Tag Archives: Hawaii

Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Troy's Blog

Returning to Kilauea

While celebrating the New Year on the Big Island, one of the few things on our wish list was go back to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. On our last visit to this amazing park, it was just hours before a portion of the volcano wall collapsed causing a plume of smoke and ash to billow into the air. After that it began erupting in other places causing lots of destruction in its path and changing the volcano and island. This would be an amazing opportunity to see how much the volcano had changed during that time. During our first few nights on the island, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park website warned that the eruption had paused. Since this was one of our intended things to do while here, we were disappointed and wondering if we would be able to see lava actively flowing. Our schedule remained flexible so we could adjust things around in the event lave began to flow once more. Just before going to bed halfway through our trip I checked the website. Lava had begun flowing once again earlier that day. Tomorrow we’ll drive across the island and explore an active volcano.

At the viewing area for Kilauea

About mid morning we climbed into our vehicle for the almost 2 hour drive from Kona to the National Park. Our goal was to be there at sunset to see the orange glow from lava filling into caldera so we started a little later in the morning. Once at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park we stopped at the visitors center, then drove to the overlook of the volcano. It was amazing to see how much larger the caldera had become since visiting 4 years earlier. Smoke was rising up this area but we couldn’t see any lava. It was a little disappointing to not be able to see any orange liquid oozing out from below the rock but it’s still an impressive view. I noticed what appeared to be people across the caldera walking to a different viewing area. Expecting it to be a relatively long hike and some people in our group being unable to walk that distance, I dismissed the thought of finding where the trailhead was for that. After examining the new caldera and signs showing the differences since this last eruption, we returned to the visitor’s center. I listened in to a Ranger talk about where to see the lava and what it takes to do so. He recommended returning very early in the morning when there are very few people at this viewing area they opened just weeks before. That wasn’t really an option for us since it’s such a long distance to drive so on to the next best option – joining hundreds of other people to witness sunset at the newly created viewing area.

Lava erupting from the caldera of Kilauea

A portion of our group opted for hiking the few miles to this overlook where you could actually see lava spewing from below the surface. In order to get a parking spot, we were advised to arrive in the area a couple of hours ahead of sunset. Once parked we spent a little time getting ready and those of us going to the viewing area began our hike. As it turned out, the hike was pretty easy as it was mostly using a paved road no longer in service. A short time later we were at the over look with daylight still presiding over the volcano and there it was. The orange glow of lava erupting. It was a surreal experience for me – very humbling to see with my own eyes. There were hundreds of other people also there so park rangers were trying to keep people rotating to the front for everyone to get a chance to see this natural wonder and it’s power to create the land we walk on. I spent some time photographing this awesome natural power, now understanding more why some many people are drawn to it. Respect is required of such a powerful force and has been shown through the centuries as so many have seen its destructive abilities allowing new life to emerge for many 100’s of years after. Eventually darkness fell over the volcano and the familiar orange glow was a vibrant, sole light source of the volcano. Watching the lava ebb and flow was so mesmerizing. Something I will remember for a very long time. With people waiting back at our vehicle, and a 2 hour drive ahead of us, it was time to depart this viewing area with memories and photographs. It was an incredible experience!

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Hawaii, Lake Superior, Troy's Blog

Surfing–Hawaii or Minnesota

On a recent trip to Duluth, Minnesota, the wind could really be felt pushing against the car and I began to wonder what the waves on Lake Superior were like. They’ve been know to get quite large and treacherous at times. Large enough to sink large ships – AKA the Edmond Fitzgerald. I’ve read about people out surfing these types of waves and I was curious to see if the conditions were right. On the north side of Duluth there’s an area to pull off the road and view this grandest of lakes so I headed there. Entering one of the snow covered parking spots I could see large waves crashing against the rocky shore and looking over to my right, there they were. A group of surfers! My wife and youngest daughter was with me and we sat there just watching these surfers as they would grab a wave and then paddle back into the zone.

