Mauna Loa Trip Report

Mauna Loa Trip Report

Post to OHE on 20 August 2004 by Kalalau Rich

I just returned from the Big Island Sunday (May 16) after spending four nights on Mauna Loa with Mike Fujita, Jim Maka and Ed Gilman. Rising gradually to more than 4 km above sea level, Mauna Loa (Long Mountain) is the largest volcano on earth. 

Last month Mike mentioned that he, Jim and Ed would be backpacking Mauna Loa. Having never done this hike before I asked if I could join them and they cheerfully accepted. 

A big mahalo to Jim for making all the travel, car, and lodging arrangments and providing transportation to the airport. 

We flew over to Hilo on Monday morning, rented a car, did some shopping for last minute items and then went over to register for the hike. A ranger at the desk warned us of the dangers of the hike and was concerned that none of us had a bivy sack or tent in the event that there was a white out and we were stranded before getting to the cabin. He eventually signed us off after we each initialled that he warned us about the hazard of going without those items. 

We then went to the Holoholo hostel in Volcano Village to check in for the night. We stayed in a dorm style room and had the room to ourselves. Satoshi Yabuki, the hostel host, is an experienced traveller. Born in Japan, he has backpacked through Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Nepal and Tibet, China, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.S.R (he has yet to visit Africa)! He has chosen to settle in Hawaii because he enjoys the wide variety of activities available ranging from the Ocean to the Mountains. He has lived in the Big Island for two decades. 

That night we ate at the Kiawe Kitchen. The food was only so-so. Portions were rather anemic and skimpy. The same could not be said for our waitress. We got up early that morning and feasted on eggs and pancakes before embarking on our journey. Jim, the designated driver, drove us to the trailhead where we began to get our packs ready for the hike. While getting ready, a middle aged couple from Huntsville Alabama arrived. They told us they too were planning to spend four nights on the volcano and as would have it, they had the exact same itinerary as we did. We were to spend the first night at Red Hill cabin (10,000 feet) , the next two nights at the Summit (13,025 feet) Cabin and then the final night at Red Hill. 

 I chatted very briefly with them finding out that the husband had done the trip before but his wife had not. Their packs looked much lighter than ours. Each of us was carrying between 40 and 50 pounds including water. The Alabama couple began about fifteen minutes before us. However we caught up to them within a half mile after leaving around 9:30. We again exchanged pleasantries. 

After passing them, Ed commented about how if they hiked at their current rate they were not going to make it. We never saw this couple again. In fact i did not see a soul until we returned to the trail head and met a couple from Hilo. 

 To reduce the chances of getting altitude sickness, Jim, Mike and I took Diamox (a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and diuretic) . Ed also had Diamox but he chose to not take it unless he developed symptoms. As luck would have it, Ed had no problems. Mike and Jim attempted ascent of Mauna Loa in the past but due to severe altitude sickness by Mike, they had to turn around at the 12,000 foot elevation. 

My pack felt comfortable especially considering that I usually carry twice the weight when backpacking the NaPali Coast. I had never backpacked at altitude and was somewhat concerned about the effects it would have on me. The weather was fine when we started but soon it became quite windy and rainy. Unfortunately, never having backpacked at altitude, I did not bring the correct attire. I only had a single cotton shirt which quickly got soaked before I got my rain jacket on. I decided that I wanted to get to the first cabin as soon as I could so I put myself into gear and made it to Red Hill Cabin at 1 PM, about 3 1/2 hours after starting. Not too bad. I stripped off my soaked clothes and put on my dry sweat shit and light weight fleece jacked I recently got at Costco. I cannot tell you how good it felt to get into warm clothing as the air was wet and chilly. I also slipped into my sheepskin moccasins that I obtained on a trip to New Zealand about ten years ago. 

 An hour later Ed and the others arrived at the cabin. The cabin was quite clean and pleasant. There were eight bunks with mattresses and army blankets. 

The same could not be said for the pit toilet which had a seat with peeling paint that stuck to your butt upon arising from it. The toilet did not have a roof. Noticing that the roof (corrugated metal) was on the ground, Ed and Mike put the roof back on, supported by rocks to keep the wind from blowing it off. 

As it turned out we had the cabin all to ourselves that night. We guessed that the couple from Alabama turned back due to the inclement weather. 

