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| boisedoc | observatory trail  Date Climbed: Mar 27, 2009 | |
| hiked up the lava fields from the Observatory. Pretty barren. Hiked on snow for the last 2.5 miles about 13000 feet, resulting in a sunburn on the back of the knees that I had not expected. Coming up from sea level in one day, this is a good way to see if you are prone to mountain sickness | |
| Posted Mar 31, 2009 10:58 pm | ||
| farrisgl | Camped just below the summit Date Climbed: Aug 10, 1992 | |
| Took the observation trail, camping just below the summit. What a spectacular night view of the star. Appeared so close you could almost touch them. Received light snow in the middle of the night as well. I need to go back some day in the near future and climb via the Mauna Loa Trail and again camp out on or near the summit. I highly recommend this mountain. | |
| Posted Mar 21, 2009 2:46 pm | ||
| rfbolton | Mauna Loa Trail Date Climbed: Dec 31, 2008 | |
| During a week of unsettled weather on the Big Island, my buddy Duane and I felt rather lucky to attempt this one when the mountain was bathed in sunshine while Mauna Kea was covered with clouds. The snow line was just below the weather observatory, but we were able to drive all the way to the parking lot. The "trail" lived up to its reputation of being difficult due to the lava, but the snow seemed to make it even more difficult. The GPS guided us to the summit, although it was impossible to tell from the view. It got dark about 30 minutes before we were able to get back to the car, so we had to find it in the dark. Thank goodness for GPS! Tough day! | |
| Posted Jan 2, 2009 1:47 am | ||
| Niederbayer | April 2000 - Mauna Loa Trail | |
| made it to rim of caldera - feels like walking on Mars - no vegetation, no birds or insects, just rocks and no other sound except the wind - unfortunately clouds blocked views | |
| Posted Feb 23, 2007 7:53 pm | ||
| Dan the Jones | Never made it Date Climbed: Jan 23, 2005 | |
| What a geologic feast. Had to turn back due to time restrictions, but want to go again. | |
| Posted Sep 19, 2006 3:41 am | ||
| NanitaD | Trail from the weather observatory Date Climbed: Feb 22, 1998 | |
| Amazing, spectacular and unusual peak. My new tennis shoes were shredded on the sides from the sharp volcanic rocks. | |
| Posted Apr 1, 2006 1:44 pm | ||
| fieldbio | Simple and Sweet | |
| nice hike, amazing landscape | |
| Posted Mar 24, 2006 10:56 pm | ||
| Mountain Jim | Very interesting mountain Date Climbed: Feb 27, 1998 | |
| Via Observatory Trail. From a geology standpoint this is one of the most interesting mountains anywhere ... a raw, unfettered volcanic landscape. | |
| Posted Mar 11, 2006 4:22 am | ||
| Kalama | Red Hill and Observatory January 26th, 2006 Date Climbed: Jan 26, 2006 | |
| First went solo Red Hill route. Raining horizontally + 30 mph wind. Retreated and drove to Observatory route. TONS of snow starting at 12,000 ft. 23 degrees inside summit cabin. Nalgenes frozen in morning. FUN!!! Aloha!! Paul Kaye | |
| Posted Feb 14, 2006 9:15 am | ||
| SkydiveKen | Route Climbed: Observatory trail Date Climbed: December 5,2005 | |
| Sunday morning to the cabin, low water at the hole but clear water in the tank. Awesome sun rise on Monday. Very cold hike to the summit. Gloves and a hat the whole way. This is a very big and lonely place to have all to oneself for two days. I will come back some day to explore the crater and maybe hike all the way arround it. | |
| Posted Dec 7, 2005 2:13 am | ||
| shknbke | Route Climbed: Observatory trail Date Climbed: July 26, 2005 | |
| Took the easy dayhike from the weather observatory at 11K. Distance can be covered quickly, but it takes quite awhile to gain elevation as it is very gradual. A 2.8 mile hike still remains after you reach the rim at ~13K'. The crater is awesome. | |
| Posted Jul 31, 2005 9:36 pm | ||
| nvllified | Route Climbed: The traditional route Date Climbed: October 2003 and 2004 | |
| I've hiked Mouna Loa twice with my father. The first time was our second backpacking trip. It was freezing in the early morning (well, freezing for a person who lives in hawaii) I climbed up read hill the first day in 2003 to take sunrise pictures (it was windy and cold!) perfect weather that trip. The second time we wanted to descend via the Ainapo trail... but at the summit we experiance hail and thunder so we decided to decend a more familiar route. Mouna Loa will always remain my favorite mountain, and my time spent there charished. Mouna Loa has always captivated me as a child... the start of my obsesion of gaining altitude! If you go to hawaii do Mouna Loa and call me! because I want to come too! p.s. For those of you who've done the Mouna Loa aren't those 20 miles from the caldera lip to the cabin the longest twenty miles of your life! (well... 2 miles actually.. for those who've not yet experianced the distortion in time and space) | ||
