slippahs

Update on Kilauea Volcano:

The access closest to where the lava hits the ocean has been closed due to the instability of the surrounding area. More info here:
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../ln/ln09p.html

dhuey

It's nice to see that they have some smart scientists on top of this. I'd hate to see such an amazing place become a memorial for unlucky tourists.

nishimark

We went to Maui last month and enjoyed an activity that I would like to recommend. It's not heavily advertised, but we found out about it in Maui Revealed. It's a lava tube cave exploration, on the way to Hana. My two boys, 14 and 7 years old, really had a good time.

http://www.mauicave.com/

No, I'm not connected in any way to the place. Just a satisfied customer.

cowtowner

We are heading to the Big Island next week, checked the NPS website and they say there isn't any lava to hike and look at.....

I've also read on this site and others that the NPS website isn't reliable. So....anybody been lately and can give a first hand account?

karenkay

is the nps website the same as this one?

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/main.html

i find it tends to be fairly accurate. enjoy your trip!

cowtowner

http://www.nps.gov/havo/ is the site I was talking about. In it, it says :

Currently, there are NO surface lava flows that visitors can walk up to. Areas of the park have been closed due to the potential for large land collapses

JA610

As karenKay stated This is the Best Site to use. When we are on the Big Island we check it all of the time since things often.

bocastephen

The USGS website is the best option for checking on lava, however, the NPS site is correct - at this time (and for quite some time) there is no surface lava you can safely hike to.

Lava has been periodically visible on the pali (hillside) after dusk, and you can see the glow quite well at the ocean entry points from various vantage points along a marked trail.

In order to hike to the lava on the Pali, you would need to either leave the roped off area at the end of the marked trail, or enter the volcano area from the Hilo side outside the park - both options are very time consuming and quite dangerous for someone not explicitely familiar with what they are doing. Also, the roped in area keeps people off the lava bench, which can become very unstable - and in fact, just recently collapsed.

The best thing to do at this point, is prepare for a hike to the edge of the roped off area and enjoy the view of the ocean entry - it could be some time before surface lava gets down the pali inside the roped area.

cblaisd

From yesterday's Hawaii Tribune-Herald (Hilo) and West Hawaii Today (Kona):

....Eruptive activity at Pu'u 'O'o continues. On clear nights, glow is visible from several vents within the crater and on the southwest side of the cone. Lava continues to flow through the PKK lava tube from its source on the flank of Pu'u 'O'o to the ocean, with a few surface flows breaking out of the tube. In the past week, flows were active on the steep slopes of Pulama pali, above the coastal plain. Surface flows on the pali are visible at night (weather permitting) from the end of Chain of Craters Road.

As of Dec. 15, lava is entering the ocean at East Lae'apuki, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. A new bench continues to grow in the embayment created during the large bench collapse on Nov. 28. Lava is entering the ocean rather passively, and little glow can be seen at night. Access to the ocean entry and the surrounding area remains closed.....

Full article here:

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/...no/volcano.txt

There have been some dramatic pictures in the last couple of weeks of the collapse of the lava benches that keep building up. There is no predicting when or the extent of the collapse or exactly where the underground lava stream that is creating the bench will spew when a bench collapses.

It's really not safe right now. But on a clear night (and Hilo-side has been unseasonably non-rainy lately) the view from the end of Chain of Craters Road to be pretty good indeed.

brendamc

Ok, the guy from http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/main.html is off to Mexico & the other website only has data as recently as 1/9. I'm flying over on Tuesday morning - is there any site that will give true up to date info?

Thanks!

bocastephen

I read recently that the ocean entry at East Ka'ili'ili and some Pali flows (Campout Flow) are better seen from the Kalapana side of the park. I couldn't find any information about the state re-opening the access from that side, but I remember they paved over alot of the lava flow along the shoreline making the hike to that ocean entry much easier and provided a gravel road for closer car access.

Has anyone gone out to watch the flow from the other side, and if so, how did you get there, where did you park and how was the hike? I read on Konaweb that some people have been going out that way, but we don't want to be the only ones walking out there at night all alone or come back to find a problem with the rental car either.

The Juiceman

Not a local (yet ) but I did make that hike last December. The parking area is at the end of Hwy 130. There are signs that say "local only" but it is non-enforcable. Let me tell you, you do not want to be caught out there after dark!! It is like hiking on Mars or something. There is no plane as we know it: with each step you can be either stepping in a huge hole or in a crack or up the side of a mound. Without some sort of reference as to where your car is you are likely to hike right past it in the dark. There is a local who hikes there frequently that has a telescoping light in the back of his truck that can be seen far away. Going when he is there would be advisable. We made it back just before astronomical twilight fortunately or I think we would have missed the parking area. Not sure about the safety of the parking area. There were some folks just sitting in lawn chairs by their car watching the glow (seemed like nice people). If you send me a PM with your email address I can send you some pictures, if you like.

Lavarock7

Here I AM a local and have only made that trek on the far side once. If I wasn't so busy, I'd go try to see the Kalapana side.

The nice thing about the park side is that there are lots of people around to help rescue you

bocastephen

Thank you for the advise...I think we will give the Kalapana side a try this time, starting out early afternoon just to see what it's like and being able to make it to the car before dark. If the lava is flowing better inside the Park, we might switch plans.

Every year Pele teases me - the lava either flows for weeks before I get there, then stops the week I arrive, and/or it starts up after I leave. Just once, I want to get close enough for some great photos and maybe thin out my eyebrows

KonaHi

Having driven to the end of the unpaved section of road many times at night, I would NOT reccommend driving the unpaved section at night. As far as parking where the paved section ends, in the past there have been instances of vandalism to vehicles. The walk is also very long, esp. at night with flashlights. Be careful and have fun.