I hope I don%26#39;t get flamed for this (pun intended), but I am newbie to BI and just trying to get a sense of what the odds are of one being able to actually see lave flowing at night from a place that is relatively accesable (.5 mile walk or less with kids 6 %26amp; 8) and before 10 PM. Is it like 20%?
The reason I ask is trying to get a sense as to whether we should commit to spending a night in Volcano Village with specific hope of actually seeing lava flowing from fairly up close.
Obviously no one can predict how nature acts, and what happens next week can be different from what happens in a month from now - but my question is more of an ';in general'; type.Any feedback would be appreciated.
Chances of Seeing Lava
For most recent information you can visit my ';Lava Update'; posts. They should give you a good idea of where to go, when to be there, what to bring, and how to get there.
Here are the most recent updates:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29217-i268-k22378…
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29217-i268-k22339…
Lava flows can change without notice. Check back frequently to make sure you have the latest information.
Chances of Seeing Lava
LOL, no flames ..
but I think if you say when you%26#39;re coming it%26#39;s easier to answer. Is it soon? If it%26#39;s more or less imminent, then the lava entry has been accessible, although more like a mile than a half. They ask you to leave by 10, and last car in is at 8.
You cannot see the lava flow most of the time, unless there%26#39;s a surface breakout. You can see from a distance where the lava is entering the ocean and causing explosions, which are very showy fireworks.
However, every so often the lava stalls out for a few days and the ocean entry stops or gets real quiet. Only staying one night, that could possibly fall on a bad night. I%26#39;d say from the way it has been, the odds are better YES than NO.
I was up at VNP last night and driving down there were an awful lot of cars coming the opposite way back up the mountain, and I wondered if they were lava viewers returning. On part of the road it was pouring. All of the road is dark, It seemed like the longest 20 miles -- and that is to the intersection of 130.
I really wouldn%26#39;t care to drive back from the lava viewing all the way to Volcano at night. I would rather drive back to Hilo, which is only 10 miles of decently lit road once you get to Hwy 11, and multi-lane.
As I was driving up yesterday, I asked my passenger if it%26#39;s ever NOT raining on Hwy 11 around the 2000 foot elevation and he agreed pretty much always. Rained both ways.
The vent at Halemaumau crater is looking like it%26#39;s going to erupt ... there is lava there and red in the plume now. So there you have a perk to staying overnight near the park, if it continues.
Ideally people come to the VNP not just to see the lava but to see the fascinating geology and so are not disappointed if it%26#39;s not happening.
Whatever you see, those flowing rivers of lava that you see on video footage are not happening most of the time and can only be seen by air in recent times. Those videos are mostly 10-20 years old and they should really stop showing them on the Visitor Channel and in ads. It raises expectations unrealistically.
We just got back from a trip to the Big Island and Kauai. We spent four nights on BI, two in Captain Cook, then one in Volcano, then one in Keauhou.
You can never attach a percentage to lava viewing. We spent the night in Volcano to give us the option, should Madame Pele be cooperative, to view any surface flow/ocean entry. But she must have a dark humor, as the moment the sun started to go down, and the explosions turned from gray and black to a fiery red, it started absolutely pouring down with rain. It was a pretty awesome moment. But my point is that you have to take a risk if you really want to see the lava. A drive back to Kona (or worse, Kohala) in the dark from the viewing area would be a fairly miserable long drive IMHO. The drive from the lava viewing area back to Volcano Village was not bad at all. Took about an hour, but we had no rain as mentioned above. But to add the ~3hrs to Kona would be a bit much, plus you would miss the pretty scenery on the drive back.
Had the lava not been flowing, we would have simply spent more time in the park, or maybe visited Hilo. Even with a chunk of the park closed due to vog, there was plenty to do. There%26#39;s a great list of day hikes available at the visitor%26#39;s center. The Kilauea Iki hike was absolutely stunning. If your kids are active I think they%26#39;ll be able to handle it.
And bring flashlights from home if you want to save money. You WILL need them and they are mandatory for everyone at the viewing area. I%26#39;ve already written too much, let me know if you want any more info on our trip.
cool report, tjbrooks,
%26gt;%26gt;the moment the sun started to go down, and the explosions turned from gray and black to a fiery red, it started absolutely pouring down with rain.
Yeah, that happened to me. Got soaked to the skin. Talked to a park ranger this week about that and she said pouring rain down there is very common.
So add umbrella or poncho to the take with list.
The rain blew up really fast too.
The park areas that are closed aren%26#39;t just voggy; there%26#39;s sulfur gas coming out of the vent and ground. The area where everyone used to view the vent is now subject to having dangerous objects exploded out of the vent -- rocks, shards of glass, volcanic ';bombs'; (one on display at Jaggar).
It%26#39;s not just about the bad air. It%26#39;s quite dangerous. The park collectors wear special ';lava proof'; suits to go over there now.
Luckily for everyone the trades are blowing the plume out of the vent away from Jaggar.
KamaainaK, you are right. Crater Rim Dr was closed between Jaggar Museum and Chain of Craters Rd due to sulfur dioxide (SO2), which is what is to blame for the vog.
I%26#39;ve put my photos up. They%26#39;re raw and unedited....and not very good. But you can get an idea of what it%26#39;s like. These were taken on Sept. 1st.
…google.com/tjbrooks/BigIslandLavaViewing
Notice that there%26#39;s a boat getting really close to the entry point. I don%26#39;t know what the heck they were doing, and whether it was safe or not.
WOW! Fantastic pix, tjbrooks. Thanks for posting them. I%26#39;ll be there next week %26amp; I hope it%26#39;s half as good a show as you saw! But I%26#39;ll be there on land...those folks in the boat are INSANE!
We were there a month back and I%26#39;ve posted a few photos at bigislandtripreportpart1.shutterfly.com
Despite flashlights being ';mandatory'; we saw loads of people without them. And in flip-flops!
Key thing is to arrive at least an hour before sunset so you can park reasonably near
nick
Kamaainak, lavaguyd, tjbrooks and the rest - thank you for all of your great feedback and advice - it is very much appreciatted.
We just booked our flights to Hawaii for next July and plan to spend at least 6 - 8 nights on the Big Island. We are already very much looking for to it.
