I was more than thrilled when just weeks before our trip, reports of heightened activity at Kilauea debuted on the five o'clock news. Lava had been spotted! We went ahead and booked a helicopter ride, since the company allowed for cancellation within 24 hours. I had researched reviews, finding that morning times were recommended due to low probability of thick clouds. So, I requested a 9 am flight, even though it meant driving a couple of hours from the Kona side of the island to the Hilo side early in the day.
What a clear morning it was, the day we woke up prior to sunrise for our helicopter ride. Stopping at Starbucks on the way made the drive a bit easier, but really, the sunrise over the mountain was gorgeous and kept my full attention for a while. Jeff sipped his coffee while I rambled on. I took over as driver at some point, and he dozed. The trip was easy and took less than 2 hours, so we stopped at a scenic point and took in breathtaking scenery.
After checking in with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, we crowded in a room with about 15 people to watch a safety video, get our pilot groupings, seat numbers, and flotation device belts. I got placed in a window seat with Jeff right beside me, and a family of three joined us. The whole group walked single file to the landing strip area where our chopper flew in, touched down, and parked for us to load.
The beginning of the flight was pleasant, flying over a few waterfalls, quaint farms, tiny towns, and amongst pretty, puffy clouds. But, eh hem, nice pilot guy, I'm here for the good stuff, so let's get to the volcano! Ten or so minutes later, we finally started seeing black lava rock fields. Seeing the line of where the flows took out trees, homes, and farms was quite astonishing.
A thin line of white smoke was rising out of the Pu'u O'o Crater as we neared. I had ants in my pants, to say the least. The pilot was preparing us for the worst, saying that nothing red had been seen in the past day or so. Well, wow! There was definitely red LAVA! It was so amazing! Not only were there little ponds of it, but there were narrow flows and a few bubbling spots.
As we circled the crater, more shapes could be picked out where the red and black met. Oh my gosh! It was just the coolest experience. I could've watched it all day, much like when a Zamboni is on the ice; it kind of mesmerizes you.
Pictures absolutely don't do it justice. The stark contrast between the black and red and the shear size of it all is something that can only be appreciated in person, if then. I really don't know that the awesomeness can be understandable or truly appreciated. Too, too neat!
I think we circled the crater 3 or 4 times. It's difficult to remember since I was paying attention to the birth of new land and couldn't take my eyes off the crater. What a sad moment to fly away, letting the next helicopter in line take its turn, but we were more than satisfied with what we witnessed!
No kidding, my cheeks began to hurt from smiling so much. Jeff and I were both so amazed and excited about something that really only lasted 10 minutes. The pilot shared with us that the area was incredibly clear at the crater and that it's extremely rare for the conditions to be so good for viewing. He explained that recently it had been filled with smoke, preventing any good views of the lake and flows inside. Pele was in a good mood.
The final leg of the flight took us over macadamia nut farms and a beautiful coastline. However, none of it would compete with the sight we'd just witnessed. We continued to beam as we touched down and prepared to disembark. The views from the humungous windows were fantastic, and the ride was quiet and comfortable. The whole experience left us with a high for the rest of the day.
