Crazy fog on the Sliding Sands Trail in Mt Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii

 

On a winter day in Maui, Hawaii (who has heard of winter in Hawaii? :-) ) we began our hike down the Sliding Sands trail from the top of Mount Haleakala to inside the crater.

As we were at the summit, the sun was beginning to disappear behind clouds, even though it was less than 10 am in the morning. We got a partly covered view of the Haleakala crater from the vista point near the Visitor's Center.

The hike down into the crater can go down more than 2500 ft from the summit. We set up a destination of Kaluuokaoo (or Ka Lu'u o ka 'O'o, more accurately) cinder cone, at a distance of 2.7 miles, and an elevation drop of 1400 feet. The start into the crater was exciting. It was sheer moonscape, if you can discount the clouds. We could see the cinder cones in the distance. But, hardly half-an-hour into the crater, thick clouds started rolling up the mountainside along the Koolau Gap, and visibility turned to near zero; a situation that would remain so almost for the entire duration of our hike.

We were engulfed in thick cloud/fog most of the time. During the short breaks in the clouds, we could see where we were going :-). 

There were many silversword plants along the crater wall, and they made pretty picture.

When we reached the part of the trail where a short trail leads to Kaluuokaoo cinder cone, the visibility fell to close to ten feet or so. It was really difficult to see where one was going. We sat down, had our lunch, and waited for the clouds to disperse. But the clouds just did not let up, and finally we decided to turn back after 2.1 miles. The hike up the trail was mostly quiet. You could hear the crunch-crunch-crunch of the hiking shoes on the gravel. It was slow hiking upwards at 9000 ft.

As we came near the summit, there was a partial clearing of the clouds, but it was too late to turn back. Good we did not, because thick clouds rolled in again pretty quick, and it did not look any better now than it did before.

It is a pity we had to turn back when we did, but it was a great experience hiking through the dense fog.