Not Jersey and I drove up to Volcanoes National Park last night to see the most recent Kilauea eruption.
We waited until late hoping to avoid the crowd. Our first stop was at the Volcano House. It was quiet and not crowded.
Next we headed for the Kilauea Overlook. It was busy. A modest contingent of park rangers diverted traffic to a field at Kilauea Military Camp. We grabbed our flashlights and headed to the trail for a short (two mile round trip) hike.
There is something magical about hiking through the park at night when the lava is flowing. You can't really see the people walking around you. We're all just a line of flashlights heading towards the red glow. Mostly people are quiet. You can hear coqui frogs, shuffling feet, and crunching gravel. The stars are so bright.
This is my sixth time viewing lava. It doesn't get old. The eruption just started yesterday, so the fountains are the most active I've seen at the caldera.
On our walk back to the car, Not Jersey and I had the trail to ourselves. I asked him questions, as he is a Hawaiian volcano savant. He's read books about the island's geology. He attends USGS lectures at the park. He hikes in the park at least twice a month. I tease him about it, but it's pretty nice having my own personal park guide. I'm a lucky girl.
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