None of us had any adverse effects from the altitude except for Mike who had a mild headache which abated during the evening. We had two stoves between us. Ed brought his esbit and I had the Sierra Zip Wood burning stove. Having had such good luck with Kukui nuts in the past, we brought several of them for fuel. This turned out to be a big mistake. For some reason the kukui nuts I collected from my backyard did not burn the same way the ones I used on Napali Coast. To the contrary, whenever we had a good fire going ,the kukui nuts managed to put it out. Being above the tree level did not pose such a great problem as we found some pieces of scrap wood under the cabin and manage to find enough for fuel during our stay. Mike used a knife he bought at a Dollar Store to shave off kindling. 

 After playing some cards (found at the cabin) and eating dinner we retired for the night planning on leaving the next day for the summit. I had some trepidation since my only shirt (cotton) was soaking wet and would likely not be dry the next day. As it turned out, when we woke up, the weather was miserable with rain, wind and near white out conditions. We decided to stay at Red Hill for the day which turned out to be good in order to acclimate to the altitude. Ed and Jim did some exploring up the trail during the day. Mike and I relaxed at the cabin. 

That evening we watched American Idol on the miniature color TV that I had picked up at the airport. The reception was excellent. Although the sound of the TV left much to be desired, we all agreed that our Hawaiian diva, Jasmine was clearly the worst performer. We were all surprised when we heard (again by the TV at Red Hill a few days later) that she advanced. 

The weather forecast that evening was not good. It predicted cloudy conditions, rain and thunderstorms over the next few days. We therefore made contigency plans. If the weather the next morning was inclement we would head back down and explore other areas of the island. 

As it turned out Thursday was a wonderfully clear day. Wanting to get an early start, not knowing how long it would take to get to the summit we ate a no cook breakfast and left Red Hill at about 7 AM. Fortunately my shirt had dried as the temperature was a bit nippy (40's with gusty winds). We stashed some extra food and supplies at Red Hill for the return stay as we did not want to carry any more than necessary. I carried only two liters of water as I had only drank about 1/2 liter on the way up to Red Hill. I did drink about a liter of water just before starting the hike. The others carried between 4 and 5 liters each. 

We each hiked at our own pace but kept in contact with the FRS radios that we each carried. I maintained a very good pace throughout the hike, not feeling the effects of the altitude at all. The Diamox seemed to do the trick. 

When I arrived at the junction of the summit trail five hours after the start there was a sign pointing to Weather observatory and back to Red Hill. I saw no sign for the cabin. I then turned right on observatory trail and went about fifty yards before realizing that the cabin was in the other direction (there were a number of signs). I returned to the original junction, looked down the hill and saw the problem: the sign had fallen down. I erected the sign with lava rocks and proceeded down across the floor of the crater. Two miles and an hour later I arrived at the cabin very surprised that it only took six hours from Red Hill to the Summit Cabin. I guess all my training really paid off. 

I contacted Ed by radio and he informed me that he was at the summit trail junction and would probably be a couple hours. He arrived about 1 3/4 hours later. Jim and Mike arrived after another 45 minutes. We were pleased that there was a separate kitchen area where we could cook without smoking up the main cabin. 

Mike reported that he experienced a severe pounding headache that persisted over the last couple hours of his ascent. Other than the headache he had no other symptoms of altitude sickness. I suggested that he take an extra Diamox and hydrate well. Unfortunately his headache persisted while at the high altitude and did not significantly abate until he descended the next day to the Red Hill cabin. Otherwise none of us had any adverse effects from the altitude. 

For those who have not done this trip, the pit toilet is about fifty yards from the summit cabin and rests directly on a large lava crack and directly overlooks the large caldera. It is certainly an impressive view that one had when doing one's business. 

We did not have any TV entertainment while at the summit since for some reason the reception was nonexistent. And I had thought it would be even better at the higher elevation. 

The water from the collecting tank seemed plentiful but had a brown tinge to it. I treated it chemically (using Pristine water purification system) and the others used an MSR filter. 

We did some exploring around the cabin and found a water hole that was inaccessable due to snow and ice. 

Surprisingly there was no log book at the summit cabin. So without a log book, cards, or TV we spent time talking story and relaxing at the cabin. There was some literature at the cabin about altitude sickness and history of Mauna Loa. 

