I think Hawaii is in my blood. I'll be going back again someday...
I came back from there with the feeling that I could very happily live in Hawaii. But for now, I'm working in Massachusetts, and I'll have to settle for visits.
I'll be taking another biking trip later this year - to another island, but in the opposite direction from Hawaii. I'll be headed to Ireland (both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) for two weeks of cycling in September.
Saturday, May 31, 2003
Friday, May 30, 2003
Some thoughts in riding in Hawaii
OK, I'll admit it - I'm addicted to visiting Hawaii. I'm fascinated by the volcanos. And the Big Island is a great place for a bike tour - and it's one that I'm likely to repeat.
If you're thinking of visiting Hawaii, you may be interested in some of my thoughts on riding there...
I heard the usual objections from people I spoke to there - it's not safe, the roads are too narrow, there's too much traffic, the drivers are crazy. Obviously the folks who voiced these issues weren't cyclists! For the most part, the roads that I used had decent shoulders. Some of the roads were narrow and winding, but the number of cars on those roads was significantly less than on the main highways. The two biggest problems I had with the roads were the reflectors embedded in the white line on the edge of the road and the glass and debris on the shoulders. The reflectors were potentially destabilizing factors - they were quite high, and could easily knock you off balance if you hit them unexpectedly. That wasn't too much of a problem since they were visible and usually avoidable. The debris on the shoulders was occasional, not constant. I just needed (again) to pay attention so I didn't go flying through chunks of broken glass. This was no different than riding on the shoulder at home. And there was a section between Hawi and Kawaihae that the PATH (Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii) web site warned about where there I needed to watch for Keawe branches along the shoulder. The plant has 3 inch thorns, and I did see some. Picking up one of those thorns in a tire would probably have caused a pretty quick flat! I was pretty lucky in sections that were marked as narrow and winding - one of these relatively long sections had been recently repaved and (I believe) widened. Traffic overall was very reasonable. There were many times when I had the road pretty much to myself. The couple of heavy traffic areas - and remember heavy is relative - were as I was leaving Kona, and in Hilo. Neither was exceptionally heavy. The traffic as I was heading south from Kona disappeared after Captain Cook, which is about 15 miles out. And Hilo is a reasonably sized city with normal traffic levels. There were marked bike lanes on the main roads in Hilo - and my first experience with marked, shared bike lane & right turn lane. That took a little getting used to - in a right turn lane situation on a non-marked road I'm usually on the right side of the lane that is going straight. With the shared bike/turn lane, I was on the left side of the right turn lane, just a bit of a different feeling. The traffic in Hilo was really nothing to worry about, and nothing I wasn't accustomed to. Next - the drivers were fine. They were unobtrusive for the most part, and the drivers on Kohala Mountain Road were unbelieveably considerate. This was one of those very narrow and somewhat winding roads. Drivers that came up behind me slowed down to make sure that I knew they were there, then waited for a reasonable place to pass me. I didn't stop because the grade was high enough that I knew I'd have trouble getting started again, but that didn't cause any problems either.
I remember the last time I was on the Big Island. It was for a supported bicycle tour. There was one day when some of the others in my group were complaining about drivers giving them a hard time. I couldn't understand it because I was in between two groups of complaining cyclists, and no one gave me any trouble. Our guide said that she thought it was because I looked comfortable on my bike and comfortable on the road - where the others were rather tentative. I guess if you behave like you have a right to be on the road that you're treated well.
The Hawaiian volcanos are classified as shield volcanos. They were described to me as having the shape of a warriors shield. This classification means that the slopes of the mountains are very gentle - as opposed to volcanos on the mainland like Mount Rainier, which has very steep sides. This translated into very reasonable grades for cycling - although the grades leading from the coast up to the highway were not always reasonable. I saw some side streets with grade signs saying 18% - not a grade I'd want to attempt with a loaded bike. In fact, I can almost guarantee that I'd be walking and pushing my bike on a grade that steep!
No problems with dogs here! I think Hawaiian dogs are either polite or just too laid back to bother cyclists. I had dogs bark at me, but I didn't meet any chasers. That was a pleasant surprise. I hate it when dogs chase me - I was happy to just talk to the dogs as I passed without needing to shout or try to speed up to get past them.
Hawaii can be very expensive - after all it is an island state where almost everything has to be imported from places far away. It doesn't have to be excessively expensive though - you just need to do some planning. I'd say that all of the places I stayed with the exception of the last night were pretty reasonable (but not cheap). My lodging costs (other than at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which was very expensive) ranged from $57 to $91 a night. I could have spent less at Arnott's Lodge if I'd opted for a semi-private instead of private room (or even less for a dorm or tent space). When I arranged my lodging I was focused more on where I wanted to be than on price. There were places where there wasn't much of a choice, but there were others where I could have found a hostel or possibly a less expensive B&B. On all but two nights, breakfast was included in the cost of my lodging. Lunch was usually fruit and snack food that I tried to pick up in grocery stores or small markets, and dinner was usually from restaurants (except for the two nights in Hilo when dinner came from grocery stores). I was very happy with the places I stayed, and I was also happy with the cost of my trip. For what I wanted and what I got, I thought the cost was reasonable. Just know that if you want to ride in Hawaii you can spend less than I did, and you can also spend more than I did - it's all up to you!
I took two adventure tours at Arnott's lodge. The prices of these tours were very reasonable. There's a discount if you stay at the lodge, but even if you don't their prices are much lower than other commercial tours. When I priced them, they were $48 if you stayed at Arnott's and $70 to $78 if you didn't. Compare the Mauna Kea tour cost with other commercial tours that start at $150, and you know that you got a good deal.
There are no guarantees on the state of the active lava flows on any given day. Although I hoped to see active flows, I knew when I planned my trip that there was a good chance that I wouldn't. It was quiet when visited, and although I would have been ecstatic to see rivers of molten lava, I was thrilled to see what I did. If I have a chance to visit again I'll be sure to take the time to go to the active flows again.
I'd also love a chance to get a tour of some of the observatories. Next time I visit I'll try to get to Mauna Kea on a day when one or more of the observatories are open for visitors. I understand that this only happens on the weekends - and probably only during the day. And you need to provide your own transportation to the summit, which means finding someone you can ride up with or renting a 4-wheel-drive vehicle from Harpers, which is the only rental car agency on the island that allows their vehicles to go on the Saddle Road and on the Mauna Kea road. It's also the most expensive rental car agency around.
There's also some riding that I didn't do on this trip - looks like there's some good riding and good scenery south of Hilo. Next time maybe I'll spend an extra day in that area.
What do I miss (besides the weather, that is)? Fresh Hawaiian fruit - papayas, pineapples, and apple bananas. Papayas are a favorite of mine, and they just don't seem to travel well. I've learned that I can enjoy Hawaiian papaya in Hawaii, but if I'm buying papaya at home, the Central American varieties seem to travel much better. Pineapples are readily available here, but I have to be satisfied with the Central American variety of bananas. Apple bananas are interesting. I don't know where the name comes from - but apple bananas are a local Hawaii variety, a smaller variety, and they have a slightly different taste. A nice change of pace. I also got into the habit (maybe a bad one) of munching on macadamia nuts. When I compare the nutritional values, peanuts are much healthier (more protein, less fat), but mac nuts really taste good!
If you're thinking of visiting Hawaii, you may be interested in some of my thoughts on riding there...
I heard the usual objections from people I spoke to there - it's not safe, the roads are too narrow, there's too much traffic, the drivers are crazy. Obviously the folks who voiced these issues weren't cyclists! For the most part, the roads that I used had decent shoulders. Some of the roads were narrow and winding, but the number of cars on those roads was significantly less than on the main highways. The two biggest problems I had with the roads were the reflectors embedded in the white line on the edge of the road and the glass and debris on the shoulders. The reflectors were potentially destabilizing factors - they were quite high, and could easily knock you off balance if you hit them unexpectedly. That wasn't too much of a problem since they were visible and usually avoidable. The debris on the shoulders was occasional, not constant. I just needed (again) to pay attention so I didn't go flying through chunks of broken glass. This was no different than riding on the shoulder at home. And there was a section between Hawi and Kawaihae that the PATH (Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii) web site warned about where there I needed to watch for Keawe branches along the shoulder. The plant has 3 inch thorns, and I did see some. Picking up one of those thorns in a tire would probably have caused a pretty quick flat! I was pretty lucky in sections that were marked as narrow and winding - one of these relatively long sections had been recently repaved and (I believe) widened. Traffic overall was very reasonable. There were many times when I had the road pretty much to myself. The couple of heavy traffic areas - and remember heavy is relative - were as I was leaving Kona, and in Hilo. Neither was exceptionally heavy. The traffic as I was heading south from Kona disappeared after Captain Cook, which is about 15 miles out. And Hilo is a reasonably sized city with normal traffic levels. There were marked bike lanes on the main roads in Hilo - and my first experience with marked, shared bike lane & right turn lane. That took a little getting used to - in a right turn lane situation on a non-marked road I'm usually on the right side of the lane that is going straight. With the shared bike/turn lane, I was on the left side of the right turn lane, just a bit of a different feeling. The traffic in Hilo was really nothing to worry about, and nothing I wasn't accustomed to. Next - the drivers were fine. They were unobtrusive for the most part, and the drivers on Kohala Mountain Road were unbelieveably considerate. This was one of those very narrow and somewhat winding roads. Drivers that came up behind me slowed down to make sure that I knew they were there, then waited for a reasonable place to pass me. I didn't stop because the grade was high enough that I knew I'd have trouble getting started again, but that didn't cause any problems either.
I remember the last time I was on the Big Island. It was for a supported bicycle tour. There was one day when some of the others in my group were complaining about drivers giving them a hard time. I couldn't understand it because I was in between two groups of complaining cyclists, and no one gave me any trouble. Our guide said that she thought it was because I looked comfortable on my bike and comfortable on the road - where the others were rather tentative. I guess if you behave like you have a right to be on the road that you're treated well.
The Hawaiian volcanos are classified as shield volcanos. They were described to me as having the shape of a warriors shield. This classification means that the slopes of the mountains are very gentle - as opposed to volcanos on the mainland like Mount Rainier, which has very steep sides. This translated into very reasonable grades for cycling - although the grades leading from the coast up to the highway were not always reasonable. I saw some side streets with grade signs saying 18% - not a grade I'd want to attempt with a loaded bike. In fact, I can almost guarantee that I'd be walking and pushing my bike on a grade that steep!
No problems with dogs here! I think Hawaiian dogs are either polite or just too laid back to bother cyclists. I had dogs bark at me, but I didn't meet any chasers. That was a pleasant surprise. I hate it when dogs chase me - I was happy to just talk to the dogs as I passed without needing to shout or try to speed up to get past them.
Hawaii can be very expensive - after all it is an island state where almost everything has to be imported from places far away. It doesn't have to be excessively expensive though - you just need to do some planning. I'd say that all of the places I stayed with the exception of the last night were pretty reasonable (but not cheap). My lodging costs (other than at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which was very expensive) ranged from $57 to $91 a night. I could have spent less at Arnott's Lodge if I'd opted for a semi-private instead of private room (or even less for a dorm or tent space). When I arranged my lodging I was focused more on where I wanted to be than on price. There were places where there wasn't much of a choice, but there were others where I could have found a hostel or possibly a less expensive B&B. On all but two nights, breakfast was included in the cost of my lodging. Lunch was usually fruit and snack food that I tried to pick up in grocery stores or small markets, and dinner was usually from restaurants (except for the two nights in Hilo when dinner came from grocery stores). I was very happy with the places I stayed, and I was also happy with the cost of my trip. For what I wanted and what I got, I thought the cost was reasonable. Just know that if you want to ride in Hawaii you can spend less than I did, and you can also spend more than I did - it's all up to you!
I took two adventure tours at Arnott's lodge. The prices of these tours were very reasonable. There's a discount if you stay at the lodge, but even if you don't their prices are much lower than other commercial tours. When I priced them, they were $48 if you stayed at Arnott's and $70 to $78 if you didn't. Compare the Mauna Kea tour cost with other commercial tours that start at $150, and you know that you got a good deal.
There are no guarantees on the state of the active lava flows on any given day. Although I hoped to see active flows, I knew when I planned my trip that there was a good chance that I wouldn't. It was quiet when visited, and although I would have been ecstatic to see rivers of molten lava, I was thrilled to see what I did. If I have a chance to visit again I'll be sure to take the time to go to the active flows again.
I'd also love a chance to get a tour of some of the observatories. Next time I visit I'll try to get to Mauna Kea on a day when one or more of the observatories are open for visitors. I understand that this only happens on the weekends - and probably only during the day. And you need to provide your own transportation to the summit, which means finding someone you can ride up with or renting a 4-wheel-drive vehicle from Harpers, which is the only rental car agency on the island that allows their vehicles to go on the Saddle Road and on the Mauna Kea road. It's also the most expensive rental car agency around.
There's also some riding that I didn't do on this trip - looks like there's some good riding and good scenery south of Hilo. Next time maybe I'll spend an extra day in that area.
