# Haleakala at Sunrise



## webdizzy (May 11, 2009)

We plan on visiting Haleakala Crater during our time in Maui this September.  For those who have "been there, done that", I'm curious to know if starting out at 2:30 a.m. to see the sunrise on Haleakala is worth getting up in the middle of the night or if we'd enjoy it just as much after the sunrise but with a better night's sleep?  We'll be in Oahu for 3 nights prior to Maui, so doing it first to take advantage of being on mainland time isn't an option.  After visiting the summit, we'll be biking back down through an "unguided tour" company and can go at our own pace.

I'm sure the sunrise is beautiful, and we'd be more than willing to get up early for what may possibly be a once-in-a-lifetime thing if it really is a MUST, but it seems I've read somewhere that with so many people there at the same time, the viewing isn't quite so picturesque.  So, I'm thinking maybe we should be better rested for the adventure down from the crater.


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## DeniseM (May 11, 2009)

It would take an act of congress to get me up at 2:30 a.m. on vacation, and don't forget that it will be very cold.  I think you will enjoy it a lot more if you wait until later in the day when it's warmer.


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## Luanne (May 11, 2009)

In all the years we visited Maui I never did this.  I've heard it's spectacular, but I'm with Denise.  I'm just not going to get up that early when I'm on vacation.


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## w.bob (May 11, 2009)

I have been to the sunrise twice. I am by no means an expert on anything. I can only say that the sunrise is at the top of my list of things to see and experience. It is on my list along with the Grand Canyon so it is in good company. I just thought it was spectacular. I would think that if you traveled all the way to Hawaii/Maui and did not see the sunrise it would be a mistake. With that said pay attention to what you probably have read about the temperature. It is true what they say about it being cold.


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## Henry M. (May 11, 2009)

I've been to the sunrise at Haleakala and enjoyed it. How spectacular it is has something to do with the cloud cover. I think it is better if there is a layer of clouds below you. There are indeed a lot of people there so try to get there a little early so you can get a good spot to view the sunrise.

It was extremely cold, in the high 30's, in early July so do heed that warning about the temperature. 

I might do it again sometime if someone else really wanted to go. However, it wasn't quite to the level of the hype that I had heard. While I wouldn't discourage you from going, I wouldn't try to tell Denise she should reconsider, for instance. There's a lot of personal taste in it. I'd rather be up there for a while and perhaps hike down into the crater than get up early only to come down shortly after sunrise.


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## Sandy VDH (May 11, 2009)

It is cold, so layer, layer, layer.

The park ranger said it is often very cloudy and you can't see much.  I just happened to go and hit a day when there was NOT a single cloud in the sky and it was an amazing view.  Glad I did it once, but don't think I would do it again.


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## LisaRex (May 11, 2009)

I've been once, my husband has been twice.  The first time there was nothing but cloud cover, acc to my husband.  It rained most of the bike ride down and so he said the whole thing was forgettable. 

Two years later, friends wanted to do the sunrise bike ride, so my husband agreed to do it again with me.  This time the sunrise was spectacular.  I have pictures of it, but I can't figure out how to get them to load here. 

I'm from Ohio, so Hawaii is 5 to 6 hours behind us. 2:30am feels like 7:30 or 8:30am, especially the first few days you arrive when your body hasn't adjusted to the new time zone. 

I'd say do it for the experience, but book it early in the trip.


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## glenn1000 (May 11, 2009)

We did this last year but took the later trip and rode bikes down the crater. That was a lot of fun. The sunrise trip is just too early for our family but if you are coming from the east coast and go the first or second day of your trip it might be fine.


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## jlee2070 (May 11, 2009)

took the trip maybe 20 years ago...  was VERY Cold and saw NOTHING and this was in August!!!  It was covered with clouds/fog...  Was not able to see anything but a glow behind the clouds...  

VERY DISAPPOINTING and will NEVER do it again...  :annoyed:


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## DeniseM (May 11, 2009)

LisaRex said:


> I have pictures of it, but I can't figure out how to get them to load here.



