Mauna Kea

A couple weeks ago, I took a spin up to the Mauna Kea summit. Although it was raining in Hilo, the weather at that elevation couldn't have been better! The summit rises about 30,000 feet from it's base at the bottom of the ocean, and almost 14,000 feet above sea level. The peak is dry and desolate and well above the rain clouds that blanket Hilo. The landscape is something you might expect on Mars, but not in Hawaii! There is very little life at that elevation, probably because of the low air pressure and lack of oxygen. I went for a short 100-yard jog to see how the lack of oxygen would affect me. At first I felt good, but about a half-minute after I stopped running I felt like I was going to pass out! There are a half-dozen observatories on the peak that can be seen from Hilo, Waimea and Kohala. The air is clean, dark and dry at night, making for primo stargazing conditions. The scientists and workers from these observatories spend time at Hale Pohaku, a camp at around 9,000 feet, to acclimate themselves before spending their shift at the summit. Snow falls almost every year on Mauna Kea. There probably aren't too many places in this country where you can surf in the morning then snow ski in the afternoon! We did have some snow over the last several months but there hasn't been enough snow for skiing in a couple of years. Maybe the "El Nino" weather pattern has something to do with it? This island has the worst drought in the country right now and it hasn't been drier in over 30 years. Because of the drought, my fire department is expecting a busy year this year for brush fires!