Catching a Wave in Hawaii

It was interesting to see and compare as the week before we were in Hawaii watching surfers there. How was it different in these two bodies of water? Certainly water temperature was a main challenge and those people on Lake Superior had on wet suits to keep in any warmth in these frigid waters. The water temperature could not be that much above freezing as splashes from the waves were freezing on shore. Another very noticeable difference was the wave size. Many of the waves in Hawaii were as tall, if not taller than the people out surfing them while on Lake Superior they were only about 2/3rds the height of surfers. From a few discussions with the surfers in Hawaii I learned about using different boards for different wave types. I’m guessing the surfers in Minnesota were on different boards than those in Hawaii were using.

Watching these people out on the water with their boards in the middle of winter was a nice treat and reminder of warmer places from a few weeks before.  ‘Stay Warm!’ I thought as we pulled back on the road towards home.

The waters a little colder in Minnesota

Hawaii, New Experiences, Troy's Blog

Celebrating New Years Day

During the night I would wake to waves crashing on the shoreline and couldn’t wait for daylight to show the view. We arrived at our house during the dark and were unable to see much of the landscape on New Year’s Eve. The fireworks had settled down allowing a few hours of nice sleep. Opening my eyes once again, I looked towards the patio door and finally light was beginning to show through the door. I got up, as quietly as I could so others could continue to sleep, and went out on the patio to see waves rolling over the turquoise water. Soon I was joined by my cousin who was with us for this adventure. A few moments later my wife appeared. Happy New Year! we all agreed. It seemed to take a lot of work and effort to get here, but here was the reward.Early morning surfers out catching a few waves

Within a few minutes I spotted surfers paddling out to these nice waves for their morning ride. We watched as they waited out in the water for a good wave to roll in that they could catch eventually deciding on one they liked. They began to paddle quickly and soon were up on their board surfing the wave into shore and then doing it all over again.

The ocean had called long enough. A few minutes later it was out to the shore taking in the warm morning sun as it continued to rise over the island. I removed my shoes upon reaching the beach and began to feel this tropical place all around me. Bare feet in the sand below and waves continuing to crash on the shore. Are we still asleep and dreaming?

I had hoped to get in the water the night before without success. It was time now to get that first feel of the ocean. Heading towards the shoreline, saltwater eventually surround my feet. Expecting to wince a little at this first cool wave hitting my toes, I was surprised how warm the water felt. There was no shock or getting use to the temperature. I continued to wade in but only a short ways. My stomach was reminding me it was time to eat and I didn’t want to be wet while eating it.

Fish swimming around beautiful red urchins near shore

After a few minutes of walking in the water my cousin and I began exploring the shoreline. Much of the shoreline here is volcanic rock with only a few pockets of sand here and there. Looking in each groove and through the tide pools there were many critters moving about. Crabs would quickly seek shelter from our view but occasionally one would pose for a few moments for us to watch. Fish of different sizes and colors were swimming in the tide pools created by this rocky shoreline with the occasional red or black urchin attached to rocks for them to swim around. As we continued to explore, a Sea Turtle surprised me. A trip to Hawaii just would not seem complete with seeing one of these. This beautiful creature of the sea’s came over to wish us a Happy New Year before continuing on in its search for food. We returned the greeting and continued being mesmerized as waves rolled into the shoreline.

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Having gotten a taste of this beautiful place, it was time to return to the house for a quick shower and off to find breakfast. I was so grateful to be able to spend this New Year’s Day with my two daughters, wife, and other family members in these incredible surroundings. One last feel of the sand beneath my feet and it was back inside…at least for the moment.

Daylight brought the first view of the ocean in this New Year

Hawaii, New Experiences, Troy's Blog

A New Year Begins

The last year has brought a lot of changes with one of those being able to celebrate the arrival of 2022 from Hawaii with family. For the first time in several decades my family had the opportunity to travel over the holidays and decided to take advantage of such a situation. The question was where? Hawaii was presented and accommodations were available but COVID could really be an issue as Hawaii had been pretty strict with people entering. As fall got under way we decided to begin booking a week in this paradise as the pandemic restrictions seemed to be staying the same, allowing us to spend a week vacationing without the need to quarantine first.

Christmas arrived which we were able to celebrate with family, unlike the year prior. As soon as our family gatherings were over, it was time to pack. Fortunately we had been doing some of this beforehand knowing there would only be a few days between Christmas and our trip. There was much to be done during the week both at work and home but New Year’s Eve day was upon us before we were ready. The next day would be a full day of flying. If everything went according to plan, we would be in the ocean before sunset for the last day of 2021.

