SummitPost.org

the section for Hawaii....

Leaving for Hawaii in the morning. Might not have time to hike both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Quick... which one should I do?

Mauna Kea - be on the top at sunset

Mauna Loa...much more interesting terrain. You can practically drive to the highpoint of Mauna Kea, or you can hike the trail from the visitor center to the top, but it isn't all that memorable.

The Mauna Loa hike, on the other hand, passes through all sorts of different layers of lava and unusual formations, and the top offers the sort of great views you'd get on top of Mauna Kea, but without a slew of buildings and a road to spoil the view.

I know this may sound like blasphemy coming from someone who co-authored a guidebook on Highpointing, but that's just how I feel about the two peaks from a hiking point of view.

Oooh, sounds like good advice there from WingLady, Andi.
Have a great time whichever one you end up doing!

Catamount wrote:Crap! There's a road and buildings on Mauna Kea?!?

Ha! Yes, it's one of the best places in the world for an observatory, for a few reasons.

Mauna Kea, 20 March 2006:

I've done Mauna Kea but not Loa. The hike on Mauna Kea from the visitor's center to the top takes the better part of a day. The entire hike is really interesting and there's lots of solitude until you hit the top, where there are buildings, cars, and lots of people. It's a pretty big bummer. I'd hit Mauna Loa instead if you're deciding between the two. Either way, the views are nothing short of stunning.

Do you want focus on hiking, or to care to see the HP and observatories? There are sometimes tours of the telescopes and I found it very enjoyable- and IMO the observatories themselves are very scenic. Depends on your priorities, all we can do is say which one fits our priorities.

AL-- based on what I know of you, I think Mauna Loa suits you better.

Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are so different in terms of terrain that it's hard to compare them.

Mauna Loa takes some physical effort to get to the top and the view into the vast, flat crater up there is truly memorable. But the terrain you walk up through, though interesting for the first hour, quickly gets old. And then your headache might form, causing you to be even more unappreciative.

There is not much reason to do either if they are clouded in. No views, no point...other than to "tag another summit."

I'd go with Mauna Loa. I didn't hit Mauna Kea but the with the road to the top I'd imagine it's a lot more crowded. In 3.5 days on Loa I only saw 3 or 4 people.

brochill wrote:I'd go with Mauna Loa. I didn't hit Mauna Kea but the with the road to the top I'd imagine it's a lot more crowded. In 3.5 days on Loa I only saw 3 or 4 people.

There is a trail that you can use to avoid the road (which is dirt and sorta blends in from a distance.) I didn't encounter anyone on the trail on M.K. and only noticed a few vehicles on the road. I left so early in the morning that the Keck Observatory still had it's bay doors open when I summited.

Visiting the great Keck Observatory or even just being at the Site would be an awesome experience. Visitor info:

<a href=http://keckobservatory.org/education/visiting>Visitor Info - Keck</a>

Thanks for all the advice, folks. We decided on Mauna Loa and it was a damned cool hike. I suppose the lava did get a little monotonous but with so many kinds and so much different terrain it was fairly interesting the whole way. Though it's odd going up a mountain that's so gradual and flat that it's hard to tell where the summit might be. Still, the caldera up top was nothing short of spectacular. I'd definitely recommend it.

Who the hell can find time to go to Hawaii ???


I just made it back from my wife's island in the "Ring of Fire."