[Rockhounds] Hawaii

[Johan Maertens]

Oloha,

I have not heard from Kittly and Bill lately
I hope you are doing OK.

Just returned from visiting the Hawaiian islands

Volcanism, fresh and old all over the islands.
Unfortunately no active eruptions.

We hiked over (!) the floor of the solidified Kīlauea Iki Crater lava lake.
Identified volcanic glass, Pele's hair and olivine crystals.

Mauna Kea's summit was inaccessible because of protesters, opposing a new telescope.

As a substitute we hiked the summit of Haleakala with its cindercones and saw the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy observatory.

We explored Kaumana Caves Park lava tubes near Hilo on Hawai'i and visited black sand and red sand beaches near Hana on Maui

We arrived on Hawai'i the day of the Ironman race and later tried ourselves cycling several miles on that road (brutal, head wind and heat).

We skipped the Honolulu annual mineral show (do not ask me .. my better half had other plans), while on Maui.

Johan Maertens
mr.calcite at live.com