What do I miss (besides the weather, that is)? Fresh Hawaiian fruit - papayas, pineapples, and apple bananas. Papayas are a favorite of mine, and they just don't seem to travel well. I've learned that I can enjoy Hawaiian papaya in Hawaii, but if I'm buying papaya at home, the Central American varieties seem to travel much better. Pineapples are readily available here, but I have to be satisfied with the Central American variety of bananas. Apple bananas are interesting. I don't know where the name comes from - but apple bananas are a local Hawaii variety, a smaller variety, and they have a slightly different taste. A nice change of pace. I also got into the habit (maybe a bad one) of munching on macadamia nuts. When I compare the nutritional values, peanuts are much healthier (more protein, less fat), but mac nuts really taste good!
Sunday, May 25, 2003
One more day in paradise
On the Kohala coast
Today was a thoroughly relaxing day. I slept well again last night - with the air conditioning turned off and the door to the balcony open to the breeze. This is the only hotel that I stayed in on this trip that even had air conditioning, and with the door open to the outside breezes and the ceiling fan running, I was very comfortable. And because I slept with the door open, I again woke to the sound of the ocean and of the birds. I could get used to this...
Even with my fantastic dinner last night, I still managed to enjoy the breakfast buffet this morning. It probably would have been cheaper to order off the menu, but the buffet allowed me to have a little of everything, including my favorite papaya. I sat and ate, and watched the birds coming by to check for crumbs. There were little sparrows and cardinals checking out the left-overs, and several somewhat larger birds (but still not big) sitting under the roof and occasionally screeching. And yes, dining was again outside!
After breakfast I wandered through the hotel for a bit to look at some of the artwork. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has quite a collection of Asian and Pacific art.
Then I went for a walk that started on the beach and continued on a trail along the coast that runs between the Mauna Kea and Hapuna Prince Hotels. Nice walk, except for the bee that I stepped on as I walked down the beach. Ouch! I felt something sharp, but I didn't see any stinging sea creatures (and I don't think there are any who live on this beach). I looked at my foot and saw the bee or whatever type of nasty insect it was. I actually had to pull it out of my foot - and had to pull a little piece of stinger out too. That definitely stung, but I walked into the water and let the salt water help sooth it. As I got to the end of the beach I looked up and saw a flock of turkeys on the edge of the golf course. Those birds are everywhere! There are a bunch of them that hang out by my office, and I know there are quite a few near where my parents live. And now I've seen them in Hawaii!
I needed to check out by noon, so I headed back to the room a little after eleven to finish getting organized for the flight home. I checked out and had my bags held for the afternoon, then I headed to the beach for the rest of the day. And no, I'm not crazy enough to sit in the sun all day. I have the type of skin that turns as red as a lobster without sunscreen, and even though I've been biking in this sun and I use tons of SPF30 sunscreen, sitting in a bathing suit for hours is probably not a great idea. I stopped to get a beach towel, and was asked if I needed help finding a chair and an umbrella. I knew there was a reason I splurged on a resort for my last day here! So I had a lounge chair, a short beach chair, an umbrella to hide from the sun, and the deliciously warm ocean to play in. What a nice afternoon! I relaxed, read a book, went swimming, sat and read and people-watched some more, went back in the water, and again...
The hotel has a hospitality room that departing guests can reserve for an hour to shower before heading for the airport. So I was able to get rid of all of that ocean salt, and get ready for my long flight home. I had a late lunch on the beach because I knew that I was leaving the hotel before I could get dinner. Then I picked up some ice cream at the airport. That should work - but I'm carrying energy bars and macadamia nuts in case I suddenly get hungry. And yes, I think I have a new nut addiction. Last summer I went through a lot of Gatorade and a lot of peanuts on my ride - and for this trip I substituted macadamia nuts for the peanuts. Peanuts are better from a protein standpoint, but the macadamia nuts are wonderful. And I did eat peanuts too - I tried to switch off between the two.
I got to the airport super early. There was a shuttle leaving the hotel about a half hour before I wanted to leave, and there wasn't one later that would allow me to catch my flight. I opted to take it instead of waiting a half an hour and taking a taxi at twice the price. Once I saw the security setup I was happy to be here early. In Boston they are X-ray screening 100% of checked bags. Here in Kona they are hand-checking 100% of checked bags. That meant that they opened (and partially emptied) both of my bags. They did it in front of me, but I wasn't allowed to help the screener repack the bike. He was good though - he only took out the top pieces, not the whole frame, and he did a great job of getting everything back in the case. He told me I was allowed to give him advice on repacking it, but I wasn't allowed to help. There was a half-length Ironman Triathlon in Kona today, and I saw a lot of people arriving with bikes as I was wandering around the airport after checking in. I imagine that might increase the amount of time it takes to check all of the bags. Of course, this isn't an airport where you'd be likely to miss your flight due to security lines. The terminal I'm leaving from serves American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Japan Air Lines. And there's only one American flight leaving - mine. It arrived about a half an hour ago and it's currently being cleaned and fueled for the flight back to LA. I suspect that if the checked baggage security lines were too long that they'd hold the flight...
Leaving Hawaii is a little more complicated than flying between cities on the mainland. Checking in for a flight involves putting your checked baggage through agricultural inspection, then security screening. Once the bags are screened you can then check in for your flight and actually check the baggage. As usual, the next step is to go through security to get into the gate area. I asked the TSA screener about the rumor I'd heard about setting off the security equipment if you'd been out to the active flows (from leftover pieces of volcanic materials). He said that that does happen some of the time, but not always. It didn't cause any problems for me. Then, the last clearance step - just before boarding time, you go through a second agriculture screening point for your carry-on bags, then wait a bit more before the flight is called. It's all a part of traveling - and I was amazed at the complaints from some of the people who were waiting for the flight with me. Most of us (me included) just went with the flow, no complaints needed! And of course there was quite a pile of fruit left at the 2nd agriculture checkpoint
Like most little tropical climate airports, the Kona airport is open-air. There's a roof over the waiting area, but no walls, and the plane is sitting right next to us. lt's a climb the stairs to the plane airport too, which shocked some of my fellow passengers when we arrived here. I'm enjoying the last of my tropical weather as I wait for my flight to be called.
5/26 at 5:30 AM, Los Angeles time
I stumbled off the plane at 5:30 in the morning and wandered right into the rest room to wash my face and brush my teeth. That's better! I was only slightly awake, but I was surprised - and happy - to see that the Starbucks in the terminal was already open. Nothing else was open yet, but a cup of coffee was very welcome for the wait until my next flight.
5/26 at 5 PM, Boston time
Back in Boston, to 45 degrees and a cold rain. In one sense it's good to be home, but this weather is hard to accept. What a contrast! I think I could live in Hawaii...
Today was a thoroughly relaxing day. I slept well again last night - with the air conditioning turned off and the door to the balcony open to the breeze. This is the only hotel that I stayed in on this trip that even had air conditioning, and with the door open to the outside breezes and the ceiling fan running, I was very comfortable. And because I slept with the door open, I again woke to the sound of the ocean and of the birds. I could get used to this...
Even with my fantastic dinner last night, I still managed to enjoy the breakfast buffet this morning. It probably would have been cheaper to order off the menu, but the buffet allowed me to have a little of everything, including my favorite papaya. I sat and ate, and watched the birds coming by to check for crumbs. There were little sparrows and cardinals checking out the left-overs, and several somewhat larger birds (but still not big) sitting under the roof and occasionally screeching. And yes, dining was again outside!
After breakfast I wandered through the hotel for a bit to look at some of the artwork. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has quite a collection of Asian and Pacific art.
Then I went for a walk that started on the beach and continued on a trail along the coast that runs between the Mauna Kea and Hapuna Prince Hotels. Nice walk, except for the bee that I stepped on as I walked down the beach. Ouch! I felt something sharp, but I didn't see any stinging sea creatures (and I don't think there are any who live on this beach). I looked at my foot and saw the bee or whatever type of nasty insect it was. I actually had to pull it out of my foot - and had to pull a little piece of stinger out too. That definitely stung, but I walked into the water and let the salt water help sooth it. As I got to the end of the beach I looked up and saw a flock of turkeys on the edge of the golf course. Those birds are everywhere! There are a bunch of them that hang out by my office, and I know there are quite a few near where my parents live. And now I've seen them in Hawaii!
I needed to check out by noon, so I headed back to the room a little after eleven to finish getting organized for the flight home. I checked out and had my bags held for the afternoon, then I headed to the beach for the rest of the day. And no, I'm not crazy enough to sit in the sun all day. I have the type of skin that turns as red as a lobster without sunscreen, and even though I've been biking in this sun and I use tons of SPF30 sunscreen, sitting in a bathing suit for hours is probably not a great idea. I stopped to get a beach towel, and was asked if I needed help finding a chair and an umbrella. I knew there was a reason I splurged on a resort for my last day here! So I had a lounge chair, a short beach chair, an umbrella to hide from the sun, and the deliciously warm ocean to play in. What a nice afternoon! I relaxed, read a book, went swimming, sat and read and people-watched some more, went back in the water, and again...
The hotel has a hospitality room that departing guests can reserve for an hour to shower before heading for the airport. So I was able to get rid of all of that ocean salt, and get ready for my long flight home. I had a late lunch on the beach because I knew that I was leaving the hotel before I could get dinner. Then I picked up some ice cream at the airport. That should work - but I'm carrying energy bars and macadamia nuts in case I suddenly get hungry. And yes, I think I have a new nut addiction. Last summer I went through a lot of Gatorade and a lot of peanuts on my ride - and for this trip I substituted macadamia nuts for the peanuts. Peanuts are better from a protein standpoint, but the macadamia nuts are wonderful. And I did eat peanuts too - I tried to switch off between the two.
I got to the airport super early. There was a shuttle leaving the hotel about a half hour before I wanted to leave, and there wasn't one later that would allow me to catch my flight. I opted to take it instead of waiting a half an hour and taking a taxi at twice the price. Once I saw the security setup I was happy to be here early. In Boston they are X-ray screening 100% of checked bags. Here in Kona they are hand-checking 100% of checked bags. That meant that they opened (and partially emptied) both of my bags. They did it in front of me, but I wasn't allowed to help the screener repack the bike. He was good though - he only took out the top pieces, not the whole frame, and he did a great job of getting everything back in the case. He told me I was allowed to give him advice on repacking it, but I wasn't allowed to help. There was a half-length Ironman Triathlon in Kona today, and I saw a lot of people arriving with bikes as I was wandering around the airport after checking in. I imagine that might increase the amount of time it takes to check all of the bags. Of course, this isn't an airport where you'd be likely to miss your flight due to security lines. The terminal I'm leaving from serves American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Japan Air Lines. And there's only one American flight leaving - mine. It arrived about a half an hour ago and it's currently being cleaned and fueled for the flight back to LA. I suspect that if the checked baggage security lines were too long that they'd hold the flight...
Leaving Hawaii is a little more complicated than flying between cities on the mainland. Checking in for a flight involves putting your checked baggage through agricultural inspection, then security screening. Once the bags are screened you can then check in for your flight and actually check the baggage. As usual, the next step is to go through security to get into the gate area. I asked the TSA screener about the rumor I'd heard about setting off the security equipment if you'd been out to the active flows (from leftover pieces of volcanic materials). He said that that does happen some of the time, but not always. It didn't cause any problems for me. Then, the last clearance step - just before boarding time, you go through a second agriculture screening point for your carry-on bags, then wait a bit more before the flight is called. It's all a part of traveling - and I was amazed at the complaints from some of the people who were waiting for the flight with me. Most of us (me included) just went with the flow, no complaints needed! And of course there was quite a pile of fruit left at the 2nd agriculture checkpoint
Like most little tropical climate airports, the Kona airport is open-air. There's a roof over the waiting area, but no walls, and the plane is sitting right next to us. lt's a climb the stairs to the plane airport too, which shocked some of my fellow passengers when we arrived here. I'm enjoying the last of my tropical weather as I wait for my flight to be called.
5/26 at 5:30 AM, Los Angeles time
I stumbled off the plane at 5:30 in the morning and wandered right into the rest room to wash my face and brush my teeth. That's better! I was only slightly awake, but I was surprised - and happy - to see that the Starbucks in the terminal was already open. Nothing else was open yet, but a cup of coffee was very welcome for the wait until my next flight.
5/26 at 5 PM, Boston time
Back in Boston, to 45 degrees and a cold rain. In one sense it's good to be home, but this weather is hard to accept. What a contrast! I think I could live in Hawaii...
Saturday, May 24, 2003
One last climb, then a swoop to the coast
Waimea to the Kohala Coast via Kohala Mountain Road
Unbelieveable - I've finished my last day of cycling for this trip. I had a choice of routes this morning - a short (12-mile) all downhill ride from Waimea to the Kohala Coast, or a 42-mile option via Kohala Mountain Road that, no surprise, climbed another mountain. For someone who's a slow hill climber, I seem to always choose routes that include hills, and of course I chose the longer, hillier route.
