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Hawaii: Volcanoes and the Kailua-Kona Coast |
Dates: |
Assembly Point: Kailua-Kona |
Tour Cost: $2,195 (includes all lodging, all meals, Timberline van shuttles, leaders, trail maps & narratives) |
Vast, surreal lava fields streaming from towering, massive mountains that rise from the ocean floor; a lush remote valley whose parameters are defined by 1,000-foot walls and whose landscape is punctuated by a myriad of thunderous waterfalls; miles and miles of remote black sand beaches—this is the Big Island of Hawaii and that’s where we’re once again headed in the season ahead.
We’d like to say that we at Timberline are the first to visit this island in search of adventure. The reality is that Hawaii has been the destination of choice for adventurers for many centuries, from the ancient Polynesians, perhaps the greatest seafaring adventurers of all time, to modern day hikers and backpackers, among others, who have discovered a new meaning to adventure in this tropical paradise.
Adventure for Timberline on the Big Island translates into a 6-day hiking program that will experience the island’s amazing diversity. We’ll visit the awesome volcanoes, hike their rims and into the bowels of their craters. We’ll trek into the isolation of the Waipio Valley, and then explore the breathtaking Kailua-Kona Coast.
We’ll assemble in Kailua-Kona early morning of Day 1 and van shuttle directly to Volcanoes National Park. Our plans for this day include a hike to the floor of Kilauea Iki, one of Volcanoes’ premier hikes. From the crater overlook we’ll descend into the heart of the crater and walk across its floor as steam curls from the many fissures in the lava surface. We’ll return to the forest on the crater’s eastern edge for a moderate climb back to the rim (4 miles). At the rim, we’ll walk through the Thurston Lava Tube and then head to the Kilauea Lodge, where we’ll spend our first of three nights.
Day 2, we’ll return to the park and set out on the Crater Rim Trail that encircles Kilauea’s caldera. We’ll visit the Volcano Observatory and Jaggar Museum along the way and then join the Halemaumau Trail as it descends into the Kilauea crater. We’ll cross this vast crater and return to the rim at Volcano House (8 miles).
On Day 3, we’ll hike the Napau Crater Trail as it traverses lava fields to Puu Huluhulu, and then to the observation point above with its views into the volcano’s fern-filled crater and the rain forest beyond. Also visible is the smoking hulk of Mauna Ulu. Our trail soon passes into the dense rain forest and we’ll continue to vast Napau Crater (7 miles). At dusk, we’ll return to Chain of Craters Road and drive to road’s end to view the awesome red glow of the fiery lava that still spews from Kilauea and flows into the sea.
Following a final overnight at Kilauea Lodge, we’ll head to Waipio Valley. A steep descent from the trailhead leads to the valley floor and we’ll spend the day exploring this magnificent area. We’ll visit the black sand beaches of Waipio as well as its spectacular waterfalls (7 miles). From Waipio, we’ll shuttle to the Outrigger Beach Resort on the Kona Coast, where we’ll spend our final two evenings.
Day 5 is a treat with a healthy dose of leisure and an intriguing change of pace. We’ll hike the Captain Cook Trail, a 4-mile round-tripper that includes an awesome 1400-foot descent to the pounding surf below. We’ll hang out for much of this day on a beautiful black sand beach that offers some of the best snorkeling on the island. We’ll spend our final night at the Outrigger and then visit the City of Refuge the following morning. We’ll hike the 2-mile interpretive loop through this historical site, catch a glimpse of the giant sea turtles that swim the placid lagoons along the shoreline, capture one last snorkeling opportunity, and ultimately return to Kailua-Kona, where our program concludes mid-afternoon.
E-Mail: timber@earthnet.net
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