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Haleakala is a 10,023 ft dormant volcano that forms the South Maui portion of the Island. It's name means "House of the Sun" after an old Hawaiian legend. At one time Maui consisted of 2 separate islands. The sea between them was filled with erosion from the two volcanoes and the fertile Central Maui valley was formed connecting the West and South. Haleakala is the younger of the two mountains, and the 3rd highest point in the islands. It is also the third highest mountain in the world from bottom to top (most of it lies below the Pacific Ocean). The volcanoes of the Hawaiian chain do not erupt violently like Mt St. Helens, but rather have long, sustained and (relatively) gentle eruptive cycle. They form so-called "shield" volcanoes, since they resemble the silhouette of an ancient Greek shield. The last eruption here was near the southernmost  foot of the mountain at La Peruse Bay in the mid 1700's

Haleakala is home to many plants and animals found nowhere else in the the world, including the endangered "Nene" goose, the Hawaiian State Bird, and the rare "Silversword", a relative of the sunflower named after its silvery haired succulent type leaves. It grows for up to 50 years as a low bush and then flowers with a single  magnificent up to 6 or 8 foot tall stalk and dies.

Are you sure we are not in California?

Views from the Park Entrance Information Center toward Hosmer Grove (camping), Kula and Science City at the peak.

     
Lanai, Ma'alaea Bay, and West Maui         Kula               Science City on the rocks         Moonscape                          
from about 8500' level

     
          Siversword               6 foot Bloom            Death and Rebirth       Green Crater Scape      

 
The Visitor's Center and Science City. Brrr! There is an enclosed glassed-in shelter for the wusses and unprepared

Red Hill, the highest spot, with Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island  in the background.

     
The crater with Sliding Sands Trail on the right

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Lanai, Molokai (above West Maui clouds), and West Maui. Kealia Pond and Ma'alaea Harbor are visible by the bay.

Recently we had a chance to revisit the "hill" on a clear day. You pass through several climatic zones while climbing the "hill", most notably the Kula District which harbors farms, vineyards, and flower gardens, including the Kula Botanical Gardens. 

The top of the mountain is also home to "Science City", a group of World Class observatories maintained by several universities and the US Air Force.  It is also cold AND windy. Take a jacket and a sweatshirt as well as long pants and tennies with warm socks. You'll be glad you did. The crater itself is big enough to contain Manhattan Island, although most of its moonlike landscape was produced by erosion and not violent volcanic eruption. 

Link to: Live Picture from Haleakala Crater Cam

http://banana.ifa.hawaii.edu/crater/

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