Mauna Kea, HI

Elevation: 13, 796 ft.

Summit Attained: Approximately 6 p.m., 12/23/08

 
Mauna Kea, on the big island of Hawai’i, is widely regarded as the finest stargazing spot on Earth.  After reading this fact in every piece of literature we could find, my family and I decided to try to be up on top of the mountain after dark. 

After turning onto Mauna Kea Road from highway 2000, we probably drove for less than a mile before we were totally socked in by clouds.  The landscape suddenly became ominous and more than a little threatening, and I wondered for a second what the view would be like in these conditions. Then, as suddenly as the clouds had enveloped us, they broke, and we emerged into sunny, clear skies. 

At this point, we got our first glimpse of the awesome view.  A visitor to Mauna Kea travels from near sea level to almost 14,000 feet elevation in a matter of miles, and the dramatic relief provides providing a stunning vista.  The volcano and surrounding peaks seem to float on a sea of clouds, and far below, the shimmering Pacific Ocean spreads out in every direction. 

Soon we reached the visitor’s center, located at 9,000 ft.  The center marks the end of the paved road, after which a 4-wheel drive vehicle is highly recommended (the road is dirt but well maintained, and I think that a normal car could probably manage as long as snow and ice were not present).  The park service recommends that travelers stop for at least 30 minutes before ascending to Mauna Kea’s summit.  I’m not sure if 30 minutes really makes a difference, but we stopped anyway (there is a decent gift shop, and bathrooms).

From the visitor’s center, the winding dirt road gains elevation rather quickly, and you can feel the pressure change in your skull as you navigate the seven miles to the summit parking area.  Along the way, there are numerous excellent photo opportunities.  The summit parking area has a few portable bathroom units, along with a slew of giant telescopes owned and operated by various universities and corporations.  For those who feel too dizzy to continue to the true summit, the parking area affords basically the same view, without the 0.4 mile ascent required to achieve the technical highpoint.

The short climb up the small summit cone is pretty easy, even at the high altitude (my sister did it with a torn ACL and MCL, although she is a pretty tough woman).  What should be mentioned is that the wind is really, really strong.  There was barely any breeze in the summit parking lot, but rounding the corner at the base of the summit cone, we were confronted with steady winds that easily topped 50 miles per hour!  While this would be nothing on a mountain like Mt. Washington, we were ill-equipped to deal with it here.  I was wearing a warm climbing hat and my trusty Mountain Hardwear stretch midlayer gloves, but my hands still hurt by the time we returned to the summit parking lot. 

The summit itself has a USGS marker and a large stick tripod erected above a stone cairn.  There were palm fronds on the cairn when we topped out.  The sun was just setting as we reached the top, making the views even more spectacular.  After a few photos, we headed down out of the howling wind to the parking lot.  We had planned to stargaze from the summit, but the cold and the altitude necessitated an earlier descent, so we cranked up the heat and began the 7-mile drive back to the visitor’s center.