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While most of the crew warmed up in the cabin and got a chance to rest their feet; Baron, Aaron and I went on a scouting mission to find a lava tube near Holua Cabin. I hadn’t been to the lava tube for almost 7 years, and even when I was there, I remember we had a hard time finding the off-trail entrance. However, by following some worn out lava rocks and faint foot prints in the fog, we found one of the two entrances to a short (yet amazing) adventure.

After heading back to the cabin to rally up the troops, we hurried back to the small opening to the subterraneous cavern.

Although the ceiling was low at the entrance, the opening lead to more a “small-cathedral” sized room, where we could easily move about.

The last time I was here, there was an old, rusty ladder, to help get down…however, we ended up having to climb down from the upper tier. The footholds were slick and several of them were blind (note Baron guiding people down to the bottom level).

The formations on the ceiling reminded me of stalactites, which form from mineral deposits carried by water seeping into the cave from the surface… but may have also been deposited as moving lava cooled through the tube.

Further into the cave, there were some low and narrow “pinch points,” but nothing that really would impede our progress to the other side.

Opening back up again to a larger room, light appeared to be entering the cave via a sink hole on the surface.

I can’t imagine that all that rock-debris fell from the ceiling, and that other hikers/campers stacked these rocks here so that they could “climb out” of the hole. This obviously is not encouraged since it is likely that the structure of this part of the cave is weak and could further collapse.

But I’m sure climbing up on the rock pile to take pictures wouldn’t hurt.

If you can see more light in the distance, behind our crew…

…it’s because there is another entrance (or exit) from the surface. Excellent compact adventure for the Lost Trailblazers, but it was time to throw more logs on the fire (in the wood stove) and warm up.

NOTE: Hiking through the lava tube near the Holua Cabin can be dangerous, especially when not prepared for slick, shifty footing in pitch-black conditions. It is easy to get disoriented without proper lighting, so good headlamps are highly recommended. Warm clothes are highly recommended as well, as the cave does not see sunlight and is considerably colder than the surface. We made it to the other entrance in less than 30 minutes, but times will vary with size of group, lighting, rope (for initial descent to bottom level), footwear, and/or being lead by someone who has been there before. If attempting, please be extremely cautious and make sure you know how to backtrack your way to the main trail. The floor of Haleakala Crater is by no means somewhere you want to get lost/injured at… let alone in a pitch black lava tube there.

Epic GoPro Video recap of our journey, courtesy of Justin Ugalino. Watch it! You won’t regret it!!!

For more adventures of the Lost Trailblazers, either look at my other blogposts and “Adventures with the Lost Trailblazers” photo gallery. Thanks for visiting and come back again soon!

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