ARRIVING AT DESTINATION POINT, Cousin John
chuckled: "Better not take more than 20 minutes to cross the
crater. With the lava flowing, you'll have to move fast!"
Cousin John, driver of our tour bus, was joking, but not
everybody visiting Kilauea Iki crater knew whether to laugh.
I was asking them to descend into an active volcano.
I have been leading runners on crater runs for a dozen
yearsduring visits to the Hawaiian Islands. Kilauea Iki
crater on the Big Island of Hawaii was the first leg of our
Aloha Triangle. The other two legs involve runs through
craters on Oahu and Maui.
From Devastation Point, we gazed at a landscape shaded
grey to black. Steam rose from fissures into which we might
fall. If we escaped that fate, we still might trip on the
crusted lava and ruin our chances of doing the many other
runs I had planned for our tour group in Hawaii.
STRETCHING THE
EXPERIENCE
Some risks are worth it. Waving goodbye to Cousin John,
we followed a twisting downward path through the rain
forest. Soon, the 40 in our group were strung out before and
behind me.
We jogged and walked, unable to move fast partly because
of rough ground, but mostly because we wanted to stretch the
experience. Passing steam vents, we could feel the wet heat
on our faces. It was like being on the Moon; in fact, Apollo
astronauts trained on the Big Island before space
flights.
At one point, we stopped for photos beside a dark crater
within the crater. This was the site of a 1959 eruption that
sent molten lava shooting 1,900 feet into the air. Each
minute, it spewed enough lava to cover a football field 15
feet deep. Though active, Kilauea Iki is a benign volcano
that gives ample warning. Despite Cousin John's statement,
we were in little danger of having to dodge molten lava.
SHADES OF GREY
Crossing one crater, we struggled upwards on a series of
switchbacks before descending into a second. Alan Taylor of
Buchanan, Michigan followed close behind. "I can't believe
it!" he suddenly cried.
At first, I thought him mad that I was forcing him to run
extra distance. Then I turned and saw his face. Alan was
spellbound by the spectacle. "I never imagined gray could be
so beautiful," he said.
At the end, we gathered at Volcano House (the standard
tourist destination) and compared our experience, each
runner trying to top the other. Wesley Love of Harvey,
Illinois, shy and reserved early in our trip, wouldn't stop
talking.
But that was only the first of three volcanoes. Next
morning, we flew to Honolulu on the island of Oahu. I led
our group on a run around Diamond Head. Most tourists who
visit Waikiki Beach recognize that landmark. Only a few know
you can enter the crater through a tunnel and climb high to
the rim for a stunning overlook of the Pacific Ocean.
RAINBOW RUN
The Honolulu Marathon with 33,000 entrants offered a
brief competitive interlude. We started in darkness with
skyrockets exploding over Ala Moana Park. We finished in
bright sunlight, bowing our heads so a shell necklace could
be placed around our necks by a native Hawaiian.
Two days later on Maui, we rose early to watch the sun
rise over Mount Haleakala at 10,023 feet. That's a standard
tourist attraction, but most immediately climb back on the
bus. Instead,we run down into the crater for a run/hike
lasting 11.2 miles.
It was chilly on top. Toward the bottom at 7,000 feet, we
began shedding clothes as the sun rose above us. Coming
through one pass, I looked down at clouds rolling through
the crater. A rainbow formed beneath us.
We stopped at a cabin reserved for overnight stays. A
hiker sat on a doorstep strumming a guitar. He told us of
another group of hikers, who had packed food and drink. The
men donned tuxedos and the women cocktail dresses for a
catered crater meal.
ALOHA TRIANGLE
As we climbed out of the crater along a series of steep
switchbacks to complete the final leg of our Aloha Triangle,
I thought of that group clinking their wine glasses, happy
that there were people in this world as crazy as we. Bob and
Steven Regner of Dowagiac and Cassopolis were among those
who ran through all three volcanoes.
We received no medals, just tired legs and a feeling of
special accomplishment. Some people ask why we run. It is
not for glory, but for the exhilaration of going where few
people tread.
