10:48pm - Dense fog consumed much of our morning as we made our way around the northern part of the island to the volcano. In addition to the cold and rain, Hilo presented us with almost no culinary options, and we were forced (yet again) to eat strip mall food. We hiked the short hike to Akaka falls, in the sprinkling rain (after missing the turn off -- apparently, the signage people assumed that everyone will be coming from Hilo, so all of the signs are south-facing).

We toured through the strangely alien terrain around the crater rim, and then continued twenty miles down Chain of Craters Road to the even stranger looking area that was wiped out by the recent 1995 flow (the road just stops). Rangers were observing a small patch of glowing lava with spotting scopes, but it was too far away to easily hike to. Kenny and I ended up hiking around for about three hours, and then driving all the way back to Kona, bleary-eyed and ready to pass out.

[next - april 5]

Sunset, from Kona	Kenny's usual antics
Hike to Akaka falls	Akaka falls
Hanging with the locals at Kalbi Express	An overlook of the big crater
Kenny and me, at the crater
At the bottom of a recent flow	Kenny, getting ready to jump... :)
The earth, breathing
Thurston lava tube	Chain of Craters Road
Playing with gravity	Neat coastal features
Kenny, the budding photographer. :)	Can't take this guy anywhere...
Horsing around some more.	5'5" Hulk
	Road blocked off by 1995 lava flow
Danger signs	Casts of trees
Lava	Kenny, in lava flow
Life begins anew	More tree casts
Alien landscape	Kenny and me
Bursting out of the ground!	Setting up the camera for a timed shot
Exploring the VERY sharp crack	Flash Kenny
A falling one-handed handstand	Reflection fun.
The sun finally came out!	(your caption here)
this is straight from the camera!	Lava flow
Kenny, shooting	Our banana plantation room