Ascent of Mauna Kea on 2019-02-25Date: | Monday, February 25, 2019 | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | Peak: | Mauna Kea | Location: | USA-Hawaii | Elevation: | 13796 ft / 4205 m | Ascent Trip Report
This was a bit more of an adventure than I had planned. For starters, I was booted from the flight from Honolulu and had to wait another hour. Upon arrival on the Big Island, I went to check in at my Air BnB and found I had registered wrong and had no room for the night. I decided to head up the mountain early, do some stargazing and sleep a few hours in the car before getting an early start. I drove to the Visitor's Center and put on a light jacket and my binoculars. Having appreciated a gorgeous sky of brilliant stars until the third quarter moon started to rise, I went back to my car. Which was locked, keys inside. (In my defense, the rental company later said this was likely a defect with the key fob). A kind couple doing some astrophotography gave me a blanket. It wasn't too cold if I was out of the wind and moving, but became uncomfortable if I sat or lay down, so I was very grateful. I called USAA to arrange an unlock. I hadn't heard back an hour later, and pondered asking for a ride back down the mountain with the couple up there, but that would put me away from my car, still with no place to stay, and without money or ID either (also in the car). There was no running water or food available, although I started the evening well fed and hydrated. The couple left me with some misgivings (but let me keep their blanket) and shortly thereafter I got ahold of roadside assist and they told me there was no one on the island willing to come get me at midnight on a Sunday. I was stuck until working hours the next day. I thought about trying to climb, but it seemed unwise with no food, water, light, or extra clothing other than a blanket. Finally I tried to sleep and spent a couple fitful hours behind a windbreak. I wasn't horribly worried about altitude sickness given that I left home at 5100' the day before and had now been at 9000' for several hours.
At about 3:30 I finally gave up. I was more comfortable when moving, and decided if I were going to walk I might as well walk uphill. So I set off up the road (safer than an unknown trail with no light source other than the moon) at a brisk pace under an incredible starry sky. It's hard to describe the surreal beauty of it, the stars definitely twinkle less in that steady air (for reasons I don't really understand, the dry air is exceptionally steady even though it's windy). Even though the moon was out, the southern cross and scorpius were up in all their glory, and I imagined Leo leading me in his course across the sky. One of the brightest asteroids I've ever seen crossed half the sky before breaking up in front of me.
I was paying careful attention to my level of hunger, thirst, and tiredness, wanting to be sure that I could retrace my steps downhill, and found that I was starting to tire as dawn approached about 6. I was also getting progressively colder. At this point my phone had died, so I had only a little paper map to guess my location. I ended up turning around at the junction with the trail to Waiau. I might have just continued if I had realized how close I was. The sunrise was glorious, with clear skies to the west but a level of stratocumulus far below me in the East all lined in silver. I was happy and comfortable as I made the long walk back down. I ranger passed me in his pickup and offered a water bottle and granola bars, which I accepted, but I declined a ride down. He later unlocked my car for me as well. I was back down at the visitors center about 7:30. They opened the road, which had been closed due to weather, and now with a backpack full of my usual gear I drove back to the point at which I had turned around. I made the hike out to lake Waiau and then from there to the peak. There was almost no snow. Weather remained perfect and I was grateful to be able to stand on top despite having decided to turn around earlier.
An amazing hike overall, and one that marks the highest, most isolated, and most prominent point I've reach by a wide margin. |
Summary Total Data | Route Conditions: | Road Hike, Maintained Trail | Ascent Statistics | Route: | Road until the trail to Lake Waiau. | Start Trailhead: | Visitor's Center | Descent Statistics | Route: | Mostly road, some trail. |
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