Waterfalls and lava flows

On Saturday we got going as early as we could and headed to Rainbow falls and the boiling pots with Justin and Ariel, a Canadian couple volunteering here as well. We drove up through Hilo, and grabbed breakfast at the Health food market along the way.


The waterfalls were beautiful, and there was a trail to the top of the falls under a HUGE banyon. That is Dj in the green T-shirt, right next to the tree.

That's Justin in the tree.

After we got out to the top of the falls we all dipped our feet in. There were a few local families swimming. It was really gorgeous.

The boiling pots were up the river a bit. They consist of little pools and tiny falls where people were jumping off of cliffs and diving in.

Later we hit the hot ponds and went for a dip before coming home to make some pizza, and gear up for the lava flow.

When we got here the lava had stopped flowing. It has finally started again, and for the first time in a long time it is flowing in a spot where people can drive all but a mile in. We followed the lines of cars heading to the flows at dusk. Geared up with good boots, water bottles, and just a little healthy fear we parked in a lot that had a beacon light so people could find their way back. The air was thick, and we could smell the lava before we even set out. The walk was hard and long. We walked across the 1982 lava flow, now solid but full of large cracks, crumbling glassy hardened lava, and big hills and holes. At first heading toward lava was terrifying, lava is meant to be ran from... The solid lava glittered in our headlights, it was really beautiful. Early on, I found a fissure that lava had bubbled up from inside years ago We managed to shine enough light that I could take a picture. After walking for what seemed like forever, we came up to about 50 yards away from the hot very slowly moving lava. We watched an ancient Ohia tree flare up in a giant fire way out in the distance, then noticed some of the shrubs not too far from us also flaring up from the heat. We turned back soon after realizing that we would need enough energy and time to get back. When we returned to the parking lot it was after 11:00, we had been on the lava shield for hours by that point and were completely exhausted. The uneven hike did us in. We have decided to go back again tomorrow night with some more friends earlier in the day to do the hike in while it is light.