Mauna Kea

After visiting Papakōlea hiking to the summit of Mauna Kea was/is Kee's big goal for our trip to the Big Island.  She researched (and shopped) for weeks in anticipation.  Camelbacks - check. Down jackets (light but warm) - check.  collapsable hiking sticks - check.  Wool hiking socks - check.  Hiking shoes (Merrell MOABs for the win) - check.

Spoiler alert:  We didn't make it.

From the visitors center we expected a 6 mile hike up to the summit (increasing about 4,500 in elevation along the way) and then 6 miles back down.  We left our AirBNB before the sun rose with a goal to get started hiking around 6:30 am.  We were a bit behind that goal, but well within reason.  

We're so cute and optimistic! 

Even from the beginning, the scenery was beautiful!  

Our surroundings changed as we gained elevation with vegetation becoming more sparse along the way.

  My photos became more sparse as well.  The trail was not rock.  We have some experience hiking on rock and now lava.  You put down your food and have traction.  Here we were climbing on loose gravel/sand.  Every time you took a step you slid back down slight.  It was rough going.  

We were hiking above the clouds!

Eventually we saw some spray paint on a rock up ahead at what looked like a ridge line.  We were about half-way up our planned elevation and still less than half way up our planned distance.  Every step was miserable.  We decided to make it to that ridge line, see what we could see from there and go back down still accomplished.  

Picture from OUR summit (11,225 ft).  About 2.5K feet shy of the actual summit.

By the time we were heading back down in elevation, we were pretty beat and the sun was out in fuller force.  We knew we'd made the right decision in turning around as the trip down was tougher than expected.  At one point, Kee felt kinda like Elijah under a broom tree seeking out a small bit of shade to rest and rid our shoes of the sand that kept finding its way in.  While we weren't there to die, goodness did the small bush help!