I slept in a bit this morning, didn't climb out of bed until 7:30. I headed to the restaurant next door to my motel for a french toast breakfast. That's one of my favorites, and although I've had some fabulous breakfasts on this trip I somehow missed the french toast. Then I packed up and went to check out. That was a Citibank adventure. When the woman at the front desk tried to run my card through, it said "please call". She looked a little confused by the message, but she let me use her phone to call Citibank. When I identified myself and told the agent I was having trouble using their card to check out of a hotel in Hawaii, he said "oh, we didn't know you were traveling, and we just wanted to make sure it was you using the card". Interesting, because I used that card to charge stays at both B&Bs, at Arnott's Lodge, and for some grocery store purchases within the last couple of days. I'd love to know the logic they use to trigger their "let's be careful" mode. I was expecting that to happen to me on my cross-country trip last year, and it never did. It wasn't a problem at all since they immediately reactivated the card. I know that they are protecting themselves and ultimately the consumer - if it takes them checking on my credit card use periodically to allow me not to be liable for use of a stolen card - hey, check away!
I headed out of town on route 19 and immediately started cruising downhill. But wait - I have to climb a mountain - why do I have to go down just to pedal right back up again? The turnoff for the short route was just 2 miles down the road, and as soon as I left route 19 I started a six-mile climb up to 3500 feet. The first 4 miles of the climb were unrelenting, and at about a 4 to 5% grade. Since I have trouble starting from a dead stop on that kind of grade, I just kept pedaling away. No rest stops... I could see the short route down below me as I continued up the mountain. It flattened out for a bit after 4 miles, so I was able to take a break and take some pictures before continuing to climb. The wind was kind this morning - it was quiet. The last time I was on the Kohala Mountain Road I was battling a side wind that was so strong it pushed me from the right side of the road all the way to the left side, and almost off of the road. There wasn't any traffic that day - if there had been probably the only thing I could have done was to lay the bike down (maybe). I was definitely not in control that day! I was glad I didn't have to battle the wind again today. Once I hit the crest of the hill, it was a nice downhill ride into Hawi. At one point I saw a speed limit sign saying 35 miles per hour - and I was going 34. No pedaling, just cruising! Of course that didn't last, and I did have to pedal for quite a few miles today. I had a bit of a push from the tradewinds coming down from Hawi, but that disappeared as the road turned around the edge of the island. There were some more shallow rolling grades, then a little bit of a climb out of Kawaihai Harbor. Well, OK, it wasn't much of a climb but it sure felt like one with the sun beating down. I definitely deserved my food!
The line between the wet and dry areas of this island is surprisingly just that - a line. It's not a gradual thing. I left Waimea, which is very green, and immediately I was in a very dry area with cactus. When I described the cactus I'd seen earlier this week to someone, he told me it was beavertail cactus. I don't know if that's the right name, but it's definitely descriptive. The cactus I saw today was blooming; very pretty. I thought I was home free, wet side to dry side, I should be able to finish the day without getting wet (except from sweat). Well, I was wrong. I noticed as I started down the mountain that I was again in a very green area. I started noticing some cool blasts of air, and I was starting to wonder where the cool air was coming from. I was getting close to Hawi when I saw a dark gray cloud ahead of me, and that cloud came right down to the road. Oops - time for another ride in the rain! It lasted long enough to get me pretty wet, but I dried out by the end of my ride. I crossed back to the dry side one more time, and the sun came out, stayed out, and heated the air well into the 90s (in the sun, of course). It's pretty likely that it was hot all day on the Kohala Coast, and I was just traveling through the different climate zones.
Part of today's ride was on the Ironman route. The turnaround point is up near Hawi, with the start point down in Kona. All of that route is on the hot, dry side of the island.
All in all, it was a fabulous ride today - and one of my favorites on this island. The drivers were really good today too. Kohala Mountain Road is narrow and winding, with no shoulders. As drivers came up behind me, they hung back until they were sure that I saw them, and they passed carefully. I never felt like anyone was upset by my presence on the road - a nice feeling. Overall the drivers have been fine on this entire trip, it's just that today stood out as pretty incredible as bike/car interactions go.
I discovered today that the cattle in Hawaii aren't quite as friendly as those in Kansas. Actually, I think they're just not used to people. I totally spooked one field full of cattle today just by riding past their fence. Guess they didn't want to stand and chat like their counterparts in Kansas did!
I arrived at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel at about 1:45 and had to wait a few minutes at the gate for a shuttle to the hotel. The only thing I don't like about this place is that they don't allow biking on the grounds. I asked my shuttle driver why, and she said the state department of transportation won't allow bicycles here. That seems kind of odd to me, but if you look at the roads on the grounds here, they aren't really roads, more like driveways. They are pretty narrow with no shoulders. (But I really don't get it because the state usually doesn't set rules on private property - although there is a public beach access running through here. Maybe that's why, or maybe it was just a made-up story.) I knew about this strange rule before I made my reservations here, and all I needed was to get to the hotel - no more biking planned. Of course since I arrived so early, my room wasn't ready yet. I was going to just leave my stuff at the bell stand and wander around, but then I decided to use the time to pack my bike. The staff at the hotel is very used to cyclists, perhaps because of the Ironman Triathlon, and one of the bell boys showed me a quiet out-of-the-way spot where I could pack. So I pulled everything out of the trailer, threw it into my duffle bag, and packed the bike. I could have packed it in my room, but sometimes it seems better to deal with the bike outside... Once I was done packing, my room was ready.
This place is really a treat (and a major splurge) for me. It's a very laid back but classy resort. The hotel was built by Laurence Rockefeller and was originally opened in 1965. It was closed for 18 months in 1994/95 and completely renovated. I'm in the Beach Front wing, so I can again hear the surf crashing outside of my room. It's not as loud as it was at the Kona Tiki, but it's there. I came into my room to find a note directing me to the "chill box" for a welcome gift. When I opened the little refrigerator I found fresh papaya and strawberries. That hit the spot - a great mid-afternoon snack. I immediately took my first shower to rinse off the road crud, then slathered myself with sunscreen and headed out to walk on the beach. Then I just sat out there and read for a while. Nice and relaxing.
Back to the room for a second shower before dinner. Then I headed for a fabulous dinner. The Mauna Kea has a clambake every Saturday night. I didn't plan my trip around this meal, but it worked out just great. Of course buffets are great for hungry cyclists, and this one was really special. I didn't have everything there, but let's see if I can remember what I ate.... shrimp, caesar salad, artichoke salad, tomatos, clams, more shrimp, lobster, some steamed vegetables, potato salad, lobster... and then a make your own sundae for dessert - vanilla & chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce, macadamia nuts, little chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. Yum! There was a lot more food there that I didn't even taste. I was trying to eat a reasonable (or should I say comfortable) amount of food, and I knew I wanted lobster, so I skipped the soup (clam chowder) and bread. They also had crab, fresh fish with a mango sauce, roast beef, and other side dishes too. At some point I just had to choose so I wouldn't be uncomfortably stuffed all night. I'm happy! And the tables for the clambake were set up next to the beach, so I could watch the sun sink into the sea as I was eating dinner. Today was a great food day!
What touring cyclist doesn't love a make-your-own sundae buffet?
Tomorrow I plan to just relax here. My flight isn't until late, so I'll need to check out of my room and have my stuff held for the day. They have a hospitality suite that can be reserved for a shower so I'll be able to get rid of the salt and sweat before I head for the airport and that long ride back to my everyday reality.
Unbelieveable - I've finished my last day of cycling for this trip. I had a choice of routes this morning - a short (12-mile) all downhill ride from Waimea to the Kohala Coast, or a 42-mile option via Kohala Mountain Road that, no surprise, climbed another mountain. For someone who's a slow hill climber, I seem to always choose routes that include hills, and of course I chose the longer, hillier route.
I slept in a bit this morning, didn't climb out of bed until 7:30. I headed to the restaurant next door to my motel for a french toast breakfast. That's one of my favorites, and although I've had some fabulous breakfasts on this trip I somehow missed the french toast. Then I packed up and went to check out. That was a Citibank adventure. When the woman at the front desk tried to run my card through, it said "please call". She looked a little confused by the message, but she let me use her phone to call Citibank. When I identified myself and told the agent I was having trouble using their card to check out of a hotel in Hawaii, he said "oh, we didn't know you were traveling, and we just wanted to make sure it was you using the card". Interesting, because I used that card to charge stays at both B&Bs, at Arnott's Lodge, and for some grocery store purchases within the last couple of days. I'd love to know the logic they use to trigger their "let's be careful" mode. I was expecting that to happen to me on my cross-country trip last year, and it never did. It wasn't a problem at all since they immediately reactivated the card. I know that they are protecting themselves and ultimately the consumer - if it takes them checking on my credit card use periodically to allow me not to be liable for use of a stolen card - hey, check away!
I headed out of town on route 19 and immediately started cruising downhill. But wait - I have to climb a mountain - why do I have to go down just to pedal right back up again? The turnoff for the short route was just 2 miles down the road, and as soon as I left route 19 I started a six-mile climb up to 3500 feet. The first 4 miles of the climb were unrelenting, and at about a 4 to 5% grade. Since I have trouble starting from a dead stop on that kind of grade, I just kept pedaling away. No rest stops... I could see the short route down below me as I continued up the mountain. It flattened out for a bit after 4 miles, so I was able to take a break and take some pictures before continuing to climb. The wind was kind this morning - it was quiet. The last time I was on the Kohala Mountain Road I was battling a side wind that was so strong it pushed me from the right side of the road all the way to the left side, and almost off of the road. There wasn't any traffic that day - if there had been probably the only thing I could have done was to lay the bike down (maybe). I was definitely not in control that day! I was glad I didn't have to battle the wind again today. Once I hit the crest of the hill, it was a nice downhill ride into Hawi. At one point I saw a speed limit sign saying 35 miles per hour - and I was going 34. No pedaling, just cruising! Of course that didn't last, and I did have to pedal for quite a few miles today. I had a bit of a push from the tradewinds coming down from Hawi, but that disappeared as the road turned around the edge of the island. There were some more shallow rolling grades, then a little bit of a climb out of Kawaihai Harbor. Well, OK, it wasn't much of a climb but it sure felt like one with the sun beating down. I definitely deserved my food!
The line between the wet and dry areas of this island is surprisingly just that - a line. It's not a gradual thing. I left Waimea, which is very green, and immediately I was in a very dry area with cactus. When I described the cactus I'd seen earlier this week to someone, he told me it was beavertail cactus. I don't know if that's the right name, but it's definitely descriptive. The cactus I saw today was blooming; very pretty. I thought I was home free, wet side to dry side, I should be able to finish the day without getting wet (except from sweat). Well, I was wrong. I noticed as I started down the mountain that I was again in a very green area. I started noticing some cool blasts of air, and I was starting to wonder where the cool air was coming from. I was getting close to Hawi when I saw a dark gray cloud ahead of me, and that cloud came right down to the road. Oops - time for another ride in the rain! It lasted long enough to get me pretty wet, but I dried out by the end of my ride. I crossed back to the dry side one more time, and the sun came out, stayed out, and heated the air well into the 90s (in the sun, of course). It's pretty likely that it was hot all day on the Kohala Coast, and I was just traveling through the different climate zones.
Part of today's ride was on the Ironman route. The turnaround point is up near Hawi, with the start point down in Kona. All of that route is on the hot, dry side of the island.
All in all, it was a fabulous ride today - and one of my favorites on this island. The drivers were really good today too. Kohala Mountain Road is narrow and winding, with no shoulders. As drivers came up behind me, they hung back until they were sure that I saw them, and they passed carefully. I never felt like anyone was upset by my presence on the road - a nice feeling. Overall the drivers have been fine on this entire trip, it's just that today stood out as pretty incredible as bike/car interactions go.
I discovered today that the cattle in Hawaii aren't quite as friendly as those in Kansas. Actually, I think they're just not used to people. I totally spooked one field full of cattle today just by riding past their fence. Guess they didn't want to stand and chat like their counterparts in Kansas did!
I arrived at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel at about 1:45 and had to wait a few minutes at the gate for a shuttle to the hotel. The only thing I don't like about this place is that they don't allow biking on the grounds. I asked my shuttle driver why, and she said the state department of transportation won't allow bicycles here. That seems kind of odd to me, but if you look at the roads on the grounds here, they aren't really roads, more like driveways. They are pretty narrow with no shoulders. (But I really don't get it because the state usually doesn't set rules on private property - although there is a public beach access running through here. Maybe that's why, or maybe it was just a made-up story.) I knew about this strange rule before I made my reservations here, and all I needed was to get to the hotel - no more biking planned. Of course since I arrived so early, my room wasn't ready yet. I was going to just leave my stuff at the bell stand and wander around, but then I decided to use the time to pack my bike. The staff at the hotel is very used to cyclists, perhaps because of the Ironman Triathlon, and one of the bell boys showed me a quiet out-of-the-way spot where I could pack. So I pulled everything out of the trailer, threw it into my duffle bag, and packed the bike. I could have packed it in my room, but sometimes it seems better to deal with the bike outside... Once I was done packing, my room was ready.