Sunrise above the clouds

It was 4am and the alarm began blaring, however we were already awake and beginning to get ready for our day. A short time later we were in the car on our way to the airport. It was an early flight out of Minneapolis with a stop in Los Angeles before continuing on to Hawaii. Moving through security without any issues we walked to our gate with just a short time before boarding the airplane would begin. Time kept ticking by but our flight did not board. Earlier in the week airlines had experienced a lot of cancelations due to COVID and technical problems. We kept wondering if they were effecting our flight on this morning. Now it was just a few minutes before we were supposed to leave and the announcement finally came that boarding would begin. Once we were seated, an alert came across the phone that our flight was delayed 45 minutes. By the time we were in the air it was more than that. Fortunately our connecting flight in LA had sent an alert that it was delayed a couple of hours so we shouldn’t miss it. Unfortunately my plan of being in the ocean before sunset was not likely to happen now. Oh well, if that’s the worst that happens it’s still a good day of travel.

Mountains rising above the clouds

As daylight began to fill the sky, the clouds became visible from our runway. Soon after we were flying through them watching snowflakes sweep by our windows as we continued higher. Eventually we made our way above them. The white, fluffy cotton like now floated below us appearing as a harmless blanket. Within a short time the rays of the rising sun made their way into the windows of the airplane and filling the sky with beautiful morning light. What a sight from this viewpoint. As we made our way across the country, clouds covered much of the ground below, but at one point mountain tops rose above them. It created a beautiful and scenic view from our tiny windows as we fly by admiring the snow covered rock sculptures.

Flying over SoFi Stadium on our way into LAX

Moving further west we finally broke out of the clouds allowing the landscape below to appear. We were almost to LAX at this point and could see this sprawling city coming into view. Continuing to descend towards our runway, SoFi Stadium appeared just outside our window – the home of Superbowl 56 which my wife and I will be a part of in the next month. It was nice to get a view of where we’ll be working for a few weeks. Minutes later we were on the ground and heading towards our next flight. With the that flight delayed we took some time to meet up with our final family member heading to Hawaii for New Years. Soon after meeting up, a portion of our group went on to meet some longtime friends on their way to the airport for a flight to Minneapolis. We only had a few moments together to swap hugs before each continuing on their journey. Amazing how things work out sometimes. Had our connecting flight not been delayed we would not have had the opportunity to meet up.

Landing in Hawaii as the day's light is beginning to wane

The day continued to pass by, however at a slower pace than normal since we continued to move west and time changes kept the clock moving at a slower rate. Once again in the air, the largest of cities began to shrink below with nothing but ocean ahead for several hours. Sitting back and trying to relax as the waves rolled below while this plane flew west, there was much anticipation of a tropical paradise. Finally we began to lower in the sky and see land once again. Moments later we landed for the last time and retrieved our luggage as the sun lowered to the horizon. With color filling the evening sky, we loaded everything into our car for the week and headed towards our place of residence. Along the way fireworks began exploded across the hillside in celebration of the end of 2021 turning to a New Year. Throughout the night these fireworks continued raining down eventually lulling us to sleep after a very long day of travel. We awoke to explosions going off all over Kona, Hawaii signaling the arrival of 2022. With a brief smile I passed out once again anxious to awaken to daylight and ocean waves to start a New Year in a way I’ve never experienced before. Will this set a new tone for the up coming year? It certainly can’t hurt, right?

The setting sun as we arrive in Kona

Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Troy's Blog

Abstract Pieces of a Lava Flow

While exploring Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii we noticed many interesting shapes and forms of lava from previous flows. As we looked even closer at them the colors in some of these flows caught our attention causing us to wonder how those were created. Without seeing an actual eruption it was up to our imaginations as to the creation of these different forms and colors. The photo above shows what appears to be a little lava rock which, landed in this spot or was carried to this place by flowing lava, and remained hot for longer than the lava it landed on causing these red, orange, and yellow colorations seen in the photo. They probably were exposed as this lava rock cooled and began to split apart causing a piece to roll down the flow further.

