We took two large vans to Haleakala National Park, which has an active shield volcano and an immense, erosional valley known as Haleakala Crater, a geological wonder dotted with cinder cones. The crater is also home to unique ecosystems and endangered species like the Haleakala silversword and nene.
The hour trip along a winding road traveled to an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet. It is the shortest distance from sea level to 10,000 feet on the planet.
The road had a yellow, bumpy, lighted fog strip down the center to prevent drivers from driving off the road in heavy fog, very common at those elevations.
On the way up, the mist/clouds continually changed.
Silverswords live between 3 and 90 years or more.
Haleakala Crater
A huge mountain of cinder cones.
On a hillside overlooking Haleakala is Haleakala High Altitude Observatory and the Maui Space Surveillance System domes:
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