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The Big Island
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"Spirit of Aloha"
Don Bouchard
09/01/2006
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Photography by Don Bouchard
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By late afternoon
we parked the bikes and headed to the top of the world with Hawaii Forest and
Trail on a 4WD Mauna Kea Summit sunset and stargazing adventure. Mauna Kea is
the tallest mountain in the world, as the base of the mountain lies almost
20,000 feet underwater, making it over 3,000 feet taller than Mt. Everest. It is
also home to the darkest skies in the world and, at its peak, stargazers look
through less than half of the distorting atmosphere. With the normal cloud layer
far below, this unique set of geological and meteorological features make Mauna
Kea summit the site of choice for astronomical observatories, and a great place
to witness some of the world’s finest, reddest, and most vivid sunsets as well.
The summit offers a rare 360-degree view, brilliant sunset to the west and the
pyramidal shadow of the world’s tallest mountain projected on the cloud layer
below. Occasional high clouds add even more color to the dramatic sunsets, while
absolutely clear skies offer a good chance to witness one of nature’s most
elusive sights—the rare Green Flash that can occur as the sun sets into the
ocean. Later, stargazing with telescopes and a tour guide to the heavens at the
Ellison
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| Add some altitude, and you can leave Hawaii’s famed tropical paradise
behind. (Click image to enlarge) |
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Onizuka Visitors Center—named for the Hawaiian astronaut who died
aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986—gave us glimpses of the brightest
and most
colorful stars. It seems a fitting place to view with such splendor,
the heavens that Lt. Col. Onizuka gave his life to reach.
Sunrise
dragged me out to the beach and fishponds at Anaeho’omalu Bay. The virtually
empty beach and fringing palms simply glowed in the golden, first morning light.
Early Hawaiians were among the first practitioners of aquaculture, raising ocean
fish in excavated tidal ponds contained by small dikes and dams. Wildlife
thrives in and around the well-maintained ponds and picture perfect beach.
Gently, but insistently, the bikes and the road beckoned. We fired up
and headed out for a day of fine riding to Waimea and across Parker Ranch—the
second-largest cattle ranch in the world. The range of topography here is beyond
easy comprehension. There are only 13 defined climatic zones on Earth, and Big
Island has 11 of them—from desert lavascapes to tropical rainforests, from
coastal grasslands and high prairies with cacti, to alpine meadows and snow
covered mountain peaks. The Big Island packs it all in easy reach of a day ride.
Our route took us over lush tropical terrain, periodically paved over by stark,
black lava flows, hundreds of yards wide, slashing down the mountain slopes
across the flats, and out to the distant coast. The curves, tight and
well-engineered, hid ever-changing landscapes from view until, at the very last
moment, they reveal surprises around each bend. Each tiny village had its own
charm and attractions—old inns, coffee shops serving the treasured local Kona
blends, and country stores—each providing a tempting place to stop for a drink,
a meal or a cigar.
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| (Click image to
enlarge) |
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We rode up to the fabulous lobby entry of the
Hilton Waikoloa Village and grabbed our bathing suits from the bike. A quick
change and short walk led us to Dolphin Quest for a dolphin experience. These
bottlenose dolphins are wonderful animals, scarily smart, individually
personable, fast, strong, and beautiful. It is hard not to attribute a full
range of human characteristics to them. This huge facility does dolphin
research, education and awareness classes, and personal in-water experiences
with the animals—a definite highlight.
Sitting on the bikes watching
the sunset, a late dinner, and a moonlit walk on the beach ended each day,
punctuating it, as it flowed wonderfully into the next. The adventures and
activities were like shells on a necklace, spaced and threaded on the wonderful
roads and rides of the Big Island. We would ride awhile each day, have an
adventure, and ride on.
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