This place is really a treat (and a major splurge) for me. It's a very laid back but classy resort. The hotel was built by Laurence Rockefeller and was originally opened in 1965. It was closed for 18 months in 1994/95 and completely renovated. I'm in the Beach Front wing, so I can again hear the surf crashing outside of my room. It's not as loud as it was at the Kona Tiki, but it's there. I came into my room to find a note directing me to the "chill box" for a welcome gift. When I opened the little refrigerator I found fresh papaya and strawberries. That hit the spot - a great mid-afternoon snack. I immediately took my first shower to rinse off the road crud, then slathered myself with sunscreen and headed out to walk on the beach. Then I just sat out there and read for a while. Nice and relaxing.
Back to the room for a second shower before dinner. Then I headed for a fabulous dinner. The Mauna Kea has a clambake every Saturday night. I didn't plan my trip around this meal, but it worked out just great. Of course buffets are great for hungry cyclists, and this one was really special. I didn't have everything there, but let's see if I can remember what I ate.... shrimp, caesar salad, artichoke salad, tomatos, clams, more shrimp, lobster, some steamed vegetables, potato salad, lobster... and then a make your own sundae for dessert - vanilla & chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce, macadamia nuts, little chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. Yum! There was a lot more food there that I didn't even taste. I was trying to eat a reasonable (or should I say comfortable) amount of food, and I knew I wanted lobster, so I skipped the soup (clam chowder) and bread. They also had crab, fresh fish with a mango sauce, roast beef, and other side dishes too. At some point I just had to choose so I wouldn't be uncomfortably stuffed all night. I'm happy! And the tables for the clambake were set up next to the beach, so I could watch the sun sink into the sea as I was eating dinner. Today was a great food day!
What touring cyclist doesn't love a make-your-own sundae buffet?
Tomorrow I plan to just relax here. My flight isn't until late, so I'll need to check out of my room and have my stuff held for the day. They have a hospitality suite that can be reserved for a shower so I'll be able to get rid of the salt and sweat before I head for the airport and that long ride back to my everyday reality.
Friday, May 23, 2003
Hills, hills, and the tradewinds at my back
Hilo to Waimea
And another great riding day is behind me... I started the day with a good breakfast, thanks to my grocery store stop when I got to Hilo two days ago. Oatmeal, banana, and papaya along with a good cup of coffee, and some shared plans with some of the other folks at the lodge. I spoke with the 2 women from Japan - a mother and daughter - who I met on the Mauna Kea tour, and with a family from somewhere south of Eugene, Oregon. It's always fun to hear how other people are spending their time here. Arnott's Lodge was another good choice of a place to stay. There were always people around to talk to, probably due at least partly to the fact that it caters to foreign travelers and backpackers. I think when people stay at a backpacker's lodge they seem more likely to talk with strangers. Plus, there were people who were alone, in couples, in families and groups. There were quite a few twenty-somethings, but there were also people who appeared to be older than me - a nice mix.
As soon as I got rolling, the heavy mist started again. It misted for a bit, then changed to a light rain. I stashed my camera in the trailer fairly quickly since I didn't really want to destroy it! One interesting thing about riding in the rain here is that I never considered putting my rain jacket on - it would be just to hot, and I'd end up getting wet from the inside out. Better to be wet from the rain and cool than to be sweating up a storm in my rain jacket. I needed the jacket for the trip up Mauna Kea, so it was carried for a good purpose - just one slightly different than it's intended purpose. I probably rode in the rain for a good solid hour. Things dried out for a bit, but it never totally cleared. Every time I thought my clothes were just about dry it would start spitting again. But by the end of the day, the mist finally cleared.
It was another climbing day - over 3000 feet of elevation gain. I came from Hilo at sea level to Waimea at 2700 feet, and of course there was the usual set of rolling hills thrown in for fun. The riding was definitely easier in the morning. It started with some very gradual elevation gain, then rollers, then 3 gulches that were big downs and big ups, with each one getting progressively bigger. Then a long hill to get to the final elevation. When I started this morning there didn't seem to be any wind, but that changed in the afternoon. The trade winds are blowing, and they were at my back at the end of the day. I didn't feel the push on the uphills, but I definitely felt it during the last five flat miles into Waimea. It seems like the wind speed has continued to increase since I arrived here - I just walked back from dinner, and the clouds are just flying across the sky. It will be interesting to see what I'll be dealing with in the morning.
I'm still on the rainy side of the island, but I'll cross back to the desert side fairly early tomorrow. This is Parker Ranch country. Someone told me today that Parker Ranch is the 10th largest ranch in the country, which is pretty amazing given where it is. I'd think that ranches in states like Texas would tend to be much larger! When I looked at the terrain today, it was easy to imagine that I was someplace other than Hawaii. I know that the Big Island is not most people's image of Hawaii - it's not known as a beach island - but upland ranches certainly don't fit the Hawaii image either! I saw cattle (of course), goats, and sheep in fields along the road. I wonder if the sheep are taking over the weather forecasting duties of the cows. You know, the one that says the percentage probability of rain is the same as the percentage of cows that are sitting down. Today, it was the sheep that were sitting. I had to stop and watch some baby goats prancing around their field, and (seemingly) being ordered around by the mama and papa goats.
When I stopped for a snack at a local hangout outside of Honokaa, a couple came up to talk with me. They had seen me in Hilo this morning, riding in the rain. They drove to Kona and were on their way back to Hilo. Hmm... it's taking me a whole week to cover the miles they did in one day! But I wouldn't give up any of my long days here. It's been a fabulous ride!
I rode into Waimea and decided I'd better stop and ask how to find my hotel. When I got to town I realized I didn't know which road held my home for the night. Not a problem, I was half a block away when I stopped to ask. I'm staying at the Waimea Country Lodge, which looks pretty much like a truck stop from the outside. The rooms are really nice though, with a wood-covered cathedral ceiling. And the shower has the strongest water pressure I've ever felt in a shower - almost a water massage!
When I walked into my room my initial thought was "oh no, it's really hot in here". No air conditioning here, but all I had to do to get the room cooled down was to open the window. The winds are so strong here that they quickly blew cooler air into the room. It was a perfect temperature within 5 minutes. I like this natural kind of air-conditioning!
I noticed when I checked in that the lost key charge here is $75! I asked if they have many lost keys, and the desk clerk said "not anymore"! Apparently with a lower lost key charge, many people managed to lose there keys...
First task when I got here was to clean the bike. It was dry, so I was able to just brush off most of the dirt, but I still did a good clean and re-lube job on the chain. Am I a clean bike maniac? Maybe, but I just can't stand all that grit!
There are two high-end and highly recommended restaurants here in Waimea - Merriman's, and Daniel Thiebaut. I thought about going to one of them, but I've been in a pretty low-key dining mood on this trip. I'm sure if my sister or my father were here with me we'd have gone to one of these restaurants. Sorry guys, but one of my housemates from Arnott's this morning told me he'd had a good tostada at Tako Taco, so I've been thinking about Mexican food all day. I had a huge veggie burrito, with rice, black beans, guacamole, salsa, and of course shredded lettuce and tomatos. It definitely hit the spot.
After dinner I went over to Starbucks to get a decaf Americano. I know, I know, I'm in the home of marvelous Kona coffee and I go to Starbucks! But I've never seen decaf Kona coffee, and I definitely don't need any caffeine right now. The Starbucks is in Parker Ranch Center (not the ranch, a shopping center containing a grocery store, restaurants, etc.). I noticed as I was walking out that all of the stop signs in the center said "Whoa", not "Stop". I always seem to see these odd signs when I'm not carrying my camera.
I'm having a hard time believing that I only have one day of riding left on this trip. The time has just been flying by. I suppose that's a good thing though - it's a sign of how much I've been enjoying myself. So here's to another good riding day tomorrow!
And another great riding day is behind me... I started the day with a good breakfast, thanks to my grocery store stop when I got to Hilo two days ago. Oatmeal, banana, and papaya along with a good cup of coffee, and some shared plans with some of the other folks at the lodge. I spoke with the 2 women from Japan - a mother and daughter - who I met on the Mauna Kea tour, and with a family from somewhere south of Eugene, Oregon. It's always fun to hear how other people are spending their time here. Arnott's Lodge was another good choice of a place to stay. There were always people around to talk to, probably due at least partly to the fact that it caters to foreign travelers and backpackers. I think when people stay at a backpacker's lodge they seem more likely to talk with strangers. Plus, there were people who were alone, in couples, in families and groups. There were quite a few twenty-somethings, but there were also people who appeared to be older than me - a nice mix.
As soon as I got rolling, the heavy mist started again. It misted for a bit, then changed to a light rain. I stashed my camera in the trailer fairly quickly since I didn't really want to destroy it! One interesting thing about riding in the rain here is that I never considered putting my rain jacket on - it would be just to hot, and I'd end up getting wet from the inside out. Better to be wet from the rain and cool than to be sweating up a storm in my rain jacket. I needed the jacket for the trip up Mauna Kea, so it was carried for a good purpose - just one slightly different than it's intended purpose. I probably rode in the rain for a good solid hour. Things dried out for a bit, but it never totally cleared. Every time I thought my clothes were just about dry it would start spitting again. But by the end of the day, the mist finally cleared.
It was another climbing day - over 3000 feet of elevation gain. I came from Hilo at sea level to Waimea at 2700 feet, and of course there was the usual set of rolling hills thrown in for fun. The riding was definitely easier in the morning. It started with some very gradual elevation gain, then rollers, then 3 gulches that were big downs and big ups, with each one getting progressively bigger. Then a long hill to get to the final elevation. When I started this morning there didn't seem to be any wind, but that changed in the afternoon. The trade winds are blowing, and they were at my back at the end of the day. I didn't feel the push on the uphills, but I definitely felt it during the last five flat miles into Waimea. It seems like the wind speed has continued to increase since I arrived here - I just walked back from dinner, and the clouds are just flying across the sky. It will be interesting to see what I'll be dealing with in the morning.
I'm still on the rainy side of the island, but I'll cross back to the desert side fairly early tomorrow. This is Parker Ranch country. Someone told me today that Parker Ranch is the 10th largest ranch in the country, which is pretty amazing given where it is. I'd think that ranches in states like Texas would tend to be much larger! When I looked at the terrain today, it was easy to imagine that I was someplace other than Hawaii. I know that the Big Island is not most people's image of Hawaii - it's not known as a beach island - but upland ranches certainly don't fit the Hawaii image either! I saw cattle (of course), goats, and sheep in fields along the road. I wonder if the sheep are taking over the weather forecasting duties of the cows. You know, the one that says the percentage probability of rain is the same as the percentage of cows that are sitting down. Today, it was the sheep that were sitting. I had to stop and watch some baby goats prancing around their field, and (seemingly) being ordered around by the mama and papa goats.
When I stopped for a snack at a local hangout outside of Honokaa, a couple came up to talk with me. They had seen me in Hilo this morning, riding in the rain. They drove to Kona and were on their way back to Hilo. Hmm... it's taking me a whole week to cover the miles they did in one day! But I wouldn't give up any of my long days here. It's been a fabulous ride!
I rode into Waimea and decided I'd better stop and ask how to find my hotel. When I got to town I realized I didn't know which road held my home for the night. Not a problem, I was half a block away when I stopped to ask. I'm staying at the Waimea Country Lodge, which looks pretty much like a truck stop from the outside. The rooms are really nice though, with a wood-covered cathedral ceiling. And the shower has the strongest water pressure I've ever felt in a shower - almost a water massage!
When I walked into my room my initial thought was "oh no, it's really hot in here". No air conditioning here, but all I had to do to get the room cooled down was to open the window. The winds are so strong here that they quickly blew cooler air into the room. It was a perfect temperature within 5 minutes. I like this natural kind of air-conditioning!
I noticed when I checked in that the lost key charge here is $75! I asked if they have many lost keys, and the desk clerk said "not anymore"! Apparently with a lower lost key charge, many people managed to lose there keys...
First task when I got here was to clean the bike. It was dry, so I was able to just brush off most of the dirt, but I still did a good clean and re-lube job on the chain. Am I a clean bike maniac? Maybe, but I just can't stand all that grit!
There are two high-end and highly recommended restaurants here in Waimea - Merriman's, and Daniel Thiebaut. I thought about going to one of them, but I've been in a pretty low-key dining mood on this trip. I'm sure if my sister or my father were here with me we'd have gone to one of these restaurants. Sorry guys, but one of my housemates from Arnott's this morning told me he'd had a good tostada at Tako Taco, so I've been thinking about Mexican food all day. I had a huge veggie burrito, with rice, black beans, guacamole, salsa, and of course shredded lettuce and tomatos. It definitely hit the spot.
