Day 70
Kalapana lava flow
May 23, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Wow, wow, wow.
I headed off in the scorching heat at 3pm towards the viewpoint for the current flow entering the sea and stayed until dusk/dark. I'd meant to set off back while I could still see myRead more
Traveler It's 4 miles to the viewpoint from the last point cars are allowed. A 4WD shuttle buggy goes half way (for a price), or bikes can be hired. Anyone using the shuttle/bike hire is given a first aid kit. No matter how you travel the very last section is over pahoehoe.
Traveler My shuttle guy was in high school in 1990 when this flow overran the village of Kalapana
Traveler Not a great pic, but it shows that what I thought was just a thin line of lava is actually huge. I'm guessing at at least 1/4 mile wide. The woman at the shuttle stand said no-one knows what will happen when it reaches the sea - the whole viewing path may have to be closed. There's nothing predictable about living here - although the changes aren't explosive they are relentless