Colorful Pahoehoe

These same reds, oranges, and yellows can be seen in other portions of this same lava flow bringing an added element to these interesting textures. Did this portion of lava also cool at different rates causing these colors to emerge in only certain areas? What would cause one area to cool faster than another? I’m certain some people understand what happened at one time to make these interesting patterns and colors especially now as they can study the new eruptions and flows currently creating new patterns, colors, and shapes.

Pahoehoe Lava

It amazing how different amounts of lava and lava temperatures combined with the terrain it’s going over can create so many unique types and shapes of rock. Some lava is smooth which is called pahoehoe which is the type shown in the photo above. Below shows another form of lava called a’a. This type looks like a bunch of smaller rocks. As you look closer there are multiple colors all mixed together which combine to look like a dark grey field from a distance. Our time was short to continue looking for more interesting pieces and forms created from an old lava flow but it was fun to have at least a little time to examine lava rock and find the different shapes and colors. Sometimes we forget to take time to really see what makes up a landscape especially if you just get use to viewing it everywhere around you.

 

A'a lava

Adventures, Hawaii, Troy's Blog

The Green Sand Beach – Hawaii

While spending some time on the Big Island of Hawaii there are numerous things to see and do and one of those items is to walk on the green sand beach. This is becoming more and more popular for a number of reasons. One of those is that this is one of only four green sand beaches in the world making it very unique. Another is getting there has become easier due to transportation availability. You can choose to pay for a ride unless you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, which is definitely required, or you can hike the 3 miles one way to get there.

Walking to the beach

Our group decided to take both options. Some payed for a taxi ride both ways, some used a taxi for one direction, and others hiked both directions. These “taxi’s”, which are 4 x 4 vehicles, cost us $15 per person round trip or $10 per person one way. They save a lot of time and make this beach more accessible which is both a good and bad thing in my opinion. I chose to hike both directions because the scenery is incredibly beautiful and I’m able to physically handle this hike. Just remember to bring plenty of water to drink and sunscreen or this can turn into a miserable experience. In the photo above you can see the views  while walking next to the ocean. On the right side of the photo is the trail leading from the boat landing, where this journey begins, with a few people walking over the ridge. Unfortunately they are pretty hard to see due to the size of the photo. In the very top picture you can see the beginning of the trail with a boat landing in the little bay. Again the boat landing is difficult to make out in this photo but you can see buoys in the water directing boats into the landing.

The first view of the green sand beach

After walking over some fairly rough terrain for over an hour due to many distracting views along the way we came upon this beautiful sight of the green sand beach. Once these amazing views were taken in I was surprised at how small this beach actually is and how steep the climb is down to the beach itself. I was quite warm by this point and ready to get into the water so we quickly made our way over to the trail down to the beach and went plowing into the ocean waves. The sand is very soft and felt nice on bare feet while working towards the salty water.

Down on the beach

There was only a little over an hour to enjoy this incredible Hawaiian beach so not much time to really explore the area around it. Once I had cooled off in the ocean there were some pictures I wanted to take while here so I dried off and grabbed the camera to remember how beautiful it is from a distance and up close. The water is such a beautiful turquoise blue, the rocks are interestingly carved by the ocean waves, and the sand is an amazing blend of green, white, and black grains which you can see in the image below. These green particles apparently are from lava mixing with certain minerals as it flows from the earth and deposited in this remote location. There’s a better explanation of this on this USGS page. I could have spent a lot more time taking in this beach but there were other sights to continue on to so it was time to return to our car and head to the black sand beach.

Close up of the green sand

Hawaii, Troy's Blog, Waterfalls

Waterfalls in Hawaii

When thinking of Hawaii one of the first things many people envision is of a waterfall in a tropical paradise. Well there are several on the Big Island of Hawaii to meet this expectation. Our first day on the island brought a conversation with a local orchid grower near Hilo regarding sights to see with waterfalls being high on our list. His response was a laugh followed by an explanation that there are numerous waterfalls with fast flowing water as it had been raining almost every day since the 1st of the year.

Rainbow Falls

Our first stop was at Rainbow Falls near Hilo providing a beautiful waterfall flowing over the edge of a volcanic cliff crashing into the channel below. We were told that during the right time of day the sunlight casts a rainbow in the mist below giving this falls its name. It’s definitely a beautiful sight attracting many people to the area to explore this great water feature of Hawaii.

