Unusual Day in Hawaii

[roteague]

We are having an unusual day here in Honolulu, we are experiencing what is know here as "vog", which is a combination of haze and volcanic ash (from the lava flows on the Big Island). Quite an interesting combination.

 

[glbeas]

So wheres the pictures?

 

[Dave Parker]

Awe, I remember VOG all to well!, talk about a choking experiance, when I lived in Kona, we had many a day, where the air would take your breath away, seriously.

You have my sympothies..

Dave Parker
Ground Glass Specialties

 

[Christian Olivet]

The same here in Maui. Sticky and hot. The palm tree leaves just barely move. No Vog over here though, just no air. Perfect weather for sunset shooting.

 

[Flotsam]

No volcanos around here. Best I can hope for is for the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant to go up.

 

[Tom Duffy]

Keep waiting Neal, any day now...

 

[Flotsam]

As long they have plenty of duct tape and chewing gum, I sleep just fine, Tom

 

[Ed Sukach]

I went on a tour of the Seabrook Nuclear Plant, in New Hampshire, with a pistol-shooter friend, who is fairly familiar with Nuclear Power - he wrote the report for the NRC about the "Three Mile Island" incident.

There is a*chance* that a modern "non-breeding" plant will go BOOM! It is a little less probable than an ordinary glass of water going boom! from a spontaneous nuclear fusion explosion ... about a zillion times less likely than walking out of your front door and getting hit by a meteorite.

I wouldn't use duct tape though ... leaves a really crappy residue ... use Gaffers tape instead.

 

[roteague]

The same here in Maui. Sticky and hot. The palm tree leaves just barely move. No Vog over here though, just no air. Perfect weather for sunset shooting.

It was quite heavy, but, by the time I got home, through all the traffic, it was pouring down rain (on my side of the island). I went out this morning, hoping it would still be around and make an interesting sunrise. Unfortunately, the winds have shifted and blew it out to sea again.

 

[John McCallum]

Definately worth getting out with the Velvia. When Ruapehu blew here, we had unusual sunrises and sunsets for a few weeks. Good Luck.

er Ed - What's Breeding powerstation? Do they spawn little powerstations?

 

[BWGirl]

The same here in Maui. Sticky and hot. The palm tree leaves just barely move. No Vog over here though, just no air. Perfect weather for sunset shooting.

Ok...I'll just put my request in now! Hubby & I are flying to Maui the first part of February, so please see what you can do to get the Vog, or whatever cleared up & out of there!

Thanks for your help on this! Our last trip to Maui was no fun at all (dental hell), so we'ree looking forward to actually 'seeing' the island this time!

 

[Flotsam]

so please see what you can do to get the Vog, or whatever cleared up & out of there!

OK Guys, you heard Jeanette. Start sacrificing those virgins so that the volcano gods will be happy and stop the Vogging.

 

[BWGirl]

 

[Ed Sukach]

Definately worth getting out with the Velvia. When Ruapehu blew here, we had unusual sunrises and sunsets for a few weeks. Good Luck.
er Ed - What's Breeding powerstation? Do they spawn little
powerstations?

A "Breeder" produces enriched Uranium and U235 ... or in other words, atomic bombs.
As far as I know ... there is only one in the US ... Renton ( ??) Washington (??).

In the meantime, fossil fuels dump millions of tons of sulfuric acid and other nasties into the air we breathe, and hundreds of coal miners die from "Black Lung" disease and silicosis ..

 

[Ed Sukach]

OK Guys, you heard Jeanette. Start sacrificing those virgins so that the volcano gods will be happy and stop the Vogging.

Where are you going to find virgins in this day and age?

 

[roteague]

Ok...I'll just put my request in now! Hubby & I are flying to Maui the first part of February, so please see what you can do to get the Vog, or whatever cleared up & out of there!

Thanks for your help on this! Our last trip to Maui was no fun at all (dental hell), so we'ree looking forward to actually 'seeing' the island this time!

Not to worry, vog is actually a pretty rare occurence (except on the Big Island). Because of the location of Kilauea Volcano, the vog generally blows out to sea.

If you are interested, here is an article from my website that I wrote about Haleakala that you might find useful. I'm sure Christian can provide many more tips than I can.

While I find Maui enjoyable, IMO, the best island to visit is either the Big Island (for the volcanoes) or Kauai (for the laid back lifestyle). Maui just has too many tourists. Sorry, Christian.