After dinner I went over to Starbucks to get a decaf Americano. I know, I know, I'm in the home of marvelous Kona coffee and I go to Starbucks! But I've never seen decaf Kona coffee, and I definitely don't need any caffeine right now. The Starbucks is in Parker Ranch Center (not the ranch, a shopping center containing a grocery store, restaurants, etc.). I noticed as I was walking out that all of the stop signs in the center said "Whoa", not "Stop". I always seem to see these odd signs when I'm not carrying my camera.
I'm having a hard time believing that I only have one day of riding left on this trip. The time has just been flying by. I suppose that's a good thing though - it's a sign of how much I've been enjoying myself. So here's to another good riding day tomorrow!
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Silver in color, smooth as a baby's butt, and still popping
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
I had a nice leisurely morning waiting for the 11am departure of the lava flow tour. Breakfast was fresh papaya, a blueberry muffin, and coffee. No where near the B&B breakfasts of the last few days, but the amount of food matches the effort for the day! I shared some of my muffin with a little sparrow who kept hopping up on the table looking for crumbs.
Before I go any further - I have to send my dad his birthday wishes. I tried to connect with him over the phone, but no luck. He did get his cards and two phone messages - so now I'll add some cyber birthday wishes!
I was absolutely exhausted when I got back from the Mauna Kea tour last night - so much so that I didn't even finish my journal entry until this morning. I was a bit concerned because right after I got back to my room the folks in the room next door came in. There must have been at least 4 people sharing the room, and while they were talking in normal voices, it sounded like they were right in the room with me. Guess there's no insulation in these walls! Like most backpackers lodges or hostels, this one has quiet hours from 10:30pm to 8am - and I didn't even need to ask. My neighbors must have been as tired as I was, and it was quiet all night except for the occasional downpour.
The Internet access here consists of 3 computers with high-speed access and supposedly a plug-in for laptops. The folks that work here told me that is high-speed access too. That would surprise me a bit since the plug-in is a phone line. I wasn't able to try it though because someone has been on the phone all morning. I expected to have to wait for a couple of days to upload my Hilo journal entries, not a problem. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze in later, maybe not.
Time to go pack my supplies for the lava hike. More later...
I don't know how to describe today other than to say wow. Wow! What an awesome day!
We drove up to the park in heavy mist and rain. It made me realize how lucky I was to have a dry sunny day for my ride down yesterday. The wet stuff started to clear as we worked our way down Chain of Craters road, although it remained overcast and windy. And we were very happy about both of those conditions. But let me go back to the beginning. Most of us were gathered around the van pickup spot when Ian - our guide - walked up. His first comment was "what are the odds?". He was leading a tour of all women! Well, at least until we got to the start of the hike where 4 more folks joined up with us - two more women and two men. We had a pretty good group of people, and we were from all over the world, so we had a lot of fun chatting and sharing as we hiked out over the very uneven terrain. Ian was fabulous. He's been leading lava hikes for 3 years now, 3 to 5 days a week, and his enthusiasm just bubbles over. That added a special touch to the day.
Ian asked us if we wanted him to talk about volcanoes during the drive to the coast, or if we just wanted to listen to music. Everyone voted for volcanoes, so we learned a lot of interesting things on our way there. The Hawaiian volcanoes are believed to be formed from a hot spot under the Pacific tectonic plate. The plate is moving to the northwest, so the hot spot has created volcanoes (and the Hawaiian archipelago) running from the northwest to the southeast. The Big Island is the youngest of the islands that have broken the surface of the ocean, and Kauai is the oldest. The age difference is amazing to me - from 5 million years old for Kauai to 800,000 years old for the Big Island. There are currently 3 volcanoes in Hawaii considered to be active - Kilauea, which is currently erupting, Mauna Loa, which is apparently due to erupt, and Loihi to the southeast of the Big Island and which is not expected to break the surface of the Pacific Ocean in our lifetime. If you're as fascinated as I am by these volcanoes, you can read more information on the formation of the Hawaiian Islands page on the Hawaii Center for Volcanology web site.
According to the daily Park Service eruption update, there was some water entry, but no visible red lava flows today. Ian was sure he could find some though, and we struck out searching. He scouted ahead at one point, then came back and said he was just standing next to an active flow. He pointed us in the direction and went to update a few more folks. We started in the direction he indicated, watching for heat shimmering in the air. We stepped over some cracks and felt some pretty hot air billowing up towards up. When we looked down into the cracks we could see thin lines of glowing red lava. So we were all leaning down looking into these cracks - and Ian told us later that he almost started laughing since of course that wasn't what he meant when he said he was standing next to an active flow! Just a bit further, and there it was. How amazing. It's rock, red underneath, but quickly cooling to a smooth silver color. It moves, pulses, and forms rope-like textures. It pops and makes other sounds, and it moves both slowly and surprisingly quickly. (If you want to hear some of the sounds it makes - go to my resources page and click on the link for the USGS Hawaiian Volcanos Observatory - they have some videos on their site that include sound.) The heat coming off of it is intense - 2000 degrees fahrenheit. Now you can see why we were happy for both an overcast sky and a strong wind! When we asked Ian how close it was safe to stand, he had two responses - as close as you feel comfortable, and if it's popping it's too hot! We were close enough to lean down and touch it - although none of us was crazy enough to do that! You really had to watch where you put your feet when you were near the active flows, because in the sun the color of some of the older flows matched that of the new flows. The surface of the new flows was much smoother though, and obviously the red color underneath was a dead giveaway - but the red disappears relatively quickly. The heat coming off of the rock was another clear sign though, and we managed to keep our feet out of the hot stuff. No melted shoes today!
And my amazement at the lava flows was on a day that Madame Pele wasn't really cooperating - imagine if it had been a day with rivers of lava flowing in easily accessible places! Of course this means that I'm going to have to go back again. You'd think that once I saw a place I could take it off my list of places to visit, but it doesn't work that way for me.
As we walked across some of the newer - but cooled, not from today - flows, we could hear a crunching beneath our feet. Sometimes the sound was even like breaking glass. And after all, that's what were were walking on. We picked up pieces of lava - some were porous from escaping gases, and some were solid. There were white and yellow sulfer deposits on areas that had been lava tubes, and there were orange spots showing the presence of iron. I have quite a few pictures of the surface of the lava - both active and totally cooled. The shapes and the colors were fascinating. After seeing a number of active flows, we hiked over the top of the flow emptying into the ocean. At the point where we crossed over the top, the flow was far enough below our feet (underground) that we could safely and comfortably walk over it - although we could still feel the presence of some heat. Then we headed toward the coast. By crossing the flow, we were able to get to upwind of the gases (hydrochloric acid!) created by the water entry - no bad smells, sore throats, or danger from inhaling bad gases. The water entry is viewable mostly as steam, although from where we were standing we could still see some traces of red. You have to be very careful around the new flows at the water, because the lava flows form benches that often collapse. That's not a place where you'd want to be. We were actually fairly close today, but we were standing on an old flow (relatively). The safe spot we were standing in is likely not to be safe in a few days once the lava starts to fill in and build a new bench.
Black sand beaches are formed by the lava flowing into the ocean and cracking into tiny glass particles as the hot lava hits the cooler ocean water. These beaches are gorgeous, but they are quickly destroyed by both bench collapses and by the ocean currents carrying the sand away.
Many people think the lava tour is a do-it-yourself thing, but all of us in our group felt lucky to be on a guided hike today. The folks who were on their own today were on the downwind side of the ocean entry, right in the path of the noxious volcanic fumes. And they were no where near the active lava flows. I knew when I came here that chances were good that I wouldn't actually see the active lava flows - but I'm really happy that I got to see them.
We were back at the lodge before sunset. I was so happy that our entire hike was in daylight. A lot of people time their visit to the lava flows so that they're there at sunset. That means walking back in the dark on a black, uneven surface with no trail. That wouldn't have made me happy. My second night at Aloha Junction B&B - two of the couples staying there went to see the lava. The first did their walk in daylight, and it took them 45 minutes to walk in and 45 minutes to walk out. The second walked in with daylight but walked out in the dark. It took them 45 minutes to walk in and 2 hours and 15 minutes to walk out. We actually had to walk much further in today to find the active lava flows - we were out on the lava fields for a total of 4 hours. I can't imagine doing what we did after dark!
Back to biking in the morning. I'll be heading north and west from here, continuing to follow the coast. At some point - I hope - the trade winds may start to help instead of hindering me.
I had a nice leisurely morning waiting for the 11am departure of the lava flow tour. Breakfast was fresh papaya, a blueberry muffin, and coffee. No where near the B&B breakfasts of the last few days, but the amount of food matches the effort for the day! I shared some of my muffin with a little sparrow who kept hopping up on the table looking for crumbs.
Before I go any further - I have to send my dad his birthday wishes. I tried to connect with him over the phone, but no luck. He did get his cards and two phone messages - so now I'll add some cyber birthday wishes!
I was absolutely exhausted when I got back from the Mauna Kea tour last night - so much so that I didn't even finish my journal entry until this morning. I was a bit concerned because right after I got back to my room the folks in the room next door came in. There must have been at least 4 people sharing the room, and while they were talking in normal voices, it sounded like they were right in the room with me. Guess there's no insulation in these walls! Like most backpackers lodges or hostels, this one has quiet hours from 10:30pm to 8am - and I didn't even need to ask. My neighbors must have been as tired as I was, and it was quiet all night except for the occasional downpour.
The Internet access here consists of 3 computers with high-speed access and supposedly a plug-in for laptops. The folks that work here told me that is high-speed access too. That would surprise me a bit since the plug-in is a phone line. I wasn't able to try it though because someone has been on the phone all morning. I expected to have to wait for a couple of days to upload my Hilo journal entries, not a problem. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze in later, maybe not.
Time to go pack my supplies for the lava hike. More later...
I don't know how to describe today other than to say wow. Wow! What an awesome day!
We drove up to the park in heavy mist and rain. It made me realize how lucky I was to have a dry sunny day for my ride down yesterday. The wet stuff started to clear as we worked our way down Chain of Craters road, although it remained overcast and windy. And we were very happy about both of those conditions. But let me go back to the beginning. Most of us were gathered around the van pickup spot when Ian - our guide - walked up. His first comment was "what are the odds?". He was leading a tour of all women! Well, at least until we got to the start of the hike where 4 more folks joined up with us - two more women and two men. We had a pretty good group of people, and we were from all over the world, so we had a lot of fun chatting and sharing as we hiked out over the very uneven terrain. Ian was fabulous. He's been leading lava hikes for 3 years now, 3 to 5 days a week, and his enthusiasm just bubbles over. That added a special touch to the day.
Ian asked us if we wanted him to talk about volcanoes during the drive to the coast, or if we just wanted to listen to music. Everyone voted for volcanoes, so we learned a lot of interesting things on our way there. The Hawaiian volcanoes are believed to be formed from a hot spot under the Pacific tectonic plate. The plate is moving to the northwest, so the hot spot has created volcanoes (and the Hawaiian archipelago) running from the northwest to the southeast. The Big Island is the youngest of the islands that have broken the surface of the ocean, and Kauai is the oldest. The age difference is amazing to me - from 5 million years old for Kauai to 800,000 years old for the Big Island. There are currently 3 volcanoes in Hawaii considered to be active - Kilauea, which is currently erupting, Mauna Loa, which is apparently due to erupt, and Loihi to the southeast of the Big Island and which is not expected to break the surface of the Pacific Ocean in our lifetime. If you're as fascinated as I am by these volcanoes, you can read more information on the formation of the Hawaiian Islands page on the Hawaii Center for Volcanology web site.
According to the daily Park Service eruption update, there was some water entry, but no visible red lava flows today. Ian was sure he could find some though, and we struck out searching. He scouted ahead at one point, then came back and said he was just standing next to an active flow. He pointed us in the direction and went to update a few more folks. We started in the direction he indicated, watching for heat shimmering in the air. We stepped over some cracks and felt some pretty hot air billowing up towards up. When we looked down into the cracks we could see thin lines of glowing red lava. So we were all leaning down looking into these cracks - and Ian told us later that he almost started laughing since of course that wasn't what he meant when he said he was standing next to an active flow! Just a bit further, and there it was. How amazing. It's rock, red underneath, but quickly cooling to a smooth silver color. It moves, pulses, and forms rope-like textures. It pops and makes other sounds, and it moves both slowly and surprisingly quickly. (If you want to hear some of the sounds it makes - go to my resources page and click on the link for the USGS Hawaiian Volcanos Observatory - they have some videos on their site that include sound.) The heat coming off of it is intense - 2000 degrees fahrenheit. Now you can see why we were happy for both an overcast sky and a strong wind! When we asked Ian how close it was safe to stand, he had two responses - as close as you feel comfortable, and if it's popping it's too hot! We were close enough to lean down and touch it - although none of us was crazy enough to do that! You really had to watch where you put your feet when you were near the active flows, because in the sun the color of some of the older flows matched that of the new flows. The surface of the new flows was much smoother though, and obviously the red color underneath was a dead giveaway - but the red disappears relatively quickly. The heat coming off of the rock was another clear sign though, and we managed to keep our feet out of the hot stuff. No melted shoes today!
