This current eruption has been wonderful and frustrating in alternate measure. The eruption started just before Christmas 2024 and has now persisted well into 2025. Along the way it has been an off and on again show, one with frustrating timing.
While erupting the volcano has produced some of the most spectacular lava fountains, it then shuts off like somebody closed a valve, often going from full throttle to nothing in minutes.
For the first part of this eruptive series the timing has been horrible, at least from my viewpoint. Through the Christmas holiday I had a series of commitments well timed to prevent my running over to see the eruption while it was going. Then, when I was free to drive over the eruption stopped!
The bad timing continued… The first week of January I had four nights booked at KMC right on the volcano rim, a reservation made months ago before this current eruption started. Did the lava appear in those days? Of course not.
I did get some long planned hikes in while in the park, enjoying parts of the park less visited. But could I get a break in the timing here? No.
I just had to wait.
My chance finally came on January 16th, a morning I could break away and make it to the volcano while the fountains were in action. I tossed the camera gear and telescope in the vehicle and made the run at 2am for the volcano.
I executed same timing and the same well tested plan I have used before. Get to the park around 4am and make for the Devastation Trail parking lot. From there it is a one mile walk to the Keanakākoʻi viewpoint down the closed section of Crater Rim Drive, a lovely stroll under the light of a full moon and the bright red glow of the volcano.
The show is on!
Two fountains showered lava halfway up the 500ft cliff behind with rivers of lava flowing out onto the crater floor. Above the lava a plume of steam and sulfur towered into the night sky lit from below by the red of the lava, lit from above by the silvery blue glow of a full Moon. Simply spectacular, one of the most impressive sights I have ever seen while visiting the volcano.
Setting up the little TeleVue 76 telescope I gaze into the fire. Lava showers up to fall upon the spatter rampart around the vent. The scene is mesmerizing, even from a mile and a half away, the telescope negating the distance. On this morning with no wind the roar of escaping gas is impressive, a steady rumble that fills the night.
I set about shooting both stills and video, sometimes through the telescope, sometimes grabbing the second camera body and shooting wide angle, attempting to capture the looming plume above. Even the iPhone is getting great images, particularly of the plume and Moon.
The little telescope draws attention like always and when not using it to shoot I offer up the view to the other lava watchers around me. The result is wide eyes and exclamations of delight. The view never ceases to impress anyone who looks.
At 4am there is no issue getting a spot at the ropeline and I can pick my place. But as dawn approaches the crowd thickens a bit. One group of three girls spread a blanket in front of me, they politely ask if they are in the way… No problem, stitting on the blanket they are well beneath me and I can shoot over their heads. As a thanks for their consideration I invite them for a look through the scope, an offer they readily accept.
It is then I break out the 3D printed phone platform for the telescope I designed a few years back. Once folks see what they can do with their own phone on the telescope the excitement climbs even higher. Without the scope one can get a little blob of red in the image, with the ‘scope and adapter the whole screen is filled with flying globs of lava, images that look to be from a TV documentary.
One gentleman texted his video of the lava to his son on the east coast… His son immediately replied “Are you safe dad?!” I suppose the video could, out of context, look a little scary.
As folks take their turn at the ‘scope the conversation flows, visitors from around the world bonded by a shared experience.
Mission success, I feel an end to the frustration over missing some of the previous episodes. I have memory cards full of decent photos and can relax a bit. This eruption will probably cycle a few more times, as long as the vent remains open. I might come again, but will not sweat it so much if I miss.
Well after dawn I began to break down the gear. By that time I had gathered quite a party around, a group of folks enjoying the show offered by the volcano. We had memories, stories, and the photos to prove it.
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