Sunrise from Haleakala Summit (Haleakala National Park, Hawaii)

 

Of all the amazing things to do in Hawaii, seeing the sunrise from the top of Haleakala was highly recommended to me as a "must do".Arriving in Maui yesterday evening, this is really my first item the agenda for this vacation. I've never been to Hawaii prior to this trip and so, I will try to pack in as much as possible into this short week. Because of the popularity of this activity, the National Park Service requires reservations for anyone to enter the park between 3:00 AM and 7:00 AM, which only cost a dollar per car and must be made either well in advance or two days before. Luckily, I made those arrangements.

Leaving the hotel at about 4:00 AM, I head up the windy mountain road up the giant volcanic cone. It's extremely dark and there is little development in this area. Upon arriving at the park, I'm a little surprised to see a park ranger checking the reservations. The federal government has been in a stalemate over the border wall and on a partial shutdown for a couple of weeks, but the park rangers, dedicated to their duties, trudge on without pay. I thank the young lady for her service and let her know that she is appreciated.

At the top, it's still very dark, but more importantly, it's colder than hell. Haleakala rises to 10,022 feet straight out of the Pacific Ocean. With no other mountains or other obstructions, the wind blows hard . . . really hard up here. Between the 20-ish degree air temperature and the 80-ish mph winds blowing so hard I have to brace myself, the wind chill up here must be 20 or 30 below zero. Luckily, I prepared for this with several layers of warm clothing, unlike many of the other enthusiasts up here. 

Perhaps a hundred or more people are huddled along the rails up here looking to the southeast over the giant caldera. Most try their best to wrap themselves in blankets or whatever they happened to bring with them, as they look out over the dark cloud bank awaiting the appearance of our life-giving star. We're all freezing up here, but the anticipating warms our souls. At four minutes after the seven o'clock hour, the magic happens. A thick cloud bank sits below us and carpets the ocean below all the way to the horizon. At the far side of that horizon, a fiery orange light bursts through. This magnificent sunrise signals the start of new day, and I must admit to this being the most divine sunrise my eyes have ever witnessed.