This is what I do:

Upload your photos to www.photobucket.com (free.)

Once uploaded, under each picture you will see a choice of links - click on the one that has the tags 
[ img ] and [ /img ] before and after - clicking will automatically copy the link to your clipboard.

Then open a new message window on TUG and just paste the link.

Suggestion - resize your pictures to about 800 mp wide before posting.  To do this on photobucket, use their resizing feature and choose "medium" size.


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## Kauai Kid (May 11, 2009)

If you do go, remember you will have gone from sea level to 10,000 ft+ in just a couple hours.  Take the stairs to the viewing area nice and slowly.  Your body hasn't adjusted to 10,000 feet in two hours.

Sterling


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## falmouth3 (May 11, 2009)

You're from the Eastern Time Zone.  Plan to do it on your first morning there and it won't be too bad - it's not 2:30 AM, it's 8:30 AM. 

We were awake very early anyway on our first morning there so we wished we'd planned to do it that day.

Sue


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## clsmit (May 11, 2009)

And being from NE OH, it won't really be cold. NorthFace jacket cold, not snowpants cold. I'm trying to convince the kids to do it this June.


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## DianneL (May 12, 2009)

*Been there, done that*

I have been at sunrise, and did think it was spectacular.  We went the first morning we were there, about 2:30 am, so it didn't seem so hard, as we had not adjusted to Hawaiian time from Central time.  I have also been there in mid day, and it is not nearly so spectacular.  In fact as we were above the clouds we did not have good views.


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## busymom_of5 (May 12, 2009)

*Loved it!*

We drove up for the sunrise and loved it!  It doesn't last nearly long enough.  We drove up and had an appointment to ride the ATV's lower on the mountain that morning, so we didn't do the bike tour.  We stayed after the bikers left and hiked around a bit.  It was nice, but cold.  We were in Hawaii and didn't even bring sweatshirts on the trip, so we were cold, but not miserably so.


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## webdizzy (May 12, 2009)

falmouth3 said:


> You're from the Eastern Time Zone.  Plan to do it on your first morning there and it won't be too bad - it's not 2:30 AM, it's 8:30 AM.
> 
> We were awake very early anyway on our first morning there so we wished we'd planned to do it that day.
> 
> Sue



As I said, we will have already been in Oahu for 3+ days, so we won't have as much of an advantage by then.


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## LisaRex (May 13, 2009)

webdizzy said:


> As I said, we will have already been in Oahu for 3+ days, so we won't have as much of an advantage by then.



We never completely adjust to Maui time.  We're all usually up by 5am and in bed at 9pm.


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## CharlesS (May 13, 2009)

busymom_of5 said:


> It was nice, but cold.  We were in Hawaii and didn't even bring sweatshirts on the trip, so we were cold, but not miserably so.


I was miserable, but would do it again.

Charles


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## Sandy VDH (May 13, 2009)

Instead of the bikes, I actually did something different.  I did a horse back ride into the crater.  It was very interesting, and only a handful of spots are available. 

I wasn't really interested in the biking down the hill.


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## Henry M. (May 13, 2009)

I would also take the crater horseback ride over the bike ride down the road.


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## SteveChapin (May 13, 2009)

I've done it twice, once with just the wife, and once with just the kids.

My feeling is that there's no point in going up there if you're not going to see the sunrise.  I am *not* a morning person, so if I'm going to get up, there'd better be a reason for it, and the sunrise at Haleakala is worth it, to me.

I agree that doing it early in the week is better, if you've come from the east, before your body adjusts to local time.

sc
--


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## DeniseM (May 13, 2009)

SteveChapin said:


> My feeling is that there's no point in going up there if you're not going to see the sunrise.
> --



I have to disagree with you there - Haleakala is a beautiful, fascinating, and unique place any time of day.  There is a lot more to it than just the sun rise.


