Waikoloa – A Darker View

Bloom in the Lava

Hawai’i is not known for the sort of mass blooms that occur across large sections of the arid Southwestern US in years of favorable rainfall. But a smaller version does occasionally occur across the younger lava flows around Waikoloa and Kiholo.

A spring bloom in the Waikoloa lava fields with bright yellow Dahlberg daisies (Thymophylla tenuiloba) carpeting the ground

Spring storms have brought several inches of rain to the normally arid Waikoloa area, the soils are saturated. A few species of wildflower have taken advantage of the conditions to bloom en-mass.

The primary species is Dahlberg daisy (Thymophylla tenuiloba) carpeting many acres in a bright yellow show. Among the rough terrian of rock and mesquite it is rather pretty.

Dalhberg daisy is an invasive, probably imported as an ornamental, but this short lived annual does not seem to have any worrisome ecological impacts and is not a high priority for eradication.

Stone Wall

Just Needs a Tune Up

The engine of an old International Harvester truck abandoned in a corral above Waikoloa

Out of Gas

The dash of an old International Harvester truck abandoned in a corral above Waikoloa

That Will Buff Out

An old International Harvester truck abandoned in a corral above Waikoloa

Geology of Waikoloa

While writing up my visit to Goat House Tube I was again wondering how old the lava tube was, it is clearly old, but how old?

A Google Earth image of Waikoloa overlayed with a geologic unit map showing the various lava flows from Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, pinks are Mauna Kea flows while Mauna Loa flows are green

Most of the Mauna Kea lava flows upon which Waikoloa sits are ten to twenty thousand years old, but the Mauna Loa flows that start just south of the village can be quite a bit younger.

Just a few miles south of the village one can find the 1859 Mauna Loa flow, the longest lava flow in the state representing a very long eruption that produced an enormous volume of lava. This is the flow that reshaped Kiholo bay, destroying the large fishponds that could once be found there.

Goat House… Again

The upper power line entrance to Goat House Tube

It has been a while since I last hiked out to Goat House Lava Tube. A bit obscure, the tube hides in the grasslands outside Waikoloa Village, accessible with a modest hike.

With the new eMTB this tube is even easier to get to. The power line access roads are rough, simple tracks just scraped into the lava, but fun. A good road to enjoy with a full suspension bike bouncing over the bare rock.

King’s Trail

Locked Gate

Taking a Walk

A long weekend? Cloudy enough to preclude a night with a telescope? May as well take a walk.

There are a few great hikes around the island, but often I just do not feel like driving very far. Thus I head out to Puʻuhinai again, one of my favorite local hikes just outside the village.

Recent rains have turned the landscape green and lush. Everywhere there are signs of flowing water, even along many of the old ranch roads, the downpours have been intense lately. The mauna have had snow all year so far, a reminder of a very wet winter rainy season.