And my amazement at the lava flows was on a day that Madame Pele wasn't really cooperating - imagine if it had been a day with rivers of lava flowing in easily accessible places! Of course this means that I'm going to have to go back again. You'd think that once I saw a place I could take it off my list of places to visit, but it doesn't work that way for me.
As we walked across some of the newer - but cooled, not from today - flows, we could hear a crunching beneath our feet. Sometimes the sound was even like breaking glass. And after all, that's what were were walking on. We picked up pieces of lava - some were porous from escaping gases, and some were solid. There were white and yellow sulfer deposits on areas that had been lava tubes, and there were orange spots showing the presence of iron. I have quite a few pictures of the surface of the lava - both active and totally cooled. The shapes and the colors were fascinating. After seeing a number of active flows, we hiked over the top of the flow emptying into the ocean. At the point where we crossed over the top, the flow was far enough below our feet (underground) that we could safely and comfortably walk over it - although we could still feel the presence of some heat. Then we headed toward the coast. By crossing the flow, we were able to get to upwind of the gases (hydrochloric acid!) created by the water entry - no bad smells, sore throats, or danger from inhaling bad gases. The water entry is viewable mostly as steam, although from where we were standing we could still see some traces of red. You have to be very careful around the new flows at the water, because the lava flows form benches that often collapse. That's not a place where you'd want to be. We were actually fairly close today, but we were standing on an old flow (relatively). The safe spot we were standing in is likely not to be safe in a few days once the lava starts to fill in and build a new bench.
Black sand beaches are formed by the lava flowing into the ocean and cracking into tiny glass particles as the hot lava hits the cooler ocean water. These beaches are gorgeous, but they are quickly destroyed by both bench collapses and by the ocean currents carrying the sand away.
Many people think the lava tour is a do-it-yourself thing, but all of us in our group felt lucky to be on a guided hike today. The folks who were on their own today were on the downwind side of the ocean entry, right in the path of the noxious volcanic fumes. And they were no where near the active lava flows. I knew when I came here that chances were good that I wouldn't actually see the active lava flows - but I'm really happy that I got to see them.
We were back at the lodge before sunset. I was so happy that our entire hike was in daylight. A lot of people time their visit to the lava flows so that they're there at sunset. That means walking back in the dark on a black, uneven surface with no trail. That wouldn't have made me happy. My second night at Aloha Junction B&B - two of the couples staying there went to see the lava. The first did their walk in daylight, and it took them 45 minutes to walk in and 45 minutes to walk out. The second walked in with daylight but walked out in the dark. It took them 45 minutes to walk in and 2 hours and 15 minutes to walk out. We actually had to walk much further in today to find the active lava flows - we were out on the lava fields for a total of 4 hours. I can't imagine doing what we did after dark!
Back to biking in the morning. I'll be heading north and west from here, continuing to follow the coast. At some point - I hope - the trade winds may start to help instead of hindering me.
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
A downhill glide, then a summit visit
Volcano to Hilo, and on to Mauna Kea
I woke to a glorious day. I had pretty much resigned myself to the assumption that I would be biking to Hilo in the mist, but the sun decided to pay us a visit today. It's hard to believe how nice and cool it was last night; I was actually glad to have the down comforter on my bed!
Today was the last of the wonderful B&B breakfasts - I'm in a backpacker's lodge for the next two nights, and hotels for the last two. But today's breakfast was marvelous again: papaya boats, a wonderful quiche, juice, and kona coffee. A very good start to the day.
When I spoke to Robert as I was leaving the B&B this morning, he told me to send my friends there - he said that they really like cyclists. If you're traveling in Hawaii and looking for a place to stay in Volcano, Aloha Junction is a real winner. I'd go back there in a heartbeat.
The biking part of my day was very pleasant, and almost all downhill. I thought about throwing on my rain jacket for the downhill because it was a little cool starting out, but I knew that it would warm up as I reached lower elevations. No jacket needed! There was quite a long stretch of just coasting. It seems like cheating to count the biking miles, but I think it makes up for all of the climbing I did - and I deserved the downhill!
I got into Hilo pretty early and headed straight to Arnott's Lodge. In hindsight, I should have stopped a a grocery store on the way in because once I was checked in I decided I needed to go get some food. Not to worry, I dropped off the trailer, put a daypack on my back (for carrying groceries), and headed back out again. I asked someone I met on the street where I could find the closest grocery store. She looked a little puzzled, then told me the Safeway was pretty far. I don't think so! It was just a couple miles back out route 11 - I'd already passed it once today - and a couple of miles on a bike definitely isn't far!
Back to the lodge for a shower and some food, and to pack up my layers for the Mauna Kea tour. I felt pretty silly packing all of those clothes, but as you'll see later I needed them!
Getting ready for the Mauna Kea summit trip. Rover decided to come too.
I handwashed my biking clothes as usual, but this time I had access to a clothes dryer, and I used it. The bike shorts I washed out when I was in Volcano took two days to dry. I guess that makes a certain amount of sense - rainforests are wet! While the B&B was nice and cozy, it was still pretty damp up there.
Arnott's Lodge is low key and very pleasant. There are all different levels of rooms, ranging from tenting on the lawn, to dorm rooms, to private rooms. I opted for a private room with a private bath. It's in a house - all of the bedrooms have locks on the door. I can enter mine from either outside or from the shared living area and kitchen. There is a common area outside - under cover - with tables and chairs, internet access, and a movie tent. They even have clunker bikes that guests can borrow for free. Obviously I didn't need to borrow a bike, but having them there was definitely a nice touch for many of the people staying at Arnott's. There's also a beach park just down the street, although I don't plan to spend any time there. I'll be busy with my two adventure tours.
The Mauna Kea tour started with a quick stop at a grocery store to pick up food for dinner. Suzanne - our driver - recommended that we eat sugar - 58 grams for a 150 pound person - between when we started and our dinner stop at the 9200 foot level of the mountain. That's about the amount in a 20-ounce bottle of soda (no diet Coke this time!) and a cookie. She said the guests seem to have fewer altitude probelms when they eat sugar. The extra sugar supposedly will help get blood to your brain to carry whatever oxygen is available at elevation. I honestly don't know if there is any scientific support for this theory, but of course we were all happy to oblige - after all how often does someone tell you to eat sweet stuff for your health!
We made a quick stop at Rainbow Falls here in Hilo - beautiful - before we headed out on the Saddle Road. This is a road that was built by the military (I believe for World War II). It runs in the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea - the 2 largest of the 5 volcanos on the island. Mauna Kea is the tallest at 13796 feet, with Mauna Loa following at 13677 feet. Mauna Loa is the more massive of the two. The other volcanos on the island are Kilauea, the most active, Kohala, and Hualalai. Although the road runs between the two mountains, we couldn't see either of them as we were heading up - both were in the clouds. Interesting fact - use of Saddle Road and the road up Mauna Kea is prohibited by the rental car companies. Supposedly driving there voids the rental car insurance, and if you have a breakdown the cost of a tow truck is exorbitant. Plus you really need 4-wheel drive about the visitor center on Mauna Kea. The portion of Saddle Road between Hilo and the Mauna Kea cutoff is decent and two lanes wide, but the part of the road heading from the cutoff into Waimea is supposed to be pretty bad - and a single lane carrying traffic in two directions. It can be foggy (or cloudy) during the day, and obviously there's no lights at night. Fun. There's even a sign at the visitor saying to "watch out for invisible cows".
We took the Mauna Kea cutoff and headed up the mountain. We stopped at the visitor center at 9200 feet to eat dinner and attempt to get acclimated. It was still pleasant and 60 degrees out. I took a short walk to see some silversword plants, and even saw a pair of (what I think were) nene - the Hawaiian state bird. Back in the van, we headed on up to the top of the mountain. The first 5 miles of the road from that point were unpaved and pretty rough. I was very glad to be riding and not driving, and I was even happier not to be attempting to ride up that steep grade. It's amazing to think about just transporting the mirrors for the telescopes up that road - let alone doing any serious construction or assembling at that altitude.
We hopped out of the van at the top to very windy and cold conditions. It was beautiful though. As I mentioned earlier, but I was really glad I had lots of layers with me. I started the trip in shorts and a sleeveless Patagonia silkweight shirt. I zipped the legs back onto my pants before we got to the visitor center. And before I got out of the van at the top I added all of my layers. I was wearing a Patagonia silkweight capilene tank, an REI midweight long underwear tank, a Patagonia R.5 fleece shirt, a lightweight fleece vest, and my biking rain jacket - with the hood! Seems silly to be wearing all of that in Hawaii, but I needed it!
I took a short hike to the top of the cinder cone that is the true summit. I had an occasional bout of light-headedness, but I just stood still for a bit, concentrated on breathing, then started walking again. There's 40% less oxygen where we were than there is at sea level. That's the highest elevation I've been to so far. (No one in our group took advantage of it, but Arnott's had oxygen available in the van in case anyone was feeling ill because of the altitude. A nice security blanket...)
Of course a combination of the altitude and all the liquid I was drinking caused a need for a bathroom. The only bathroom up there were a pair of outhouses strapped to an old brick building. They were certainly the highest outhouses I've used, and they felt like they were swaying as I used them. It was probably just an altitude hallucination - but it was pretty windy, so they could have been moving!
There are 13 observatories on top of Mauna Kea. Apparently it's the premier spot for astronomy in the world. We weren't able to go into any of them since they were preparing for the night's viewing, but we were able to see them opening for telescope use before we left. Charlene (at Macadamia Meadows B&B) told me that on Saturday and Sunday some of the astronomers give tours for free. Of course you have to get up to the summit on your own. That would be interesting, but not possible for this trip. Maybe next time. If you'd like more information, check out the Mauna Kea page on the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy web site.
We hung around on the top for about an hour and a half - until sunset. I'm sure I have a lot of identical pictures since I kept shooting as the light kept changing. I was glad I was carrying an extra battery for my camera, because I got a low battery indicator towards the end of our stay at the summit. I did take a lot of pictures, but I also suspect the temperature had something to do with it. I did a bit of walking around up there, but then I joined most of my small group in using one of the buildings as a wind block!
I learned something that surprised me on the way up. We passed through some areas of old lava (gray in color with stuff growing on it), newer lava flows (from Mauna Loa in the 1980's), and areas of brown rocks that were transported by water. Water? Well, it turns out that there was a period of glaciation on Mauna Kea, and what we were seeing was the terminal moraine from the glacier. Fascinating. I'm going to have to do some reading on that when I get back.
Did you know that the lunar lander was tested on Mauna Kea? They say it some sections of it looks like the surface of the moon...
Another thing I noticed is that all of the road signs have holes in them. These holes were deliberately placed - definitely not bullet holes. They are there to allow the wind to flow through the signs instead of knocking them over!
We stopped at 9000 foot level again to stargaze for a bit, then headed back to the lodge.
I got a first-hand view of the reflectors embedded in the pavement in a vehicle's headlights on the way back. They are very effective - just annoying to have to continuously be watching out for them while biking. They definitely can cause a loss of balance when you unexpectedly hit them!
I woke to a glorious day. I had pretty much resigned myself to the assumption that I would be biking to Hilo in the mist, but the sun decided to pay us a visit today. It's hard to believe how nice and cool it was last night; I was actually glad to have the down comforter on my bed!
Today was the last of the wonderful B&B breakfasts - I'm in a backpacker's lodge for the next two nights, and hotels for the last two. But today's breakfast was marvelous again: papaya boats, a wonderful quiche, juice, and kona coffee. A very good start to the day.
When I spoke to Robert as I was leaving the B&B this morning, he told me to send my friends there - he said that they really like cyclists. If you're traveling in Hawaii and looking for a place to stay in Volcano, Aloha Junction is a real winner. I'd go back there in a heartbeat.
The biking part of my day was very pleasant, and almost all downhill. I thought about throwing on my rain jacket for the downhill because it was a little cool starting out, but I knew that it would warm up as I reached lower elevations. No jacket needed! There was quite a long stretch of just coasting. It seems like cheating to count the biking miles, but I think it makes up for all of the climbing I did - and I deserved the downhill!
I got into Hilo pretty early and headed straight to Arnott's Lodge. In hindsight, I should have stopped a a grocery store on the way in because once I was checked in I decided I needed to go get some food. Not to worry, I dropped off the trailer, put a daypack on my back (for carrying groceries), and headed back out again. I asked someone I met on the street where I could find the closest grocery store. She looked a little puzzled, then told me the Safeway was pretty far. I don't think so! It was just a couple miles back out route 11 - I'd already passed it once today - and a couple of miles on a bike definitely isn't far!
Back to the lodge for a shower and some food, and to pack up my layers for the Mauna Kea tour. I felt pretty silly packing all of those clothes, but as you'll see later I needed them!
Getting ready for the Mauna Kea summit trip. Rover decided to come too.
I handwashed my biking clothes as usual, but this time I had access to a clothes dryer, and I used it. The bike shorts I washed out when I was in Volcano took two days to dry. I guess that makes a certain amount of sense - rainforests are wet! While the B&B was nice and cozy, it was still pretty damp up there.
