I was inspired by @parag to post pictures from our own Hawaii trip from 2008. All three of these were at Mauna Kea, which stands at 13800 feet or so. Two-thirds of this volcano is actually underneath the sea. In fact, by some measures it is also one of the highest mountains in the world if you consider the base of the mountain is actually deep within ocean.
Anyhow, there’s a small hill behind Mauna Kea that you can hike to. The not-so-smart young men we were at that time, we decided to jog up the hill instead of walking. We didn’t get very far before the lack of oxygen hit us like bricks and we barely made it up alive. But this is a special place - I will never forget the drive to Mauna Kea and the first time you break the clouds and start driving above it for at least a good 3-5 miles. The views were breathtaking (literally!), and I’ve never skies so clear. Later that night, we stopped back at observatory / rest stop at 9000 feet for some spectacular star gazing. Volunteers were there helping people like us look through telescopes and see nebulas and stars galore. Very memorable.
I gather that it is no longer possible for you drive your own car all the way to top, and you have to take their transport up there. You can no longer stay for sunset too I heard, but I dont know. Back then you could stay until the sun set and the observatory police would come and ask people to leave so scientific experiments could resume. If you didnt already know, Mauna Kea has some of the clearest skies anywhere in the world for star gazing, and while its a controversial topic with locals (they hold the mountain in high regard religiously), Mauna Kea’s importance to space exploration cannot be stated enough. #mbmar
