The drive from sea level at Kihei to the summit of the volcanic peak at Haleakala is 49 miles, takes about 1-1/2 hours, has at least 28 switchbacks and finishes at the summit building on Red Hill, 10,023 feet above sea level later.

From a balmy 83 degrees at sea level the temperature has dropped to 57 degrees. Fortunately we have had an atypical clear weather day with no wind to speak of and the summit landscape appears like you have been dropped on the surface of Mars.

It is also incredibly quiet – no birds, no animals, or wind noise, just us tourists.

The silverswords of Haleakala are one of the few plants that can survive on the desert cinder slopes of the peak area. They live from 3 to 90 years and flower once during that lifespan them wither away and die soon afterwards scattering seeds to the wind.

The majority of the original peak of the volcano has eroded away, leaving multiple cinder cones within a crater plateau area that is about 4 miles wide by 7 miles long – nearly impossible to capture in an image.

There is a walking path down amongst the cinder cones and into the crater. If you are well-equipped it is about an 11 mile hike that takes 7-9 hours. We were not so well equipped…