The trail was a 1-mile paved, uphill pathway with several magnificent look outs. My cardiovascular health and stamina is nearly non-existent, so I took the opportunity to catch my breath each time we stopped to snap a picture. Though we're sitting below a layer of vog created by the volcano on the Big Island, the haze seemed to amplify the radiance of the sunset and moon rise.
Getting near the top, we encountered an entire patch of cactus much like what you'd see in the desert on the mainland but like nothing I'd yet seen here. If it weren't for the backdrop of ocean, I could have easily transplanted myself to California.
As we reached the end of the hike and the top of the mountain, I realized why the walk was so special. View of the still and stoic light house, the deep blue ocean channels and the sun setting behind the mountain.
Before the sun set, we headed back down the trail slightly to an old WWII bunker we passed on the way up. It was the perfect spot to await the moon and celebrate our hike with good friends and a bit of red wine.
Unfortunately, we lack a high powered camera, so the pictures of the moon rising out of the ocean through the vog are only as good as our basic cameras would allow, but it is better than nothing! Just before we expected the moon to peek up from the horizon, a helicopter came flying over the spine of the mountain just behind us and landed atop the ridge. It was pretty intense to have it come so close!
And then... the moon.
It. Was. Breathtaking.
I am looking forward to doing many more hikes with by husband and close friends in 2013 and to seeing more spectacular scenes! This was certainly a highlight of the week.
For home protection a shotgun is a better choice than a pistol. I got into black powder shooting this year and love it, we have a really nice range here.
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