Big Island

Snow on Mauna Kea, Big Island of Hawaii

Mauna Kea - snow and clouds...

As winter approaches, many mainland visitors are surprised and excited to discover snow in Hawaii – on the top of Mauna Kea, one of the tallest mountains in the world.

Snow isn’t the only special thing about this amazing mountain, however.

Having grown up on Oahu, going up to Mauna Kea for the first time was awesome. The beauty of the mountain with its snowy sides, the sheer steepness, the puffy clouds making you feel like you could jump onto them. Mauna Kea feels so strong and healthy. Being on the mountain, you know she holds many secrets… like the bottomless crater filled with water (there’s at least one truck in there, they say). The views are awesome.

Pele

Now that Pele has shifted her lava flow, the smoke plumes can be seen clearly from Mauna Kea. It feels so close it makes you realize how powerful are both Pele (“She-Who-Shapes-The-Sacred-Land”) and this island.

Our Hawaiian ancestors did not go to Mauna Kea for fun. They went to gather the stones needed to create tools. Only the young, strong men would go up the mountain to find the stones. They’d bring them down and create the tools where Waiki’i Ranch is today.

Shaka!

Many Hawaiians believed that the Saddle Road area was not to be traveled. They believed that Pele and her sister were at war there. Pele residing on Mauna Loa and her sister Poliahu residing on Mauna Kea. The snow of Mauna Kea keeps Pele from residing on Mauna Kea as well. The energy of the area is hectic and war like. It is no wonder that the U.S. Military’s Pohakuloa Training Camp is situated in the middle of these two mountains. We often see the military caravans driving up past Waikoloa Village, and what’s truly beautiful is witnessing the civilians giving the soldiers the “shaka” and a warm aloha as they drive past.

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Heidi White, Kona Hawaii

November 28, 2009

Hi Lucy. Love the way you write! Keep up the good work.
We love the months when their is snow up there as the nip in the air in the evening and mornings is great in Kona before the sun warms us up again!

Heidi White, Kona Hawaii

November 28, 2009

Hi Lucy. Love the way you write! Keep up the good work.
We love the months when their is snow up there as the nip in the air in the evening and mornings is great in Kona before the sun warms us up again!

Katie Minkus, R(BIC)

November 29, 2009

Aloha, Lucy… awesome post! One of my favorite memories of all times was a day when I was feeling particularly rushed and got stopped down at Kawaihae Harbor because a military convoy was exiting the harbor on their way to Pohakuloa. A civilan in a truck had stopped and was waving them all into traffic – but he wasn’t “waving” them in, he literally shaka’d each and every truck as it rolled past – all 30+ of them. At first I was irritated, and then realized what an opportunity it was for me to slow down and be grateful for the men and women protecting our freedom! A lesson in humility and patience, and how wonderful it is to stay Big Island!

Katie Minkus, R(BIC)

November 29, 2009

Aloha, Lucy… awesome post! One of my favorite memories of all times was a day when I was feeling particularly rushed and got stopped down at Kawaihae Harbor because a military convoy was exiting the harbor on their way to Pohakuloa. A civilan in a truck had stopped and was waving them all into traffic – but he wasn’t “waving” them in, he literally shaka’d each and every truck as it rolled past – all 30+ of them. At first I was irritated, and then realized what an opportunity it was for me to slow down and be grateful for the men and women protecting our freedom! A lesson in humility and patience, and how wonderful it is to stay Big Island!

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