 

[Christian Olivet]

Nothing to be sorry for. Maui is still "No Ka Oi" the best. Maybe not visually. Kauai is visually stunning, it is truly amazing. It is what I thought Hawaii would look like before I came here. The big Island, so big. You can actually drive for more than an hour and not reach the shore. The volcanos park is a journey into another world.
Maui takes more time to discover and you find it on the little things off the beaten path. The road to Hana and the Hana coast are like nothing I've seen before so is the Halaeakala crater.

 

[roteague]

Maui takes more time to discover and you find it on the little things off the beaten path. The road to Hana and the Hana coast are like nothing I've seen before so is the Halaeakala crater.

Oahu is kind of like that, once you get past the crowds, traffic and tourist hot spots. Yesterday, I was shooting early in the morning near Sandy Beach, at a little out of the way cove, then in the afternoon, I was at Keana Point (my favorite spot). I generally tell people not to waste their time visiting Oahu, however. I only know these spots because I live here.

I have to admit that Halaeakala crater is quite stunning; the last time I was there I wasn't really prepared go where I needed - I wanted to hike the Sliding Sands trail (which I did for a few miles), but neglected to take any water or food with me.

 

[Christian Olivet]

"I have to admit that Halaeakala crater is quite stunning; the last time I was there I wasn't really prepared go where I needed - I wanted to hike the Sliding Sands trail (which I did for a few miles), but neglected to take any water or food with me."

I laughed when read that! I remember when I drove up there less that a year ago on a perfect Hawaiian day, I mean the kind of day when there is not a single cloud anywhere and absolutely no wind, even up there at 10000 feet over the ocean.
The weather felt so great and I was so elated that I thought to myself " Oh, what a great day to go for a walk" A few minutes after that I found myself descending the sliding sands trail very leileisurely shorts and a T shirt. I walked for two hours and experienced the crater innards with great intimacy. I heard the Nene ducks comcommunicatingd gliding down into the crater at great speeds and only two feet away from the ground. It seemed as they could go on for ever. Other than the little noise put out by the nenes, the silence was so full it permeated though the skin on its way into the soul to become part of it.
I kept on looking back, to judge how far I was. I was now so far that I had lost sight of the visitor outlook cabin. I had made it almost all the way to the camping grounds when I felt quietly but deeply that it was time for me to start my journey back up the sliding sands.
What? Water? What is that? There was nothing that resembled anything like water up there. I took a couple of leaks on my way down but this time I was running dry, very dry. First it was my tonge, later all the ducts into my stomach, later, ok. you know what I mean. I was dry all the way down. Weird and unconuncomfortableing I've got to say.
Walk I must I said to myself. There were no choices. I walked, and walked and took my breaks every time my heart was about to rip my chest apart and I made it all the way to the car in three hours and fifty minutes making the whole round trip almost six hours of walking.
I had two quarters of water that I drank very quickly and drove for an hour to my home in Paia.
The sintoms of dehidration would remain for another three days.
I feel I have learned my lesson the hard way. Take water next time!!

 

[roteague]

Take water next time!!

Well, we've got plenty of water here today. It's been raining hard on and off all morning - well that is the price of living in paradise.

 

[Edwin]

Gentle reminder of home

Aloha,

I lived in Honolulu for almost a decade, from the mid-80's to the early-90's, and I was fortunate enough to escape serious VOG during that time. Two of my kids, who were born there, don't remember it at all. But it was nice to be reminded of the place I call home.

BTW-I heard that serious consideration is being given to an effort to destroy the WWI Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki. So sad. I passed by their frequently when I worked in the area and always wanted to use it as a location for some fashion images, but didn't get the chance (only partly because it was posted against trespassing).

Thanks,

Edwin

 

[roteague]

Aloha,

I lived in Honolulu for almost a decade, from the mid-80's to the early-90's, and I was fortunate enough to escape serious VOG during that time. Two of my kids, who were born there, don't remember it at all. But it was nice to be reminded of the place I call home.

BTW-I heard that serious consideration is being given to an effort to destroy the WWI Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki. So sad. I passed by their frequently when I worked in the area and always wanted to use it as a location for some fashion images, but didn't get the chance (only partly because it was posted against trespassing).

Thanks,

Edwin

Unfortunately, the Natatorium is falling apart. The old mayor signed the contract a few months ago to restore it, against the objections of the local residents, but the new mayor cancelled the contract as his first official act. There is a lot anger on both sides about this. I suspect, the pool will be demolished, but the rest of the building will be stabilized.

You wouldn't recognize this place anymore, traffic is a nightmare.