A popular waterfall near Hilo, HI

After taking some time to enjoy this area and listen to the water as it falls over the cliff and into the river bed below and use the available restrooms, it was off to see another of Hawaii’s popular waterfalls. After a short drive we arrived at the spectacular Akaka Falls State Park. Here there is a nice paved path winding through the jungle bringing you to an almost unimaginable waterfall. This is a waterfall with a 400 foot drop! I never imagined being able to get this close to such a place being able to witness this plunging river from a paved platform across the gorge. It is so tall and you’re close enough that it’s almost like you’re in a dream.

Akaka Falls

While the tall Akaka Falls is certainly the highlight of this state park, it is not the only waterfalls visible here. Another one can be seen through trees and shrubs and one more is quite a bit shorter but still beautiful to see. We were nearing the end of our day with the parking lot gate soon to close so it was time to leave but still difficult to tear away from a waterfall that seems like you only would see it in a movie or on tv.  There are several other waterfalls but these seem to be the two most popular and worth seeing.

A small triple waterfall

Hawaii, Troy's Blog

Snorkeling in Hawaii

One of my favorite things to do on a tropical island is go snorkeling to see all of the amazing corals and colorful fish. So when we began planning a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii I knew we had to set some time aside underwater adventures. Anytime there were a couple of hours free we headed to a beach to see what was swimming below and was never disappointed. Our very first morning in Kona we walked to a nearby beach and saw yellow tangs swimming everywhere. Within a few minutes I had to go back to the hotel and get snorkeling gear to get a better view of these fish.

Yellow Tangs

A short time later we were in the water swimming among these beautiful fish watching as they dart back and forth finding food and swimming with the motion of the waves as they came barreling towards shore. It becomes so easy to lose track of time when you enter this amazing underwater world. So much of the land world slips away down here. Well, until you find something from land that has made its way into the ocean such as a tire or plastic bottle.  Some of it from careless people while other pieces make their way here by accident from either the wind or a larger wave. I ended up losing a key card at one point adding to this foreign debris. Fortunately it was found again and I was able to keep this little piece of trash out of the ocean.

A school of fish

During a few of our last snorkeling adventures we were fortunate enough to come across sea turtles swimming along the reef. One of them kept swimming closer and closer to a point I needed to swim away trying to keep a safe distance from it for its protection. It was so much fun to see these large turtles up close as they scour rocks and swim around the sea. They move in such a lazy fashion like they really have no worries at all and just go with the tide. Even though I was able to get in the water on four different occasion for a couple of hours each, I could have spent so much more time in the water exploring the different beaches and bays around Kona. It was a great time that I hope to be able to repeat sometime in the future.

Swimming with a Sea Turtle

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Troy's Blog

A Return to the Volcano

It’s 4:27 am and I’m rolling over to shut off the alarm before it wakes anyone else wondering if I really want to get up and drive back into the park for another view of the volcano. After debating for a minute or so with myself I decide to get up and get dressed. Fortunately I had company as my cousin is with and decides to join me on another ridiculous morning adventure. When will we be here again to see this active volcano?

Fortunately one of the priorities of this trip was to witness the glow of lava during the night so we planned a one night stay just outside of the park in Volcano, HI making our early morning journey a fairly quick one. Within 15 minutes of leaving our lodge we were staring at the glowing coming from the top of the mountain. It looked like a large fire was burning off in the distance. Walking closer to Jagger Museum patio while scarfing down the last of a quick breakfast we could see the glow intensify as smoke continuously billowed from the caldera.

The volcano glowing under the moonlight

Over the next hour or so I just kept taking photographs of this almost unreal sight. In the above photo you can see a few stars along with the moon shining high above the volcano although it appears more like a star in this picture. Eventually I realized there was lava spatter erupting just above the rim from time to time. Seeing lava was something I hoped to accomplish while visiting Hawaii but the accessible flows had stopped a few days prior making it unlikely to spot and yet here was actual lava. The whole concept of standing on top of this mountain watching an active volcano spitting out lava seemed almost more of a dream than a fortunate reality. This was something I never imagined I would do during my life and here I was witnessing the continued creation of this island with my own eyes.

