# Big Island: Lava covers access road and 1 house is threatened



## thheath (Jul 19, 2010)

For those visiting the Big Island in the near future this might be a good time to view the lava flowing:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100719_lava_covers_access_road_and_1_house_is_threatened.html


----------



## Cathyb (Jul 20, 2010)

thheath said:


> For those visiting the Big Island in the near future this might be a good time to view the lava flowing:
> 
> http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100719_lava_covers_access_road_and_1_house_is_threatened.html



Rats, we just flew home Friday.   Thank you for the post.


----------



## LisaRex (Jul 20, 2010)

I feel bad for the people whose home is probably lost but happy for the people who will be able to see a once-in-a-lifetime live lava flow.


----------



## thheath (Jul 23, 2010)

Here is an interesting blog from a resident of the area that is being threatened:

http://hawaiianlavadaily.blogspot.com/


----------



## jacknsara (Oct 13, 2010)

*daytime view of molten lava*

Aloha,
Mahalo to thheath for the blog link.  One thing leads to another. … 
We just got back from the BI.  After 5 nights at Kona, we spent 4 nights on the east side in Kapoho, about 15 – 20 miles from the closed end of hwy 130 depending on the route used.  The first day we drove to first road closure signs near the end of hwy 130 but were too early to enter.  Day 2, we arrived later, drove as far as general public is allowed, and walked as far along the remnants of the road as the general public is allowed.  Other than the road easement, all that lava covered land is private; there is no public access across it.  Some of the owners run a tour business across the land to get much closer to where the lava is pouring into the ocean.  They fill up fast as tourists arrive and discover they cannot see much.  We booked a daylight walk 3PM the next day.  Wow.  What an experience.   We got lucky.  Strong winds blowing a good direction made the walk over some pretty warm rocks tolerable.  We even got close enough to take video of lava pouring over the edge and steam explosions blasting debris back up.
If you plan to be in the neighborhood, we recommend a guided tour by Ken &/or Steve of http://onegreatearth.com/kupahua/ KapahuaAdventures@gmail.com 
BTW - we are quite happy that we did not attempt that walk at night
Jack & Sara


----------



## jacknsara (Oct 13, 2010)

another snapshot of essentially the same view
Jack


----------



## hotcoffee (Oct 13, 2010)

I had the opportunity several years ago to hike to an active lava flow.  It was about 2 or 3 miles off what was then the end of the road.  That was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I was able to pose my two daughters just in front of one of the flows.  But, they were in no danger as they were crouching on some older hardened lava above and about 10 to 15 feet away from the end of the active flow (which moves about the speed of a turtle out for a casual Sunday stroll).  The perspective of the picture, however, made it look as if the lava was just behind them.


----------



## Luanne (Oct 13, 2010)

LisaRex said:


> I feel bad for the people whose home is probably lost but happy for the people who will be able to see a once-in-a-lifetime live lava flow.



I'm somewhat disturbed by this.  By all means, let's have a lava flow, throw a few houses in jeopardy so that the tourists can see it.


----------



## hotcoffee (Oct 13, 2010)

Luanne said:


> I'm somewhat disturbed by this.  By all means, let's have a lava flow, throw a few houses in jeopardy so that the tourists can see it.



I'm not sure how to take this.  Seeing surface lava from an active volcano is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  A volcanic eruption is one of the most significant events of nature.  Even so, I don't think too many people are glad that homes are being destroyed by the lava.  You must admit, though, that living near an active volcano does involve a little more than an average amount of risk.  Even the town of Kailua-Kona will be in extreme danger if Hualalai erupts again.  Its last eruption was in 1801, and most volcanologists believe it is likely to erupt again within the next 100 years or so.  Mauna Loa is also likely to erupt again.  Personally, and I can only speak for myself, I would not want to live anywhere near Kilauea, Hualalai, or Mauna Loa (or, even Haleakala on Maui, for that matter).  But, visiting an active volcano that is not particularly dangerous is another story.


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Oct 13, 2010)

Luuane, I didn't read it that way. More like it is a bad thing to have happened because of the destruction of people's homes, but one positive aspect of such a negative happening is the moving closer where people can see the lava.  I don't think anyone is suggesting that it is a trade off, the lava can't be controlled, so we might as well have people look at it.
Liz


----------



## Luanne (Oct 14, 2010)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> Luuane, I didn't read it that way. More like it is a bad thing to have happened because of the destruction of people's homes, but one positive aspect of such a negative happening is the moving closer where people can see the lava.  I don't think anyone is suggesting that it is a trade off, the lava can't be controlled, so we might as well have people look at it.
> Liz



Maybe I read it wrong, or not in the way it was intended, but it still bothered me.