Arnott's Lodge is low key and very pleasant. There are all different levels of rooms, ranging from tenting on the lawn, to dorm rooms, to private rooms. I opted for a private room with a private bath. It's in a house - all of the bedrooms have locks on the door. I can enter mine from either outside or from the shared living area and kitchen. There is a common area outside - under cover - with tables and chairs, internet access, and a movie tent. They even have clunker bikes that guests can borrow for free. Obviously I didn't need to borrow a bike, but having them there was definitely a nice touch for many of the people staying at Arnott's. There's also a beach park just down the street, although I don't plan to spend any time there. I'll be busy with my two adventure tours.
The Mauna Kea tour started with a quick stop at a grocery store to pick up food for dinner. Suzanne - our driver - recommended that we eat sugar - 58 grams for a 150 pound person - between when we started and our dinner stop at the 9200 foot level of the mountain. That's about the amount in a 20-ounce bottle of soda (no diet Coke this time!) and a cookie. She said the guests seem to have fewer altitude probelms when they eat sugar. The extra sugar supposedly will help get blood to your brain to carry whatever oxygen is available at elevation. I honestly don't know if there is any scientific support for this theory, but of course we were all happy to oblige - after all how often does someone tell you to eat sweet stuff for your health!
We made a quick stop at Rainbow Falls here in Hilo - beautiful - before we headed out on the Saddle Road. This is a road that was built by the military (I believe for World War II). It runs in the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea - the 2 largest of the 5 volcanos on the island. Mauna Kea is the tallest at 13796 feet, with Mauna Loa following at 13677 feet. Mauna Loa is the more massive of the two. The other volcanos on the island are Kilauea, the most active, Kohala, and Hualalai. Although the road runs between the two mountains, we couldn't see either of them as we were heading up - both were in the clouds. Interesting fact - use of Saddle Road and the road up Mauna Kea is prohibited by the rental car companies. Supposedly driving there voids the rental car insurance, and if you have a breakdown the cost of a tow truck is exorbitant. Plus you really need 4-wheel drive about the visitor center on Mauna Kea. The portion of Saddle Road between Hilo and the Mauna Kea cutoff is decent and two lanes wide, but the part of the road heading from the cutoff into Waimea is supposed to be pretty bad - and a single lane carrying traffic in two directions. It can be foggy (or cloudy) during the day, and obviously there's no lights at night. Fun. There's even a sign at the visitor saying to "watch out for invisible cows".
We took the Mauna Kea cutoff and headed up the mountain. We stopped at the visitor center at 9200 feet to eat dinner and attempt to get acclimated. It was still pleasant and 60 degrees out. I took a short walk to see some silversword plants, and even saw a pair of (what I think were) nene - the Hawaiian state bird. Back in the van, we headed on up to the top of the mountain. The first 5 miles of the road from that point were unpaved and pretty rough. I was very glad to be riding and not driving, and I was even happier not to be attempting to ride up that steep grade. It's amazing to think about just transporting the mirrors for the telescopes up that road - let alone doing any serious construction or assembling at that altitude.
We hopped out of the van at the top to very windy and cold conditions. It was beautiful though. As I mentioned earlier, but I was really glad I had lots of layers with me. I started the trip in shorts and a sleeveless Patagonia silkweight shirt. I zipped the legs back onto my pants before we got to the visitor center. And before I got out of the van at the top I added all of my layers. I was wearing a Patagonia silkweight capilene tank, an REI midweight long underwear tank, a Patagonia R.5 fleece shirt, a lightweight fleece vest, and my biking rain jacket - with the hood! Seems silly to be wearing all of that in Hawaii, but I needed it!
I took a short hike to the top of the cinder cone that is the true summit. I had an occasional bout of light-headedness, but I just stood still for a bit, concentrated on breathing, then started walking again. There's 40% less oxygen where we were than there is at sea level. That's the highest elevation I've been to so far. (No one in our group took advantage of it, but Arnott's had oxygen available in the van in case anyone was feeling ill because of the altitude. A nice security blanket...)
Of course a combination of the altitude and all the liquid I was drinking caused a need for a bathroom. The only bathroom up there were a pair of outhouses strapped to an old brick building. They were certainly the highest outhouses I've used, and they felt like they were swaying as I used them. It was probably just an altitude hallucination - but it was pretty windy, so they could have been moving!
There are 13 observatories on top of Mauna Kea. Apparently it's the premier spot for astronomy in the world. We weren't able to go into any of them since they were preparing for the night's viewing, but we were able to see them opening for telescope use before we left. Charlene (at Macadamia Meadows B&B) told me that on Saturday and Sunday some of the astronomers give tours for free. Of course you have to get up to the summit on your own. That would be interesting, but not possible for this trip. Maybe next time. If you'd like more information, check out the Mauna Kea page on the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy web site.
We hung around on the top for about an hour and a half - until sunset. I'm sure I have a lot of identical pictures since I kept shooting as the light kept changing. I was glad I was carrying an extra battery for my camera, because I got a low battery indicator towards the end of our stay at the summit. I did take a lot of pictures, but I also suspect the temperature had something to do with it. I did a bit of walking around up there, but then I joined most of my small group in using one of the buildings as a wind block!
I learned something that surprised me on the way up. We passed through some areas of old lava (gray in color with stuff growing on it), newer lava flows (from Mauna Loa in the 1980's), and areas of brown rocks that were transported by water. Water? Well, it turns out that there was a period of glaciation on Mauna Kea, and what we were seeing was the terminal moraine from the glacier. Fascinating. I'm going to have to do some reading on that when I get back.
Did you know that the lunar lander was tested on Mauna Kea? They say it some sections of it looks like the surface of the moon...
Another thing I noticed is that all of the road signs have holes in them. These holes were deliberately placed - definitely not bullet holes. They are there to allow the wind to flow through the signs instead of knocking them over!
We stopped at 9000 foot level again to stargaze for a bit, then headed back to the lodge.
I got a first-hand view of the reflectors embedded in the pavement in a vehicle's headlights on the way back. They are very effective - just annoying to have to continuously be watching out for them while biking. They definitely can cause a loss of balance when you unexpectedly hit them!
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Crater Rim Drive, Bike Cleaning, and Relaxation
In Volcano
No biking today, but another wonderful day.
It continued to rain and mist all night, and it was very wet when I woke up this morning. It was more a mist than a steady downpour, but it was heavy enough that you could see it, and you definitely knew that you were walking through water!
I started the day with a fabulous breakfast - again. I could get used to having someone cook my breakfast every day! We had papaya boats - papaya with sliced banana and a little (optional) lime juice - pancakes, sausage, and Kona coffee with a little added cinnamon and macadamia nuts. I'm not much of a meat eater, but I do occasionally like the particularly evil stuff like sausage and bacon... I chatted with the other folks staying here along with our host and cook. There were 5 of us here last night, and another couple actually arrived before breakfast. Their flight into Honolulu was delayed, so they missed the last interisland flight last night. That happened to Mom & me too when we vacationed in Hawaii together many years ago.
I was feeling pretty lazy after breakfast, so I just continued to sit and enjoy my coffee. It was so wet out that I was going to just relax in the morning and then hope for dryer weather for a ride around Crater Rim Drive in the afternoon. Sandy and 'Ton (sorry, I know I've spelled your name wrong!) went out to their car and then popped back in to ask me if I'd like to join them in a drive around the crater rim. I took them up on their offer, and we spent a nice morning wandering around the park. We started at the visitor center so we could see a video on the current eruption. We arrived in mid-stream, so we asked the ranger when the next showing would start. His answer - "this one started late, we'll start the next showing when this one ends". Guess that was a laid back Hawaiian answer. We only had to wait about 20 minutes, and it was well worth the wait. Then we took off to explore Crater Rim Drive, stopping at all of the viewpoints along the way. I was pretty glad that I wasn't on my bike - it was very wet and very windy. The temperatures really weren't bad - probably in the 60s - but it felt pretty raw. (And you remember that long-sleeved shirt I wasn't going to bring? I wore it today!)
Hawaii Volcanos National Park is just awesome. It's really a study in contrasts. It's in a rain forest, so there are incredible green plants in parts of the park - including a fern and ohi'a lehua forest. Beautiful. Then contrast the green with the massive amount of black and shades of gray of the lava, the crater and caldera, the yellow sulphur deposits, and the white of steam rising from vents. Of course we stopped at Halema'uma'u which is rumored to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian Volcano goddess. We also saw rock piles placed by humans as a sign of respect for Pele. And all this is before I get to see (I hope) the active lava flows. This is the third time I've visited this park, and I don't think it's my last! I took quite a few pictures today considering the wet and gray weather conditions, but I'm sure that the spectacular shots are in my head and not in my camera. It always seems to work that way, doesn't it?
When we finished the drive we were all starving, so we stopped at a cafe in Volcano Village before returning to the B&B. My morning driving buddies are headed out to see the active lava flow at sunset. They asked me to join them again, but I opted to stay here and relax since I'm already planning to do the Arnott's Lodge lava flow tour - I'll be back in the park in just two more days.
But - before relaxing came bike cleaning and re-lubing. Given that I finished the day in the rain yesterday, it really wasn't in bad shape. But the bike and I are both happier when it has fresh lube on the chain!
The sun finally peeked out around 3, and I thought about going for a walk, but I decided just being lazy wasn't a bad thing. I spent some time sitting in the jacuzzi out back. Nice. By the time I hopped out of the jacuzzi it was misting again. And it stopped again a short time later. Guess that what happens when you're hanging out in a rain forest.
When I was walking around the property earlier I noticed a tree house out in front of the house. It's pretty high up - looks like about 3 flights up - and there is a rope (or something of the sort) hanging down from it. I asked Robert if they used it, and he said that there are two twin beds up there and that people actually stay there. He told me if I'd sign a release I could climb up the ladder that is attached to the tree and check it out. I declined - I can climb up ladders, but coming back down is a problem for me. It kind of freaks me out when I Iook down and see nothing beneath my feet. Funny that planes don't have that effect on me. I think it may have something to do with the feeling of exposure.
I called Arnott's this afternoon to check on the start time for my Mauna Kea tour tomorrow. When I told the woman who answered the phone that I'd be coming down to Hilo from Volcano by bike, she seemed concerned about my making it in time, telling me that it takes about 45 minutes in a car. No problem - it's only 30 miles, it's all downhill (maybe a bit of flat at the end) and the tour doesn't start until 3. I shouldn't have any problem getting there and getting checked in and changed into non-biking clothes with plenty of time to spare.
Six o'clock rolled around and I was starving again. It still amazes me how much bike touring kicks up your calorie-burning metabolism. I guess I'm eating to refuel from the last few days and to fuel up for the next rides. The food from Thai Thai was so good last night that I decided to get takeout from there again. And yes, I know I could have eaten there, but it's nice to have a place to call home for a night where I can relax and eat and read and brew a cup of hot tea, and... Tonight's feast was Thai Sweet & Sour (a new one for me) with shrimp, tons of vegetables, and a very light sauce. And rice, of course. An excellent meal again. As Ruthie pointed out in her guestbook entry, I guess I do talk about food alot. Let's see, do I ride to eat, or eat to ride? Both, I think!
No biking today, but another wonderful day.
It continued to rain and mist all night, and it was very wet when I woke up this morning. It was more a mist than a steady downpour, but it was heavy enough that you could see it, and you definitely knew that you were walking through water!
I started the day with a fabulous breakfast - again. I could get used to having someone cook my breakfast every day! We had papaya boats - papaya with sliced banana and a little (optional) lime juice - pancakes, sausage, and Kona coffee with a little added cinnamon and macadamia nuts. I'm not much of a meat eater, but I do occasionally like the particularly evil stuff like sausage and bacon... I chatted with the other folks staying here along with our host and cook. There were 5 of us here last night, and another couple actually arrived before breakfast. Their flight into Honolulu was delayed, so they missed the last interisland flight last night. That happened to Mom & me too when we vacationed in Hawaii together many years ago.
I was feeling pretty lazy after breakfast, so I just continued to sit and enjoy my coffee. It was so wet out that I was going to just relax in the morning and then hope for dryer weather for a ride around Crater Rim Drive in the afternoon. Sandy and 'Ton (sorry, I know I've spelled your name wrong!) went out to their car and then popped back in to ask me if I'd like to join them in a drive around the crater rim. I took them up on their offer, and we spent a nice morning wandering around the park. We started at the visitor center so we could see a video on the current eruption. We arrived in mid-stream, so we asked the ranger when the next showing would start. His answer - "this one started late, we'll start the next showing when this one ends". Guess that was a laid back Hawaiian answer. We only had to wait about 20 minutes, and it was well worth the wait. Then we took off to explore Crater Rim Drive, stopping at all of the viewpoints along the way. I was pretty glad that I wasn't on my bike - it was very wet and very windy. The temperatures really weren't bad - probably in the 60s - but it felt pretty raw. (And you remember that long-sleeved shirt I wasn't going to bring? I wore it today!)
