The World at Her Feet

(Haleakala National Park) – Today is Claire’s day, the day she turns 50; and she was blessed with a spectacular start to it.



Those are clouds below that waxing moon. When the sun rose on the day my beautiful bride turned fifty, it took her breath away.



At that moment, we were at 9740 feet where the temperature was in the low 40’s, the wind was whipping up the side of the mountain in the high 30’s, but it just didn’t matter because this is what we were seeing.



To be in position to witness this, we arose at 3:00 am and drove about as far as you can drive on this island. Including the ascent, it took a couple of hours to get there from where we’re staying. It was worth it.



We had made it to 9740. If 10,000 feet was attainable, why not go for it? And so we did, hiking to the Pu’u’ula’ula Summit. We went all the way, as she put it “to the tippy-top,” which is 10,023 feet above sea level. From there, the Hawaiian Islands and the Pacific Ocean are at your feet, not to mention the cloud deck.



By the time we got to the top, the sun was warming the air, the wind began to calm and we were able to spend a little time just kind of horsing around.



The setting was so eye-popping we wanted to spend a little extra time there.



Of course, the drive up the mountain was made in darkness, but the journey back was something to remember on its own. A glance at the Garmin on the way down let us know what we were up against.



There’s still plenty to do; but it’s already safe to say Claire will never forget the day, and the way, she turned 50.



Happy Birthday!

Sphere: Related Content