The Mauna Kea Hawai’i highpoint, is an impressive 13,803 feet high, resting in the clouds. The road to Mauna Kea is 4×4 only, requires a brake temperature check point, and specifically excluded by most rental car companies.
We planned to drive to the summit for sunset, so we arrived at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station (at ~9000′) with several hours to acclimate. It was so cold once the sun went down, we put on all the layers we had brought! We were grateful that we had planned ahead and brought a mid-layer, down layer, beanies, gloves, and even our wind pants.
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano, one of several on the Big Island. It’s not significantly taller than nearby Mauna Loa (only 115 feet!), but the cinder cones atop Mauna Kea give it the added height to make it the highpoint of Hawai’i.
I did not actually summit the highest point of Mauna Kea. There was a large sign, part of which read “[the summit] is a sacred place of significant cultural and religious importance to native Hawaiians. Please be respectful of this area… and kindly understand that hiking to the top of the [summit] is discouraged.”
I had read that the native Hawaiians had used this area as burial grounds, and my desire to highpoint doesn’t come close to my desire to be respectful of other cultures. Sadly, we saw a number of people hike to the summit anyways.
There are thirteen telescopes on the top of Mauna Kea, one of which belongs to the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, who manages the visitors center and provides free public educational programs. Some of them belong to other countries, including France, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
The three types of telescopes on Mauna Kea are optical/infrared, submillimeter, and optical. They’re each used for different purposes, from observing closer celestial bodies to ones further away.
After watching the sun set, we watched the moon rise. The colors faded from vivid hues, to pastel tones as equally beautiful. We stayed until the sky was completely dark, and then some. It was a magical experience we could only dream of re-living.
Read more about our adventures in Hawai’i or our other highpoints.
