2021 Hike 6: Sliding sands hike: Haleakalā crater

This hike was a stress test for our constitutions and respiratory systems. Starting at the summit of Haleakalā, volcano at 10,023 feet, the trail leads down into the caldera. We had planned to do this hike before coming back up to watch the sunset and stargaze at the summit.

This hike was the highest that Brook and I have ever been, and we were able to make it a couple miles down the trail before turning around and going back up without getting any altitude sickness! Win!

The reason we turned around at 2 miles, was a dramatic shift in the weather. Hikers always say things like “the weather can change suddenly on the mountain,” or “storms can hit really hard at that elevation,” but until it actually happens to you, it can be difficult to understand how truly powerless we are against nature at that scale.

It started when a front of fog and light rain came in, and we literally watched it come towards us and envelop us.

Patrick on the trail, as the storm comes in

We thought, “eh, we’ll see, it might clear up.” No such luck. Shortly after, the hail and thunder started, to which we concluded “It’s been real. It’s been fun. Let’s get out of here.”

One of the biggest lessons I learned on the mountain that day, was to be mindful of all things at that elevation: the environment, my fellow hikers, and my own body. As we were going back up the trail, panic started to set in, when I thought I was seeing pieces of gold on the trail…turned out they were hiker’s pistachio shells, but the edges were shimmering in my vision. Around this time, Brook began nervously asking “is this the trail? Are we sure?!” As thunder boomed around us. At this point, I used something I learned in AA: Stop. Take a breath. Reset. Assess. I realized the shimmering was likely due to lack of oxygen as a result of shallow breathing at altitude, and also that my fellow hiker was on the verge of panic. I realized that if we both gave in to panic, that we could end up in real trouble. So I calmly explained that we were definitely on the trail, as we were on the wall of a caldera, so any ground that is actually flat and not diagonal is a trail. Then I practiced deep, pursed-lip breathing (nurses and fighter pilots will know what this is) to create pressure in my lungs and force the oxygen down into my body. After doing so, the shimmering subsided, our little group was calm, and we made it back to the car.

The “view” from the ridge of the caldera after coming back up

Needless to say, there was no sunset and stargazing tonight, but we had a great hike, learned a powerful lesson, and made it out safely, which is good enough for me.

Back from our hike at the trailhead. You can actually see the rain falling in the foreground