Cairn

Hiking through the lava flows at Hawai'i Vocanoes National Park, it's hard to know which way to go. There's no trail per se, just hard rock, and very few natural landmarks to oriente you. In response, the Parks Department built large piles of lava rock, i.e. cairns, every hundred meters or so. You walk from one pile of rock to the next as you move through this incredible landscape. I love it, because you never have to really pay attention to where you are going. Just enjoy the scenery. [NOTE: See Habitats in Hawai'i and Amy,  Luke, and the Lava Flow for more on this wonderful trip].

Amy, Luke, and the Lava Flow

Amy and Luke walk across a desolate lava flow at Hawai'i Volcano National Park (see Habitats in Hawai'i and Halema'uma'u) in the drizzling morning rain. Turned out to be about a two hour hike from rim to rim. [NOTE: Didn't bring my raincoat].  

Halema'uma'u

Lava glows in the Halema'uma'u Crater as night falls at Hawai'i Volcano National Park. The crater is currently active, with an open lava vent that ranges from 70 to 150 m below the crater floor. Check out the USGS video here for a more close-up look at the lava at Halema'uma'u. [NOTE: I spent a long time looking at this glow and thinking about the molten center of our planet. Humbling].