Hawaii Volcanos National Park is just awesome. It's really a study in contrasts. It's in a rain forest, so there are incredible green plants in parts of the park - including a fern and ohi'a lehua forest. Beautiful. Then contrast the green with the massive amount of black and shades of gray of the lava, the crater and caldera, the yellow sulphur deposits, and the white of steam rising from vents. Of course we stopped at Halema'uma'u which is rumored to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian Volcano goddess. We also saw rock piles placed by humans as a sign of respect for Pele. And all this is before I get to see (I hope) the active lava flows. This is the third time I've visited this park, and I don't think it's my last! I took quite a few pictures today considering the wet and gray weather conditions, but I'm sure that the spectacular shots are in my head and not in my camera. It always seems to work that way, doesn't it?
When we finished the drive we were all starving, so we stopped at a cafe in Volcano Village before returning to the B&B. My morning driving buddies are headed out to see the active lava flow at sunset. They asked me to join them again, but I opted to stay here and relax since I'm already planning to do the Arnott's Lodge lava flow tour - I'll be back in the park in just two more days.
But - before relaxing came bike cleaning and re-lubing. Given that I finished the day in the rain yesterday, it really wasn't in bad shape. But the bike and I are both happier when it has fresh lube on the chain!
The sun finally peeked out around 3, and I thought about going for a walk, but I decided just being lazy wasn't a bad thing. I spent some time sitting in the jacuzzi out back. Nice. By the time I hopped out of the jacuzzi it was misting again. And it stopped again a short time later. Guess that what happens when you're hanging out in a rain forest.
When I was walking around the property earlier I noticed a tree house out in front of the house. It's pretty high up - looks like about 3 flights up - and there is a rope (or something of the sort) hanging down from it. I asked Robert if they used it, and he said that there are two twin beds up there and that people actually stay there. He told me if I'd sign a release I could climb up the ladder that is attached to the tree and check it out. I declined - I can climb up ladders, but coming back down is a problem for me. It kind of freaks me out when I Iook down and see nothing beneath my feet. Funny that planes don't have that effect on me. I think it may have something to do with the feeling of exposure.
I called Arnott's this afternoon to check on the start time for my Mauna Kea tour tomorrow. When I told the woman who answered the phone that I'd be coming down to Hilo from Volcano by bike, she seemed concerned about my making it in time, telling me that it takes about 45 minutes in a car. No problem - it's only 30 miles, it's all downhill (maybe a bit of flat at the end) and the tour doesn't start until 3. I shouldn't have any problem getting there and getting checked in and changed into non-biking clothes with plenty of time to spare.
Six o'clock rolled around and I was starving again. It still amazes me how much bike touring kicks up your calorie-burning metabolism. I guess I'm eating to refuel from the last few days and to fuel up for the next rides. The food from Thai Thai was so good last night that I decided to get takeout from there again. And yes, I know I could have eaten there, but it's nice to have a place to call home for a night where I can relax and eat and read and brew a cup of hot tea, and... Tonight's feast was Thai Sweet & Sour (a new one for me) with shrimp, tons of vegetables, and a very light sauce. And rice, of course. An excellent meal again. As Ruthie pointed out in her guestbook entry, I guess I do talk about food alot. Let's see, do I ride to eat, or eat to ride? Both, I think!
Monday, May 19, 2003
Up and up and up
Na'alehu to Volcano
Yesterday morning I woke to the sound of crashing waves, and today I woke to roosters crowing. There's a resident flock of wild chickens (& roosters, of course) that live at Macadamia Meadows Farms. Charlene said that the birds subsist by eating all of the bugs in the orchard - and all of the bugs around the house. No pesticides needed, all natural bug-eating fowl!
Breakfast today was waffles with fresh macadamia nuts, honey, and a little whipped cream. Plus fruit, juice, and coffee. Yum!
My riding day started with a wonderful downhill, which unfortunately didn't last too long. The first 10 miles of the day were the downhill followed by some flat to rolling miles, all with the same headwind that was my friend yesterday. I turned off to visit Punuluu Black Sand Beach, which of course was about a mile downhill. How could it be anything but downhill? So I had to climb back up to join the highway again - but it's such a beautiful place that it was worth the extra elevation gain.
Today was definitely a long, slow day. Only 42 miles, but an elevation gain of 4300 feet. The grade wasn't bad - sections of 3 to 4%, sections of 1 to 2%, along with the occasional 5 or 6. It just didn't stop going up - about 25 miles worth of up. It probably didn't help that my legs were pretty burnt from yesterday... It's very helpful that there were signs marking each 500 feet of elevation gain. I rode from sea level to a high of 4024 feet. (The extra couple hundred feet of elevation gain were from the rollers earlier in the day.) There were times when I thought I should have arranged for someone to deliver my gear to tonight's B&B, but of course I made it under my own power. I feel really good about the day, but I was really glad to be finished. The hill would have been much easier on an unloaded bike. But then again, what hill wouldn't be? No surprises; I knew what the terrain would be like going into this trip!
My friend the headwind continued as I started up the mountain. Then it disappeared for quite a while. It turned into a tailwind for a couple of miles, then a headwind again as I continued up and up. About 6 miles from the end it started misting. I was still too hot to even think about grabbing my rain jacket. The mist got heavier, and by the time I finished I was pretty wet. The temperature was still in the 60s - it had been in the 90s, in the sun probably 80s for real earlier - so while I was starting to get chilled, I wasn't there yet. My hot shower at the end of the day definitely felt good today!
And didn't I say I wasn't going to forget the lip sunscreen on my eyebrows to create a sunscreen-stopping dam? I forgot again - sunscreen sliding into my eyes again today. Three riding days so far, and I only remembered once. I've got to get better at that!
The scenery just continues to change. Today I saw green at the start, an awesome black sand beach, big trees, lava with sparse trees, and green hills. I even saw a cactus that looked like Mickey Mouse! Sorry I didn't get a picture...
So far all of the Hawaiian dogs I've met have been pretty well-behaved. They bark, but no one has chased me yet. That's a nice change of pace, hope it stays that way.
I wonder if there are wild pigs on this island. At one point I saw an animals butt and back legs, and heard it snorting and thrashing around. There was a fence between me and whatever it was, but it didn't look like farm land.
I arrived at Aloha Junction B&B - my home for the next two nights - to find a closed gate with a sign that says "please honk". Oops. I don't have a horn on my bike! (and if I did it would likely be a kid's horn, and that wouldn't have worked either). I tried yelling "Hello" and "Aloha", but that didn't work. So I pulled out my cell phone and called the house. I knew there was a reason for carrying my cell phone. That worked. My bike is living in a sheltered spot underneath the house, and I have a very comfy room. The hosts actually live in a separate house, so the guests pretty much have the run of this one. There's a fully equiped kitchen that we can use, a comfortable living room with a gas fireplace, and a jacuzzi outside. They also have a computer that we can use, and a phone line. Looks like I can finally get some journal entries uploaded. The pictures are going to have to wait though, since it's only a dial-up connection.
It's cool and somewhat rainy out tonight - sometimes rain, sometimes just mist - and the house is nice and cozy. It feels very comfortable here, and right now I'm feeling pretty lazy - another good choice of a place to stay! I could see just hanging out for part of tomorrow. I'm planning to ride around the crater, and I was thinking of doing a hike too. I'll see what tomorrow brings from a weather standpoint, and from an energy or laziness standpoint.
For dinner tonight I ordered takeout from local Thai restaurant - spring rolls, and masaman curry with tofu. That probably wasn't the smartest move because I was fighting with a queasy stomach for part of the day (glad I had Pepto Bismal with me) - but it tasted great, and so far my stomach is still behaving. I'm glad I opted for medium spice - it was just right. I'm used to spice on the East Coast being too mild, and I've ordered stuff hot when I've been on the West Coast and had it be almost too spicy. This time I asked. He said medium was about a 5 on a heat scale (who knows what scale...) and hot was an eleven. Medium was perfect, glad I asked for a change.
As I walked out to pick up my dinner, the gaggle of geese that appears to live here started running across the lawn and then across the driveway. I started to laugh as I listened to their feet slapping against the pavement! I'll have to try to get a picture of them tomorrow - they were pretty funny looking.
Yesterday morning I woke to the sound of crashing waves, and today I woke to roosters crowing. There's a resident flock of wild chickens (& roosters, of course) that live at Macadamia Meadows Farms. Charlene said that the birds subsist by eating all of the bugs in the orchard - and all of the bugs around the house. No pesticides needed, all natural bug-eating fowl!
Breakfast today was waffles with fresh macadamia nuts, honey, and a little whipped cream. Plus fruit, juice, and coffee. Yum!
My riding day started with a wonderful downhill, which unfortunately didn't last too long. The first 10 miles of the day were the downhill followed by some flat to rolling miles, all with the same headwind that was my friend yesterday. I turned off to visit Punuluu Black Sand Beach, which of course was about a mile downhill. How could it be anything but downhill? So I had to climb back up to join the highway again - but it's such a beautiful place that it was worth the extra elevation gain.
Today was definitely a long, slow day. Only 42 miles, but an elevation gain of 4300 feet. The grade wasn't bad - sections of 3 to 4%, sections of 1 to 2%, along with the occasional 5 or 6. It just didn't stop going up - about 25 miles worth of up. It probably didn't help that my legs were pretty burnt from yesterday... It's very helpful that there were signs marking each 500 feet of elevation gain. I rode from sea level to a high of 4024 feet. (The extra couple hundred feet of elevation gain were from the rollers earlier in the day.) There were times when I thought I should have arranged for someone to deliver my gear to tonight's B&B, but of course I made it under my own power. I feel really good about the day, but I was really glad to be finished. The hill would have been much easier on an unloaded bike. But then again, what hill wouldn't be? No surprises; I knew what the terrain would be like going into this trip!
My friend the headwind continued as I started up the mountain. Then it disappeared for quite a while. It turned into a tailwind for a couple of miles, then a headwind again as I continued up and up. About 6 miles from the end it started misting. I was still too hot to even think about grabbing my rain jacket. The mist got heavier, and by the time I finished I was pretty wet. The temperature was still in the 60s - it had been in the 90s, in the sun probably 80s for real earlier - so while I was starting to get chilled, I wasn't there yet. My hot shower at the end of the day definitely felt good today!
And didn't I say I wasn't going to forget the lip sunscreen on my eyebrows to create a sunscreen-stopping dam? I forgot again - sunscreen sliding into my eyes again today. Three riding days so far, and I only remembered once. I've got to get better at that!
The scenery just continues to change. Today I saw green at the start, an awesome black sand beach, big trees, lava with sparse trees, and green hills. I even saw a cactus that looked like Mickey Mouse! Sorry I didn't get a picture...
So far all of the Hawaiian dogs I've met have been pretty well-behaved. They bark, but no one has chased me yet. That's a nice change of pace, hope it stays that way.
I wonder if there are wild pigs on this island. At one point I saw an animals butt and back legs, and heard it snorting and thrashing around. There was a fence between me and whatever it was, but it didn't look like farm land.
I arrived at Aloha Junction B&B - my home for the next two nights - to find a closed gate with a sign that says "please honk". Oops. I don't have a horn on my bike! (and if I did it would likely be a kid's horn, and that wouldn't have worked either). I tried yelling "Hello" and "Aloha", but that didn't work. So I pulled out my cell phone and called the house. I knew there was a reason for carrying my cell phone. That worked. My bike is living in a sheltered spot underneath the house, and I have a very comfy room. The hosts actually live in a separate house, so the guests pretty much have the run of this one. There's a fully equiped kitchen that we can use, a comfortable living room with a gas fireplace, and a jacuzzi outside. They also have a computer that we can use, and a phone line. Looks like I can finally get some journal entries uploaded. The pictures are going to have to wait though, since it's only a dial-up connection.
It's cool and somewhat rainy out tonight - sometimes rain, sometimes just mist - and the house is nice and cozy. It feels very comfortable here, and right now I'm feeling pretty lazy - another good choice of a place to stay! I could see just hanging out for part of tomorrow. I'm planning to ride around the crater, and I was thinking of doing a hike too. I'll see what tomorrow brings from a weather standpoint, and from an energy or laziness standpoint.
For dinner tonight I ordered takeout from local Thai restaurant - spring rolls, and masaman curry with tofu. That probably wasn't the smartest move because I was fighting with a queasy stomach for part of the day (glad I had Pepto Bismal with me) - but it tasted great, and so far my stomach is still behaving. I'm glad I opted for medium spice - it was just right. I'm used to spice on the East Coast being too mild, and I've ordered stuff hot when I've been on the West Coast and had it be almost too spicy. This time I asked. He said medium was about a 5 on a heat scale (who knows what scale...) and hot was an eleven. Medium was perfect, glad I asked for a change.
As I walked out to pick up my dinner, the gaggle of geese that appears to live here started running across the lawn and then across the driveway. I started to laugh as I listened to their feet slapping against the pavement! I'll have to try to get a picture of them tomorrow - they were pretty funny looking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
