This past Saturday, I got the chance to go with some of our DTS students to see the sunrise on Haleakala, the volcano here on Maui. This is one of the "absolute must" attractions for tourists here, and although I've lived here for over a year, I had never really gotten the chance until this weekend (or maybe I had and didn't want to get up at 3 a.m...).
About 30 minutes before the sun came over the horizon
Just as the sun came thorough the clouds
Haleakala is an inactive volcano that is over 10,000 feet tall and last erupted wither in 1790 or sometime in the 1600's, depending on who you ask. Haleakala means "House of the Sun" in Hawaiian (hale is house and kala means sun) and was once used by native Hawaiians as a temple to worship the god Maui. Now there is a Naval observatory and lots of hiking trails and hunting grounds on the mountain as most of the mountain is a national park.
About half an hour after sunrise
After driving the hour and a half up switchbacks and steep mountain roads, we arrived at the summit just before sunrise. My friends and I found an empty trail with a great view of the east side of the crater and tried to stay warm as the sun rose.
Silver swords (their Hawaiian name is ahinahina) only grow on the slopes of Haleakala
This was hands down the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen. I've seen the sunrise over the Appalachians, the Rockies and the Himalayas, and none even come close to this. My pictures can only give you a glimpse of this amazing sight. As I stood watching the sun come up, I couldn't help but think about the power and majesty of God. As much as man can engineer breathtaking buildings or paint the exact likeness of something, they all pale in comparison to the grandeur of God's creation.
Catching the sun in my hands
From up here, it feels like you're on top of the world
The pictures (and editorial) are great. I wish we could have been there when it wasn't foggy.