We all had a fairly good sleep that night and arose the next morning planning to go back to Red Hill cabin. There was some talk of taking a side trip to the true summit which would have added another five miles (total of about 17 miles) on the return. In the end we each headed directly back to Red Hill figuring that it would give us a good reason to go back another time and do the summit. We figured the next time we would stay at Red Hill cabin two nights, summit cabin two nights and then Red Hill, the final night on the return. 

 I was looking forward to finally going downhill after 19 miles of mostly uphill climbing. My positive expectations were soon dimmed after a couple miles when I realized that the shoes I was wearing (Merrell reef walkers) were a bit too small and my toes began to ache with each downhill stride. Thousands of painful steps and four and a half hours later I was back at Red Hill cabin. My hiking companions soon arrived. Again we found that we had the cabin to ourselves. However in looking at the last entry in the log book we realized that a fellow named Eric, a college student in Bozeman Montana, stayed at Red Hill the last night, before returning back to Strip Road. His entry began "I heard there were hot chicks and free beer up here. Oh well, it was still worth the hike". 

Mike reported that his head was feeling much better although he still had a bit of a headache. I told him it would probably go away completely the next day after returning to a lower altitude. My prediction turned out to hold true. We left the cabin the next day at about 8:30 and arrived at the trailhead by about noon. Soon after arriving a couple from Hilo drove up to have a picnic lunch at the table under a covered shelter. The fellow cheerfully offered us soft drinks and beer which we enthusiastically and appreciatively accepted. Fortunately I stopped taking the Diamox a couple days before since Diamox can make carbonated beverages taste quite disgusting. A beer never tasted so good. 

 Our car was still there but there was an envelope on the windshield with large lettering "VIOLATION NOTICE". We were perplexed as we thought that it was legal to park at end of road and we had given the license plate number to the person issuing our permit. Inside the envelope was the business card of Ranger Kracht with a written note to call him at the number provided. We could not imagine what this was all about. 

We made a beeline for the Visitors Center where we got our permit to check back in and find out what the cryptic message was about. We soon discovered from Ranger Kracht that the fellow Eric who stayed at the Red Hill cabin the night we were at the summit found a backpack in the middle of the trail at about the 7000 foot elevation while he was hiking up. It was still there when he returned the next day. He brought it back to the Visitor's Center where the pack revealed that it was likely a woman but there was no identification. The ranger wanted to question us about whether we had seen anyone. We told him that we had not. He said that he had not contacted the couple from Alabama who never checked back in. Their car was gone from the trailhead. I postulated that perhaps the woman was unable to continue, did not want to carry her pack and just left it there. Hopefully my theory is correct. 

We then had lunch in Volcano Village. After lunch we drove down to look at the lava flow. Despite the fact that it was raining, there were dozens of cars parked along the side of the highway where the 45 minute walk to see the flowing lava. Mike, Jim and Ed elected to brave the weather and make the walk. I decided to crash in the back seat of the car since my toes were too tender from the 19 mile downhill walk. A couple hours later they returned telling me that it was worth the walk to see the lava which had not quite reached the ocean. 

We then returned to the hostel, all took hot showers, changed clothes and relaxed before going out to dinner at the Lava Rock Cafe. Mike and Jim had fajitas, Ed had the Pasta Primavera, and I had the Katsu Chicken. We were all very pleased with the food and opted for the Cheesecake (Lilikoi) for dessert. Unfortunately they did not have the Ohelo Berry Cheesecake since apparently it was not quite in season. I did, however find a ripe and quite delicious Ohelo berry on the downward slope of Moana Loa at about 8000 foot elevation. 

After dinner we returned to the hostel, watched some TV before retiring. The next day we ate a large breakfast of eggs and pancakes before checking out of the hostel. We cruised around Hilo for a while checking of U of H, Hilo looking for construction of a building that Jim's wife Jean might be working at next year. We were unable to locate the construction site. We eventually pigged out at a Chinese buffet before proceding to the airport for our return flight to Honolulu. 

All in all a very rewarding trip shared with great hiking partners. I for one plan to go back, this time with better clothing, more efficient stove, and bigger shoes. Any takers?? 

Aloha, Rich

Author:  Rich Jacobson <kalalau@hawaii.rr.com>