The public is invited to join the Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes Park for a “Sunday Walk in the Park” on Aug. 12 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. This monthly program on second Sundays is aimed at bringing together the friends of
The public is invited to join the Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes Park for a “Sunday Walk in the Park” on Aug. 12 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. This monthly program on second Sundays is aimed at bringing together the friends of the park to share in some beautiful trails.
Volcanologist Cheryl Gansecki will lead a four-mile round-trip hike to explore features from Footprints Trail to Mauna Iki. At the Footprints trailhead, hikers will examine textural details of an ‘a‘a lava flow. Descending to the sandy desert, the group will view footprints preserved in the muddy ash in 1790.
“As we approach Mauna Iki, we will see a pahoehoe lava field with unusual secondary mineralization that results in beautiful surface patterns. From there, we’ll ascend Mauna Iki (little mountain) to explore a variety of volcanic features. If we’re lucky, we may come across beautiful Pele’s hair, wafted downwind in the plume of Halema‘uma‘u Crater,” said Gansecki, a volcanologist with a Ph.D. in geology from Stanford University and a bachelor’s in earth science and archaeology from Wesleyan University.
Her research includes volcanoes in Hawaii, Greece and Yellowstone National Park. She has worked as a geologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory mapping lava flows on Mauna Loa, a lecturer at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, has given lectures and led tours for teachers.
and participated in Elderhostel and other educational programs in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
She is co-owner and president of Volcano Video Productions, where she films and produces the ongoing “Eruption Update,” seen daily in the park’s Kilauea Visitor Center.
The hike is rated moderate, with four miles of hiking along hardened lava trails and a 100-foot elevation gain. Be prepared for the base 3,000-foot elevation as well as for variable weather conditions, including sunny and windy.
Hikers should be in good condition, able to do without shade all morning in a remote, rugged area.
“Sunday Walk in the Park” is free for Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes Park members, and non-members are welcome to join the nonprofit organization and attend. Annual memberships are $30 for individuals and $45 for families. To register, call Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes Park at 985-7373 or visit www.fhvnp.org.
