The weather was looking better on Haleakala as we rounded the south corner of West Maui, so after visiting Iao Valley, we headed up Haleakala. It is a slow and winding hour drive to the top from a starting point where you turn off of Hana Road and head into Upcountry Maui. We headed up the mountain a little after noon, and including stops and minimal hiking & exploring at the summit, we made it back down to McDonalds in Pukalani (upcountry) for a light lunch about 3pm.
Here are some views from the summit:
And some panoramic views to give a 360° view from the summit:
(Remember to click on a photo to load a larger view.)
And some other panoramic views from the erosion crater visitor area:
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Awesome views!!
Told ya! 🙂
Steve, still want to drive the east side loop sometime, out to Hana and the Pools of Oheo and returning around the dry southern side back to Upcountry.
But, after that drive on the north side of West Maui on Tuesday, I don’t know if Marianne would appreciate the 10+ miles of wide single lane road, some of it unpaved and curvy hillsides…
Once you get around to the dry south side, it is straighter roads, but still narrow and rough until you start the climb into upcountry…
Maybe someday…
All riiiiight! Nice pics! We were all pulling for you.
We had some foggy and wet weather from about 5,000 feet up to past the National Park gate, but once we got past about 8,500 feet it was clear as we were above the cloud deck.
After that, it cleared slightly, and the drive back down was cloudy at times, but dry all the way down.