The Big Island: Kilauea Iki

Probably the coolest hike we did on the Big Island was the Kilauea Iki Trail. Inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, it's an easy loop trail at 4 miles long and only loses 400 feet of elevation. The trail starts off in lush rainforest and traces the rim of the Kilauea Iki crater. The trail then descends into the bottom of the crater and crosses the entire lake past all manner of strange formations and steam vents before ascending up the other side. It's really a perfect short hike with a lot of variety. I recommend the trial guide available at the ranger station, otherwise you're missing out on a lot of cool information about what's around you.

A view down in the crater with the gas plume of Kileuea visible in the distance. The day we went hiking the air was heavily polluted with smoggy volcanic gasses, and it seemed to get worse as we went along. You could smell sulfur in the air.

This is looking from the rim across the crater to the new volcanic vent that started the whole eruption. It's caved in now, but in 1959 it was spewing lava 2,000 feet into the air. Blobs of lava 3 feet in diameter were falling from the sky at this viewpoint.

Before the 1959 eruption the crater was 400 feet deeper. At it's maximum depth the lava lake began to drain back into the erupting vent, forming a whirlpool full of black slabs of crumpling rock. The lake dropped 50 feet, leaving a "bathtub ring" around the already cooled edges of the pool, which you can see here. Also known as a lava subsidence terrace.

 Another view of Kileuea before descending into Iki.

 Standing on the subsidence terrace looking towards the cinder cone.

 This is the hole that goes to the center of the earth. Currently it's caved in. It must be rich in nutrients because new trees were growing all over it, whereas there is very little plant life everywhere else in the crater.

Just past the cinder cone the terrain smoothed out in to rolling mounds where it looked like a superhero battle had taken place.

In the center of the crater are two mounds of rock, split by deep fissures, spewing up hot steam. After the eruptions of 1959 it took until the mid 1990's for the lava lake under the surface to turn solid. To this day it is still hot enough to boil water.

 A lone Ohi'a plant makes a stand. Many more will follow until either the forest returns or the lava returns.

 This part reminded me of the Tongoriro Crossing in New Zealand.

 Looking back after reaching the far shore. From here it was an ascent through the forest up to the rim.

 After spending a few hours in the steamy wastelands the forest was extra inviting and lush.