| Posted Jul 8, 2005 8:29 pm | ||
| SkydiveKen | Route Climbed: Observatory Trail Date Climbed: August 2 2004 | |
| Only went to the cabin. Rained from 3pm til late the next day. Truly an erie expierence in the rain and fog. Shared the cabinthat night with an altitude sick hiker who came in late and soaked to the bone. Talked him into returning with us and gave him a ride around the island to his car. | |
| Posted Jul 4, 2005 1:30 am | ||
| fortaz107 | Route Climbed: Observatory Trail Date Climbed: May 2001 | |
| I'm not one to wear sunscreen but I brought plenty of it as the sun was very strong this time of year and it was cloudless. Otheriwse I would have been burnt to a crisp. Was slow going from the high altitude having been at sea level just a few hours before. It's a pretty barren trail over lava with very little vegetation. The trail pretty much goes straight up from the observatory at 11,000 ft to the summit. I lost the trail at some point just before the summit, but its pretty easy hiking off the trail. Theres a pretty big crater on the top but since the mountain rises so gradually, theres not any view at the top except for Mauna Kea. Im pretty sure I made it to the summit despite losing the trail. I got altitude sickness at the summit but I improved when I eventually found the trail again and started to descend. | ||
| Posted Jun 24, 2005 1:00 pm | ||
| jdavies212 | Route Climbed: North side trail from saddle road and weather station parking area. Date Climbed: September 1986 | |
| I had a carbon-copy of Dan Nelsen's (Sept. 6, 2003) experience. Up to the summit in 4 hours with shorts and a light windbreaker jacket. Although I am an experienced climber, the illusion of taking off from a tropical climate at a low altitude lulled me into a false sense of security and I was ill-prepared for the 50-degree temperatures and wind at the caldera. Not only did I experience altitude sickness (vertigo and disorientation), but hypothermia began to set in on the way back with dusk approaching; violent shaking and numb extremities made normal walking almost impossible. I thought I was a goner. My salvation was having a hiking partner (the only thing I did right on the trip). He, apparently being in good condition, helped me stumble back to the waiting car, and by now it was pitch dark. As soon as we got in and closed the door, it hit him as well--spewing his lunch all over the seat and floor carpet--great aroma as we made our way back into more tropical environs. Don't be fooled by the gentle slope and ease of access. It's still a 13,000-foot-plus mountain with all the usual potential hazards! (By the way, in memory's eye, the spectacular caldera and other-worldly moonscape at the top still make me happy for having had the experience--albeit almost my last experience...). | |
| Posted Apr 24, 2005 8:31 am | ||
| wbass | Route Climbed: Observatory/Summit Trail Date Climbed: January 24, 2005 | |
| One of the most difficult and boring slogs anywhere, over endless expanses of lava and snow fields, but with fantastic views of Mauna Kea and Haleakala. Watching clouds build below and encircle the big island leaving only Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa exposed (the airplane view) is an amazing experience. | |
| Posted Feb 5, 2005 4:49 pm | ||
| Don Nelsen | Route Climbed: North side from the weather observatory Date Climbed: Sept. 6, 2003 | |
| What an incredible mountain! I heard the advice to acclimate but due to time constraints was not able to heed them and paid the price. Left Kona at 8:30 and was on the trail at the weather observatory by 10:30 (11,100 ft.) This rapid ascent virtually guaranteed altitude sickness and boy did I get it! I made the caldera rim at 13,000 feet+ in 2 hours and hit the summit at 13,679 ft. about 1 1/2 hour later. (7.1 miles total as per my GPS.) This is an eerie and mystical place. Must return to fully explore later. Serious vertigo and disorientation resulted in a 3 1/4 hour time back to the trailhead. Weather was great with 55 degrees at the trailhead and about 50 degrees on top with little wind. | |
| Posted Sep 11, 2003 10:14 pm | ||
| Scott | Route Climbed: Red Hill Date Climbed: Feb 1995 | |
| Some snow near summit | |
| Posted Aug 21, 2003 1:17 pm | ||
| Shepherd Johnson | Route Climbed: Mauna Loa Trail Date Climbed: May 25,2002 | |
| Third attempt to reach the summit was a success. On my second attempt I reached the Mauna Loa Summit Cabin and opted not to go to the summit as it envolves six more miles up and back, around the caldera. A little patchy snow on the top, used it to refill my water bottles. Purest water I have ever had in my life probably. Made it back to Red Hill cabin in record time, 4 and a half hours to cover 9.5 miles. Great views of Mauna Kea, Hualalai, Kohalas, Waipio Valley, Haleakala on Maui and even the West Maui Mountains. -Shepherd Johnson | ||
| Posted Oct 30, 2002 7:19 pm | ||
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