Lava erupting from the lava lake at the top of Kilauea

Daylight began to break across the horizon reducing the glow from the lava lake while my cousin and I realized just how much we were shivering as it was quite cool in the night air. It didn’t help that I wasn’t properly dressed for being at a higher elevation for an extended time only wearing shorts and a sweatshirt. Definitely worth getting up a little early to see!

Daylight entering the sky around Kilauea

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Troy's Blog

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

There was one day set aside to explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park so not a great deal of time. Making things a little less interesting was rain at the top of Kilauea making it difficult to see much and decreasing our motivation to venture too far from the car. Still we were determined to do all that we could on this final National Park adventure. Arriving mid-morning our first destination was the Kilauea Visitor Center to learn a little about this area and the active volcanoe we were standing on. Looking over the exhibits explaining what was creating this mountain and the surrounding new land along with plants and animals inhabiting it brought us to lunchtime. There really wasn’t a good place to eat nearby that we knew of plus our plan was for to have a picnic while taking in some amazing views. The rain outside indicated we needed to make other arrangements so looking over the park we found some possible places to sit and eat under dry skies at the end of Chain of Craters Road which was next to the ocean and away from the rain at a lower elevation.

Holei Sea Arch created by the ocean carving out lava rock

After a short break eating, it was time to explore the coast in front of us a little and work our way back up to the summit of the volcano. Just looking out over the ocean was beautiful with the blue water and waves crashing against the shore. Examining the shoreline closer, which is really a cliff plummeting into the water made from a lava flow in 1971 which has been eroding ever since, we discovered a sea arch nearby. An interesting structure protruding from the cliff defying the brutal ocean waves which continually beat against it. Looking even closer the designs throughout this cliff wall made some interesting patterns and colors from all of the different layers of lava flowing at different times binding itself together to form new ground. You can make some of this out in the very top photograph.

 

Exploring a lava flow just under the clouds

A little bit of time to explore this cliff wall and stare into the sea and we began to ascend back up the mountain towards the smoldering volcano summit. Along the way we stopped to explore some of these lava flows just below the clouds more closely finding different types of lava formations. It was some much fun and amazing to see the different patterns and colors created from lava which flowed 45 years ago. Some has smoother edges more like a mud flow might have while other lava created sharper rocks that, from a distance, appear like dark, rich soil to grow crops in. This is not the case as there is almost nothing growing on it still after 45 years of inactivity.

What looks like a great, rich soil is lava rocks created from a lava flow

Returning to the car we continued higher up the mountain and soon became enveloped in clouds followed by rain. We wanted to see the popular Thurston Lava Tube which is a cave created by flowing lava at one time. Bravely we donned raincoats and ventured out into the rain to explore this cave. With soaked shoes we entered this tropical cave feeling like we were entering something out of the movie Jurassic Park. Hoping for a dry place we found water dripping from the ceiling and large puddles across the floor. Fortunately the floor was lit up so you could make you way through this portion of the lava tube avoiding many of these puddles. Still it was an eerie experience to know large volumes of lava flowed through here not all that long ago to make this and this mountain is still an active volcano.

Thurston Lava Tube

Making our way back to the car having been thoroughly soaked by rain and standing water we continued on to the top of the volcano to catch a glimpse of the large lava lake. Nearing the crater there were steam vents all around trying to alert us to the fact that there is hot lava close by. Still we drove on until arriving at the Jaggar Museum which stands at the side of the crater looking into this volcano. The clouds were covering this mountain making it near impossible to see anything so we headed inside to explore more exhibits and learn about this area. After some time looking things over the clouds cleared a little revealing more details of the mountain summit so I headed outside to look around. Shortly after getting outside there was a large clap of thunder. Excited to see a storm I scanned all around looking for lightning but found none. And then another clap of thunder and I decided seeking shelter might be a good idea. Once inside a ranger told us that it was not thunder we were hearing but rocks moving inside the volcano crater. That was kind of cool to hear and yet a little unsettling at the same time that there are large enough rocks moving to create a sound like that.

Top of the Kileaua Volcanoe

Unfortunately there was no erupting lava to be seen on this cloud filled day and the active lava flow had stopped flowing a couple of days before we arrived. It was a little disappointing to go all the way to Hawaii and visit an active volcano and not have the opportunity to witness actual lava with our own eyes and feel the heat protruding off of it. In a last ditch effort to see some lava I did return another time which I will write about later.