Our Trip to the Top of the World!

We decided to take our truck to the summit of Mauna Kea, the world's
tallest mountain. Mauna Kea is an extinct volcano, meaning that it
no longer erupts. In winter, the summit is covered in white snow called
"pinapple powder." Only in Hawaii can you go snow skiing and get a tan
at a beautiful warm beach all in the same day.

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The mountain is a big part of the scenery here,
towering over the miniscule city of Hilo.

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A scarf hangs over a branch, marking the boundary of someone's property.
Mauna Kea (meaning "White Mountain") looms in the distance.

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A momentary cloud bank sweeps past.

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Yes, we do have pine trees in Hawaii. These giants were crowded
in a little grove of their own surrounding a mountain stream.

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Purdy got to go, too! Further up the mountain, the land looks much like Texas,
dry and deslolate. This is the home of part of the largest cattle ranch in the
country. Though it looks hot, the weather is actually quite chill - about 60 degrees.
Purdy got to go on the trip, too!

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Those darn invisible cows! Nuisance, I tells ya!

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A little further up the summit. We feel like we are lifting off.
Already, we are beginning to feel a little funny from the altitude.

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Further up the mountain, Amber stops to get a photo of Hualalai rising from
the clouds in the distance. The wind is so fierce here, she is nearly blown
off of the mountain! Be careful, you really have to lean into the wind here.

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Cinder cones dot the base of the mountain. Mauna Loa ("Long" mountain), the largest mountain in the world, rises from the valley floor.

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We pass more cinder cones on the way to the top.
We feel as though we are going nearly vertical.

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Our truck is silhouetted against the barren volcanic landscape.
The red rocks are alien and we felt more like we were driving
across Mars.

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Snow in Hawaii! Why is Amber all hunched up? Because it is FREEZING cold!
No, that isn't a sunburn, it's the offset color from the blue snow.

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Almost there! We pass a couple of observatories a few feet from the summit.

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At last! The summit! We get there just in time to
see the spectacular sunset behind Hualalai.

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Going, going, gone...

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Mauna Loa looks huge from the summit.