Hawai'i - Haleakala

Saturday took us to the top of Haleakala a dormant volcano on Maui some 10,000 feet high.

View on the way up from under the clouds looking back across Maui;

Breaking through the cloud layer, the vegetation has totally changed (You pass through as many ecological zones on a two hour drive to the summit Mt. Haleakalā as you would on a journey from Mexico to Canada).

The view from the top looking into the caldera;

The far rim of the crater is 7 miles away.

 

Close-up on one of the volcanic cones in the crater;

The white stuff is just clouds drifting passed.

Taking a break.;  The clouds form a wall at the side of the crater.

Just walking around is hard work at 10k ft (although some would say I walk slowly anywhere...).  Notice the rocks, at the top it looks like something from NASA's photos from Mars.

Silversword plant, only found at the top of Haleakala;

On the way back down and back under the clouds;

Haleakala seen from the boat the next morning;