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Oct 14, 2010)

I can understand how it would bother you. Hopefully the person posting didn't mean it the way you read it. Hawaii has had many people lose homes and communities and even some lives have been lost due to the current lava flow and that is tragic. I live on an earthquake fault (or maybe it is a quarter mile away) and it would be very upsetting if many people here lost their homes and people were injured or died and I thought people were discounting that and just excited about studying  earthquakes.
Liz


----------



## california-bighorn (Oct 14, 2010)

*Just understood the thought*



LisaRex said:


> I feel bad for the people whose home is probably lost but happy for the people who will be able to see a once-in-a-lifetime live lava flow.



If you read this quick or not carefully, it could be mis-understood. I did a second take myself the 1st time I read it.  But, LisaRex obviously didn't mean or even imply someones house had to be destroyed in order for people to see and enjoy the lava flow.  She just said she felt bad in the EVENT anyone's property was destroyed AND because of the lava flows, some people will be able to observe this force of nature.


----------



## riverdees05 (Oct 27, 2010)

*Excellent Tour by Ken*

We just returned from taking  the 3:00 pm guided tour with Ken of 

http://onegreatearth.com/kupahua/ 

KapahuaAdventures@gmail.com 

and it was excellent.  We were able to see lava flowing into the ocean.

All 5 of us that were in our party highly recommend his tours.


----------



## lolibeachgirl (Nov 4, 2010)

How sad for the man that lost his house, the blog had a link to the raw video of the lava overtaking the house.  I hope he had insurance and friends and family he can stay with as he tries to rebuild.

I was able to view the lava flow from a different ocean entry in 2004, my first trip to Hawaii.  I was about 200 yards away, after a 1 1/2 mile hike over hardened lava.  It was quite an experience, especially when I read that the lava bench for the viewing area collapsed into the ocean within the next year (I think).  Very humbling and amazing to watch new land be formed...

I have thought several times about moving to the Big Island, even with it's Lava Zone distinction for homeowner's insurance....


----------



## hotcoffee (Nov 4, 2010)

lolibeachgirl said:


> . . . I have thought several times about moving to the Big Island, even with it's Lava Zone distinction for homeowner's insurance....



On one of our trips to the Big Island, I talked to an older couple who had purchased a home in the Waimea area.  That is in the high country away from the active volcanoes.  They were buying a bunch of tropical plants for their yard.  The only way a volcano could get them there would be if Mauna Kea erupted.  Not too likely.  I love the Kona area, but I would be leery about having two volcanoes for neighbors.  Either Haulalai or Mauna Loa could erupt again and endanger homes in the Kona area.


----------



## lolibeachgirl (Nov 4, 2010)

hey hot coffee,
I have only visited Big I once, but it was my first trip to Hawaii and spent 2 weeks there.  and put 1500 miles on the rental Jeep 

I have now been to Kauai 3 times and love it so much.  Would love to move there, but I work for a national chain that doesn't have a store there.  They have on Oahu (too crowded), Maui (never been there) and Big I.  The problem is I would want to live on the east side and the store is in Kona....I don't know if I could do the Saddle as a commute every day   

now I hope one day we'll have a store on Kauai, as our competitor already does


----------



## hotcoffee (Nov 4, 2010)

lolibeachgirl said:


> . . . The problem is I would want to live on the east side and the store is in Kona....I don't know if I could do the Saddle as a commute every day . . .



I think there is some danger of Kailua-Kona one day looking like Kalapana.  I had never been to Kalapana prior to it getting buried by lava.  But I have heard it was a quaint little fishing town with the biggest and best black sand beach in all of Hawaii.  One of those two volcanoes bracketing the Kona area is sure to erupt again - probably both.  Either one could bury Kailua-Kona.  I love the area, but would not want to see my dream home being destroyed by lava.  I saw a special on TV in which some of the former residents of the Royal Gardens Subdivision were talking about their tropical dream homes.  One woman stood 30 feet above where her front yard once was.  She found a small amount of humor in saying that she can now see the ocean from her front yard.


----------



## lolibeachgirl (Nov 4, 2010)

I also had not been to Kalapana prior to the lava covering it up.  I had seen pictures in old travel brochures of it though, first black sand beach I'd ever heard of, it was beautiful.

In that raw video of that guy's house being destroyed by the lava, the last shot was of him and others sitting in camp chairs, watching it like a campfire and when it crumbled to the ground, after a few seconds he shrugged his shoulders and laughed a little, knowing there had been nothing he could do against Pele's conquest.


----------

