All Around Maui: Mike Paris's visit to Maui. August 30 through September 3, 2002.: Haleakalā at sunrise, August 31.

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Sunrise from White Hill

We couldn't get a parking place at the actual summit (Red Hill), so we parked a couple hundred feet below at White Hill (elevation 9843 feet at its top), where the visitor's center is.


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The moment of sunrise.
Altitude: 9815 feet (2992 meters)


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Crowds of people stand in the cold to witness the sunrise. White Hill is in the immediate background.
Altitude: 9814 feet (2991 meters)


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Immediately after sunrise, the tourists stream to their cars (or bicycles, courtesy of bike tour operators that hall the tourists to the top), as if the show is over. In my opinion, the best show of light is just beginning when most people think it's over. At the left, you can see the summit shelter and overlook building. To the right, you can see the astronomical observatories.
Altitude: 9815 feet (2992 meters)


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Five minutes after sunrise.
Altitude: 9812 feet (2991 meters)

The actual summit

After the crowds left (immediately after sunrise), we drove to the actual summit shelter.


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West Maui (background) and the central valley (middle) viewed from the summit of Haleakalā. You can see the island of Lana`i on the far left.
Altitude: 10043 feet (3061 meters)


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This is Mike standing next to a blooming silversword plant. Silverswords grow without blooming for about 50 years, then bloom once, and then die. The summit lookout shelter is in the background, 50 feet or so above where we stand.
Altitude: 10025 feet (3056 meters)

Kalahaku Overlook

A few miles down the road, there is an excellent place to look out over the crater. It's called Kalahaku Overlook. All of the following photos were taken from the same place, but each with a different angle of view and direction. These were taken about an hour after sunrise.


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Looking south across the crater.
Altitude: 9450 feet (2880 meters)


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Looking south across the crater.
Altitude: 9453 feet (2881 meters)


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Looking south across the crater.
Altitude: 9443 feet (2878 meters)


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Looking south across the crater.
Altitude: 9429 feet (2874 meters)


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Looking southeast across the crater.
Altitude: 9432 feet (2875 meters)


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Looking east across the crater.
Altitude: 9421 feet (2872 meters)
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Mike Paris's visit to Maui. August 30 through September 3, 2002.Hana Highway, September 2.