Field Trippin: Hiking up the Jelly Mold (Pu'u Wa'a Wa'a)

For reasons I am not going to go into, I have been pretty much restricted to the indoors for the better part of a month. So, with geology friends visiting (from back when I was a wee undergrad), I ran back outside!

I figured what better place to take some fellow Geos than a place on the island that is NOT basalt! I am talking about the trachyte cinder and pumice cone and associated flow named Pu'u Wa'a Wa'a (pronounced Pu'u Va'a Va'a). This amazing cone is touched on in passing in my Roadside Geology of Hawaii(1) (pgs 109-11, 122) but is one of my favorite spots. I have seen the name translated as "many-furrowed hill" and is, I believe, a Hawai'i State forest reserve. It is open weekdays only (which is why I haven't gone as many times as I would like). There are a few trails in the reserve (ok 2 really) but we always end up on top. But enough text right? You want pretty pictures!

But first, directions!
From Mamalahoa Hwy & Waikoloa Rd, HI

Head south on the Mamalahoa Hwy for approximately 12 miles
You will enter a small town with the Big Island Country Club and Pu'u Lani Ranch
Next you will descend down the side of the lava flow
The turn is an unmarked rd on the left at the bottom of the flow
There are two large white posts on either side of the gate

From Kailua
Take Palai Rd N and up the hill to the Mamalahoa Hwy and head north
You will continue for around 14 miles North on the Hwy
You will be able to see the road going up the lava flow
the turn is on your right before you go up the flow
There are two large white posts on either side of the gate

Also it is in Google Maps

Here is the trail map

Starting point of the hike. Hunter Check station, with Pu'u Wa'a Wa'a visible in the distance. The first part of the hike is on an old road. Pu'u Wa'a Wa'a is approximately 105,000 years old and the volume of the cone and flow combine for an estimated 5.5 km³  and according to Moore et al., (1987) (2) this makes it the "largest volume single eruption known on the island". 

Trachyte! Beautiful exposed not-basalt as we lovingly call it. I looked it up in my Volcanoes in the Sea(3) book, since there wasn't much in my roadside. While the majority of Hualalai Volcano is characterized by small amounts of differentiation, the pumice cones and trachyte flow of Pu'u Wa'a Wa'a and Pu'u Anahulu are clearly different. according to Volcanoes in the Sea it is possible that these lavas are from another magma storage area separate from the main Hualalai storage area, or they may have migrated from Kohala volcano (the northern most volcano in Hawaii Island). 

I was under the impression that this was the only occurrence of trachyte on my lovely Big Island however, as I continued reading I discovered that there are in fact several small domes on Kohala, as well as Pu'u Anahulu.

The cinder done itself is mostly pumice although there are scattered tryachite obsidian blocks which make up about 5 percent of the deposit, the largest of which are around 30 cm (4).

Looking back you can see the trail, the lava flow, and below that, the beach. Near the old quarry there are two abandoned buildings and the trail turns from an old road into a more classic trail. The trachyte flow you see here is almost 300 meters thick (compared to an average thickness of 5 meters for its Hawaiian basaltic cousins (3)). The flow extends 9.5 km from the cone. 

Just a bunch of geologists heading up the trail. On our right in this photo is the quarry area. This is the only known source of obsidian in Hawaii. However, it is believed that this source was not utilized by native Hawaiians, as it was only exposed when the quarry was started to mine road fill (4).

There are two "humps" on the top of the cone, and this is looking back at the northern one. See that rain cloud? 5 minutes after I took this we got hit with a downpour that followed us all the way back down! I was unable to provide a lecture on the geologic history sitting on top of Pu'u Wa'a Wa'a in the rain and I hope if you are reading this Steve that I have answered any questions you had. If not, you know how to find me! 

But enough about rocks you say? What about wildlife?

There are cows, sheep and, goats OH MY! We also saw horses on the way back down but it was raining too hard for me to take my camera out. 

I leave you with a photo of 5 geologists, soaking wet after getting dumped on. Is this Hawaii!? Did we get transported back to the Pacific Northwest!? Aloha and mahalo for reading!

Oh hell, I can't resist adding the goofy one too!

Peace, Love, and Rocks!

1 Hazlett, R. W., and Hyndman, D. W., Roadside Geology Of Hawaii, 1996, Montana Press Publishing Company
2 Moore et al., (1987) Hualalai Volcano: A preliminary summary of Geologic, Petrologic, and Geophysical data, In: Volcanism in Hawaii, USGS Professional Paper 1350, pages 571-585
3 Macdonald, G. A., Abbot, A. T., and Peterson F. L., Volcanoes In the Sea the geology of Hawaii, second edition, 1986, University of Hawaii Press
4 HVO website, Volcano Watch, September 4, 2004 (accessed 130528) http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/archive/2004/04_09_02.html

Field Trippin: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

I went to a blogger meet up today and got inspired to write more. I thought a fun series would be just field trips I have gone on around the Big Island of Hawaii! So here is the first installation, my walk in the Volcanoes National park this past week. There is a lot to do in the park, but I figured an offering of what I did might be interesting!

I was there for work so I got up early the last morning and took a nice long walk before starting the work day.

To get you oriented I took my walk around the summit at Kilauea. You are looking for the blue in these figures. I started at Volcano House (which is currently closed but I hear it will be opening back up!) and walked south along the rim towards Kilauea Iki. See the figure below for my path!

I started at the Volcano House near the Kilauea Visitor Center and headed south along the earthquake trail (on the closed and eroding crater rim drive) to Waldrons Ledge and the overlook there.

This is the view from Waldrons Ledge (I had some fun with the post processing) 

This is the old parking lot at Waldrons Ledge overlook 

Part of the trail along the old road

According to the sign this trail called the "earthquake trail" starts along a broken section of Crater Rim Drive that was damaged by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in 1983. I really enjoyed this section just simply due to the different view into the crater. I go over to the Jagger Museum every time I go into the park and while that view into the crater is amazing... it was nice to see it from a different angle. 

I turned around shortly after the overlook and headed towards the Jagger museum (I had a meeting at HVO). On the way back, close to the closed Volcano House I came across a nice spot to sit. This spot gave a lovely view of the steam bluffs and the crater rim trail over to the museum. 

Mauna Loa was also out, gracefully reaching to the sky.

Here is another shot of the plume. 

Next I walked along the crater rim along the sulfur banks trail. I was distracted by the beautiful morning light and plants around me, and walked through my first steam plume and was instantly confused... WHY IS IT WARM!? WHAT SMELLS FUNNY! It only take me a second to realize where I was a laugh at myself. 

one of the vents

Looking along the trail towards the museum and HVO

Another stop and another view of the plume

getting close! This area of the trail if you keep your eyes out you can see very fine strands of Pele's hair!

THE HVO! 

It really was beyond perfect weather! Mauna Kea was even out!

I made my coworker take this photo of me and yes.... I am wearing a lava lamp volcano shirt! 

You can buy the shirt here

I always feel like these posts just turn into a string of photos near the end, but I hope you enjoyed it! I really enjoyed the walk along Waldrons Ledge and next time I want to keep going that direction! Also the walk along the crater is always amazing. There is a lot to do in the park and as I discover new nooks and crannies I will be sure to share!