Occasionally, someone will ask, “Have you gone up the mountain yet?” After my husband inquired about a small group of vehicles near his worksite that seemed always to be there, he was told: “That’s a carpool lot. Those people work on the mountain and leave here really, really early in the morning.” Around here, the dormant volcano called Maunakea that gracefully reclines along the town’s edge is simply “the mountain.”
Note: Mauna Kea means “white mountain,” but native Hawaiians spell it as one word, so I will do that here.
Why Maunakea is the Tallest Mountain on Earth (sort of)
Mount Everest’s peak is 29,000 feet above sea level and Maunakea’s peak is only 13,800 feet above sea level. However, Maunakea’s base is located at a staggering 19,700 feet below the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, if you are measuring from the base to the peak, Maunakea is much taller at a total height of 33,500. So, the answer to which mountain is the tallest on Earth depends on who you ask and how they are measuring. All science details aside, my trip up Maunakea was memorable enough for me, even if I wasn’t at the highest peak above sea level.
The Visitors’ Center on the Mountain
The visitors’ station on the mountain is only a 45-minute drive from my house. All visitors MUST stop here for at least 30 minutes to acclimate to the altitude before exploring any farther. Situated at 9,000 feet, the visitors’ center has a store where guests can purchase books, clothing, and snacks. It also contains fascinating educational displays. The most important thing to understand is that not everyone can go all the way up to the summit of the mountain. There is a road that you can drive, however, a 4-wheel drive vehicle is required as it is steep and dangerous. We do not have a 4-wheel drive vehicle; therefore, we hiked a short distance from the visitors’ center up to the top of a peak and took photos from approximately 9,000 feet instead.
The Definition of Insanity: Hiking to the Summit
We learned all about the hiking trail, and the people who choose to use it, from the educational displays and the park rangers at the visitors’ center. The hiking trail from the center (9,000 ft.) to the summit (nearly 14,000 ft.) is 6.6 miles long. The first two miles or so are (apparently) nearly straight up with no switchbacks to assist a hiker with their ascent. To go up and return takes approximately 10 hours. Therefore, most expert/professional hikers who attempt it begin around 4:30 in the morning. There is no shade or shelter anywhere along the route and you must bring enough food and water to sustain you. Think about that for a moment. That means carrying gallons of water with you as you climb. The park ranger said that sometimes people who are training to climb Mt. Everest come to Maunakea to train.
The park ranger said something else very important. He said rangers patrol every 30 minutes. They regularly end up rescuing people and transporting them back down the mountain because people are constantly overestimating their own skill and underestimating Mother Nature. Here is a universal constant for you. When humans underestimate Mother Nature, they will always lose.
If you want to read about my hike in Maui when I chickened out against nature, click here.
Invisible Cows
The store in the visitors’ center proudly displayed t-shirts that read: “Beware of Invisible Cows.” Obviously, we had to ask. After consulting a park ranger, we learned that in 1793 Captain George Vancouver gave King Kamehameha I some cattle as gift. The king placed a kapu (taboo) on hunting them that wasn’t lifted for almost 40 years. The small gift had, over the years, multiplied, become feral, and spread out across the island. The result is wild cows even in the highest elevations, like along the road to the summit of Maunakea. The original breed was also very dark in color, making them quite difficult to see at night. Modern day car crashes with cows at night are not uncommon, apparently.
Astronomy
Obviously, the elevation and lack of light pollution make the volcanoes of Hawaii highly sought after by astronomers. Maunakea currently has 11 different nations sharing usage of the many telescopes at the summit.
This search for information about our universe is not without its controversies. In 2019, Maunakea was the sight of intense protests against the construction of yet another telescope on holy land. Hawaiians revere the mountain. Ancient Hawaiians buried the bones of their deceased on the mountain, and today, there remain many Ahu (stone structures used in holy ceremonies). Signage reminds visitors: “Holo me ka ha’aha’a (Travel Humbly: Be aware, be respectful, be mindful.)
If you want to read about another place steeped in legend, click here.
Ultimately, the Covid-19 pandemic halted construction of what was going to be the 14th telescope on the summit. Since then, most scientists have put their efforts into a similar project (Giant Magellan Telescope) in Chile.
This NBC news video does a great job of explaining both sides of the issue.
With its landscape as desolate as far as the eye can see, and craggy peaks periscoping out of mythical mists, Maunakea feels special (if not holy) to me. I get why ancient peoples explored it and thought, “Yes, here is where our island home connects to the great heavens that provide protection over us all.”
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