Kilauea – A Darker View

Volcano Run… Not

I was ready…

Kilauea eruption episode 28 just starting before dawn on July 9, 2025

I had the day off, and the eruption was due. The camera was packed, batteries charged, memory cards cleared. Ready to go!

Work, as usual, is the complicating factor when it comes to volcano photography. I had been planning for a week. Some experiments at work required me to go in on Saturday. This giving me a chance to trade for a day for off in the middle of the week. Careful checking of the USGS telemetry showed that day would be Tuesday. Thus I arranged Tuesday off and was ready to go…

The Start

I somehow always miss the very start of the eruption.

A massive lava fountain during episode 23 on May 25, 2025

For episode 9 I was just a couple miles away in another part of the park when the eruption broke out.

For episode 15 I had been on the rim for hours waiting for the expected start when I finally gave up and went to grab breakfast. The eruption started while I was waiting for my omlette at the Crater Rim Cafe.

This time I saw it.

Tephra

While enjoying and photographing episode 15 of the current eruption we got dumped on.

Pele's hair and reticulite from the episode 15 lava fountains — Pele’s hair and from the episode 15 lava fountains under the microscope

It was while photographing the spectacular fountains of episode 15 that bits of tephra began drifiting down on the crowded viewpoints along the crater rim. There was little wind and the enormous volcanic plume drifted over the eastern end of the caldera where thousands of people had come to view the eruption.

As I stood by the tripod I noted little clumps of Pele’s hair lazily drifiting down. Looking to see where it landed I note minute black gritty granules atop the camera and tripod. Oh lovely!

Fountain

Lava Surge — Lava pistons from the north vent as episode 15 builds pressure 26Mar 2025

Fountain

Episode 15

Reading the tiltmeter data it was clear that the pressure was building again, an eruption appearing likely in the next day or two. The last episodes have produced ever higher lava fountains, I expect episode 15 to go even higher and I truly wish to see it when it happens.

Right on schedule the first lava appeared, a little rivulet of lava overflowing the north vent onto the crater floor. If the pattern repeated this would be followed by high lava fountains in the next ten hours or so. Episode 15 was on.

Strong glow from the eruption vents illuminate the heavy volcanic plume above between surges

Tomorrow it would be, and as tomorrow was also a holiday for me, Prince Kūhiō Day, I would be free to make another volcano run!!

We are a go.

The same plan… a 2am alarm, hit the road, 4am in the park, hike to the Keanakāko’i viewpoint.

Volcano Road

The glow of the January 2025 eruption above Crater Rim Drive — The glow of the January 2025 eruption lights the path above a closed section of Crater Rim Drive

Observing Episode 4

Photographing and enjoying episode 4 of the Kilauea eruption on Jan 16th, 2025

Palapalai

Twin Craters

On the west end of the park is a vast area I had never ventured into, the Kaʻu Desert. This was going to change, the two hikes on the top of the list for this particular stay in the park were Mauna Ulu and the Kaʻu Desert. Having accomplished the prior it was time for the latter.

The Kaʻu Desert along the Mauna Iki Trail

There are two sets of trailheads to enter the Kaʻu Desert. Several of the trailheads are along Highway 11 on the north side of the area. To avoid leaving my car on the side of the main island belt road I chose to use one of the trailheads along the Hilina Pali Road inside the park. Here one can find the Mauna Iki Trail leading to Twin Craters.