Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Snow on Mt. Haleakala


Aloha,

Where's my socks!?

It's a nippy morning with SNOW on Haleakala. Wow, break out the Ug boots and fleece vests ( local wardrobe in the winter), cuz, Baby, it's cold outside!

We do not get snow often on Maui, seems like every 5-10 years. Unlike Mauna Kea on the Big Island, this mountain is white capped every year. Mauna means moutain and kea, white, in the Hawaiian language. Island residents high tail it up to Mauna Kea when there is snow, just to build a snow man or take a few turns, or ride a boogie board down the slopes. It is rather "survival fun", and the mountain being so high, 14,000 ft, people tend to leave their rational thought around 8,000 ft. Me included, I admit to skiing on Mauna Kea one morning many years ago, and surfing in the afternoon. I think just because I could.

My friend up in Kula, Aki' Ra Yashiro snapped some more amazing shots this morning of our beloved Haleakala blanketed in snow. On Maui, our mountain is closed during these super cold snaps due to dangerous ice on the curving mountain road. Some Mauians get a little upset because they want to travel up to the snow. I understand why the park personal make the decision to close the road. That black ice is no joke.

So, here's to the never ending, always changing , always amazing natural beauty of our wonderful islands. Remember to keep doing good things for the earth, as every day is Earth Day!

Keeping cozy,

Cherie

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's awesome! We saw some on the Big Island during our trip there and wondered if Maui got it sometimes as well.