Haleakala Sea to Summit: Day 2

Ed, Mark, Kimba and I were all up and moving around by 6:15 on the second day, having roused ourselves after sleeping under the stars to be greeted by a cool, nippy morning at 5500-foot level of Haleakala's southern face. So beautiful was the sight of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa atop the clouds across Alenuihaha Channel that I knew I had to snap some photos of the view. Amazing and wonderful. I was using a disposable camera, the kind one can get on sale for $3.50 at Longs Drug Store, and my only wish was that I had brought along three of these instead of just two, for I ran out of shots!

I ate a granola bar, a protein bar, and some peanuts for breakfast, and chased this down with a few gulps of the remaining two liters of water I had. Meanwhile, Ed had some oatmeal and Mark some food he had brought, so we were fueled for the day ahead. Kimba, Mark's dog, took a liking to me because I shared some bits of food with her, and this might have been a mistake because every time I sat down to eat, she would look at me forlornly to the point where I felt compelled to give her more. Sometimes I did but other times I was just too hungry to share.

Mark and Kimba shoved off from our campsite, heading upslope into the unknown. About ten minutes later, Ed and I, having packed up our gear, set off, too. We climbed steadily from where we had camped. On occasion, the mountainside would level off briefly, making our progress easier, but most of the time we moved up, up, and up, steeply but never precipitously.

This section of the mountainsidee was filled with ohia trees. Never was the way cluttered or blocked and we easily wound our way through the forest as we climbed. Eventually, Ed and I caught up to Mark and Kimba resting on a knoll, and after a short rest together, we continued as a group.

We came upon a wonderful clearing, big enough and flat enough to build a home atop. "This is where I will build my dream house," I proclaimed, for the views and solitude would be sublime and the neighbors nil.

Ed Gilman at about the 4000-foot level of Haleakala.

Credit: Dayle Turner

Copyright: Dayle Turner