there will be a feeling of being outside the earth. At night, you can see countless flashes of stargazing, which is really the "stars can be picked at hand". It was cold, but I really couldn’t leave the starry sky.
This volcano is a dormant volcano and the highest peak on the island. Over 4000 meters above sea level, it's very strange to climb to the top of the mountain and see the white clouds under your feet. It's also one of the best places to watch the stars. You can see the magnificent galaxy at night. But it's very cold in the mountains, so we should keep warm, and don't exercise vigorously at the top of the mountains, and be careful of ups and downs.
Although I am not an astronomy enthusiast, but with the love of stars, I have the courage to climb the mountain. If you find it exciting to stand on the top of the observatory, driving up the mountain is more exciting. After entering the Yunyu area, Shizi Road, there are no ancients and no visitors after bumping into each other. After driving for a long time, I found a car in front of me. The two cars went together all the way through the rainy and cloudy area, and the road was better. Then, driving a car, the sun suddenly came through a turn, and the surrounding area began to become vast and spectacular. Panshan Road, adhere to the end to the top of the mountain, there is no word to describe the scene before us. It's really a surprise. By the way, remember to wear a thick coat and pants. The station is open at 6 p.m. and needs to drive down to the rest station on the way. With hot water supply, the telescopes moved out after dark. I remember queuing up earlier. The stars are really beautiful, beautiful and beautiful. If it's not too late to think about it, I don't want to go back. The stars are everywhere. Note: Take enough supplies, and thick pants, full tank, tall car is more appropriate, drive carefully, never fast.
I didn't expect to see the snow mountain in Hawaii. Although it was very cold, I had the privilege of seeing the sunset above the clouds, on the top of the snow mountain, and the clouds burning in the sky with heavy ink. It was really freezing. It's better to prepare some hot water and snacks to replenish calories while waiting for sunset in the mountains. At about seven o'clock in the evening, a staff member of the tourist center explained to the stars.
The scenery is very beautiful, the environment is OK, I like it very much, ah