Tuesday was another family adventure day and would be our last. The Underwood’s were taking off the next morning for a few days in Oahu and would fly back to California from there. This would be a challenging day, not so much because we were going to bike down a volcano, but because we had to get up at a little pass 2 in the early, early morning.
I’m not really sure how, but the Bowman’s awoke on time and had no problem rising at 2:15 AM sharp. We soon got on the road to meet the Underwood’s at the local ABC convenience store and gas station. After waiting a few minutes, they arrived and we headed to the other side of the island to a small town named Haiku. There we met some other eager bikers, mostly newlyweds, who dared get up this early. I can just imagine a couple’s first major married fight as one is dragging the other out of bed for the bike tour. But we checked in, got our gear, jumped on the bus, and headed up Haleakala, the 12,000 foot volcano that over time has erupted to form Maui. Our tour guide, Jason, was great and informed us of the island’s history and the significant sites along the way up. I’ll be honest, I didn’t stay away for the hour plus ride up the mountain, especially since it was still dark. But when we got to the top and stepped out into the frigid 40 degree chill, I didn’t have much of a probably staying awake.
At the top of the volcano is a recreational center with a large parking lot filled with cars and other buses. Many people were inside keeping warm until the due time for the sun to show his face. Our families decided to trek up the trail to the very top of the public portion of the rock. The darkness was beginning to fade as we looking with anticipation above the clouds. The LORD God was going to once again “bring up” this beaming glory. It reminded me of this portion of G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy
“For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that every morning God says, “Do it again” to the sun.”
And with a burst of bright light, the sun’s first beams shone forth. Below is one of my favorites from the morning.
A short while later we hoped back on the bus to meet the bus with the bikes. After some instruction and a short demonstration, we were flying down the volcano road. But I must first point out that my mother and father don’t spend much time on 2 wheels. This may be displayed in the way that my dad dressed for the trip. He was wearing a skater skull print hoodie (borrowed from Jade’s friend), his navy work pants, his classy Reebok flip-flops, a Kelty hiking pack, and a very large dirt bike helmet. And mom didn’t feel too comfortable flying down a mountain on a bike. But the view was beautiful. Winding down through 7 different ecosystems gave us an eclectic picture of Maui. As the sun rose so did the temperature, and we were able to more comfortably enjoy our trip. By the time we made it to the bottom there was a strong drizzle and soon we were soaked. After about an hour and a half of biking down we finished our excursion and met up at the post. It was a breathtaking journey.
I’d love to share more about the trip, but it’s been a while and I need to move on. I will say that I got up on an 11 foot monster paddle board and called it surfing. That was a highlight. The time with my family after the Underwood’s left was good as well. I especially enjoyed the time I spent with my sister’s host family. Who knows, maybe they’ll let us come out again. Until then, Mahalo for reading.
