Notes 99.03.10

Car trip from Waimea to Mauna Kea Visitor Center

• Checkpoint#1: turnoff for Waimea airport
  • not much but dry grazing land
  • prickly pear cactus is present, both at roadside and in pasture
  • fence is around 6m from road
  • Koa Haole has been planted along roadside, up to 3 m tall, on both sides of the road
  • on right side, some very sad eucalyptus, to 6 m tall
  • fountain grass looks healthy on roadsides
• 4 mi. later: Checkpoint #2: West Hawaii Concrete (WHC) turnoff
  • cactus still abundant
  • curves in road are well marked with tall "<" signs (photo)
• .6 mi later: Checkpoint #3: Saddle Road turnoff (taken)
  • morning glories (light purple) grow here, climbing on Koa Haole on roadside
  • poles on L - power and phone
  • mi. 0.9: trees on L - one clump
  • mi. 1.5: grass is getting greener
  • mi. 1.8: clump of pines on L, poles now on R
  • mi. 2.1: still ranch - corral on L
  • road is narrow, gets slightly narrower on (the numerous) bridges
  • mi. 2.8: water tank on R
• Checkpoint #4: giant stand of evergreen on L, follow by Eucalyptus (Euc.)
  • mi. 1.2: subdivision turnoff on L
  • mi. 1.5: pines on L
  • mi. 2.0: major power lines cross road, smaller poles end
  • mi. 2.3: many trees, on both sides: Euc./evergreen combination
  • mi. 2.8: windbreak line of Euc. on L
  • mi. 4.0: cows
• 5.5 mi. later: Checkpoint #5: District of Hamakua boundary
  • mi. 1.4: Pohakuloa entrance signs ("warning" "welcome")
  • giant poles on left
  • passing through an area where vegetation looked burnt, growing back as scrubby brush, less than .5 m tall
  • mi. 5.3: back to dry brush on both sides
  • mi. 6.0: rocky boulders exposed on R, road levels out
• 7.6 mi. later: Checkpoint #6: "Bradshaw" entrance on L
  • short distance (~150 m) later, "Pohakuloa" entrance on L
  • "turn lights on" sign from both directions (also at West end of Saddle road)
  • power lines here have a ~30 cm red-orange ball at midpoint
• 2.0 mi. later: Checkpoint #7: Mauna Kea State Park
  • trees here: Euc., Pine, Naio, Mamane
  • took pictures of the trees in the park
  • "mystery tree" turns out to be Naio
  • mi. 0.4: very dead grass/shrubs, scattered small Naio, somewhat less Mamane
  • mi 1.1: velvety soft leaves on small plant (young Common Mullein), all along both sides of road, for 0.5 mi. until...
  • mi 1.6: fresh raw lava, a'a, on both sides of road
  • mi 2.8: grave altar on R: somebody called "Froggy"
  • mi. 4.5: 6 giant hills (cinder cones?) on L
• 4.7 mi. later: Checkpoint #8: Leaving Pohakuloa sign
  • pretty yellow flowers on roadside
  • old hawaiian stone wall on L
  • mi. 1.4: fresh black pahoehoe takes over older brown a'a
• 2.5 mi. later: Checkpoint #9: Mauna Kea road turnoff
  • on main road heading East: "turn lights on" sign
  • open range, no fences, brown grass on both sides
  • mi. 1.5: scattered, shriveled, gnarled trees w/pale moss, prove to be Mamane
  • mi. 2.6: reservoir on R
  • yucca-like plants (Mullein) on both sides (velvet leaf, small yellow flowers...)
  • mi. 4.4: Mauna Kea Forest Reserve starts
  • Mamane starts getting thicker, but not over 5 m, most are 2-4 m
• 6.8 mi. later: Checkpoint #10: Visitor Center at 9,000 ft.
  • sign before it, on L, "Elevation - 9,000 FT. Danger..." (photo)

Overall: around 30-50% of Mamane is flowering at a given time

"Stay Alive" sign (photo) found between checkpoints #5 and #6