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## w.bob (May 14, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> I have to disagree with you there - Haleakala is a beautiful, fascinating, and unique place any time of day.  There is a lot more to it than just the sun rise.



I agree with Denise. I love the sunrise and would probably do it every time I was on Maui but there is a lot more to Haleakala.

You can view some sunrise pics here: http://s631.photobucket.com/albums/uu38/wbob/


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## glenn1000 (May 14, 2009)

Sandy Lovell said:


> I wasn't really interested in the biking down the hill.



Neither was I but when we did it this was a lot of fun, descending through different climates and stopping along the way. We scheduled a Zipline tour right off the main road where we were able to park the bikes for a couple of hours. We also stopped for lunch in a cute town on the way down, though since the power was out in town we ate cold snacks in the dark! We did a self-guided bike tour and returned the bikes at an office at the bottom when we were done. It also included a tour at the top, with the bike ride starting a bit further down outside the protected area.


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## Icarus (May 15, 2009)

Why not go in the mid-late afternoon and enjoy the Haleakala sunset after exploring the park a bit? No getting up at 2:30AM, no driving up in the dark. You will drive home in the dark, and be back at your hotel at a reasonable hour.

http://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/sunrise-and-sunset.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TWPPWjRuuo

Makawao sunset, taken by Sarah, my 12 year old daughter.












-David


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## hibbeln (May 15, 2009)

We really enjoyed going during the day.  Because we had no time restraints (to catch the sunrise or pick up a bike) we were able to stop on the way up and get out and check out the different overlooks, hike around, check out the top and the visitor center at our leisure.  It really is an amazing view.

It was cold enough during the day, and I don't have room in our bags for long pants and cold weather coats to make the sunrise anything other than miserable.


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## webdizzy (May 16, 2009)

glenn1000 said:


> Neither was I but when we did it this was a lot of fun, descending through different climates and stopping along the way. We scheduled a Zipline tour right off the main road where we were able to park the bikes for a couple of hours. We also stopped for lunch in a cute town on the way down, though since the power was out in town we ate cold snacks in the dark! We did a self-guided bike tour and returned the bikes at an office at the bottom when we were done. It also included a tour at the top, with the bike ride starting a bit further down outside the protected area.



Was that with Maui Sunriders Bike Co.?  That's who we're going with.


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## glenn1000 (May 17, 2009)

Ours was with Haleakala Bike Company. We had a van tour at the top and then biked down on our own.


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## Mimi (May 20, 2009)

I was not impressed by the sunrise at Haleakela and would not interrupt my sleep again for that experience. Our preference is leaving Paia early to enjoy the Road to Hana and ending up on Haleakela for the sunset, on our way back to Kihei. :whoopie:


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## webdizzy (Sep 7, 2009)

We've decided to forgo the sunset and take the later van tour which starts at 9 a.m.. Then we bike down on our own.

Does anyone recall the temperature at the summit in the later morning hours?  I'm trying to decide what kind of clothes to pack for it.


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## jlr10 (Sep 7, 2009)

I don't recall the actual temperature but we went there in the middle of July.  My husband is rarely cold.  He wears shorts all year long including while delivering the mail in the middle of winter.  We went in the middle of the day and he was freezing and had to run back to the car for a heavy sweatshirt and windbreaker in the middle of the day. 

It will be cold.  Wear layers, especially if you plan to bike down. As you descend you will need to peel off layers.  I had a friend bike down she started at the top in sweats and a windbreaker.  Said she was freezing.  But the time she got to the end she was sweating bullets in shorts and a swim suit top. -She hated the ride.  Said it was too cold and not worth the expense, as there were too many cars driving too fast and not paying attention who whizzed by her.


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## webdizzy (Sep 7, 2009)

Another question -- how many miles down is it and how long does it take (approximately)?


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## post-it (Sep 7, 2009)

I'm not sure what part of the country your travelling from, but when we go over to Hawaii we always do excusions that start early on the first or second day while we are still on California time.  It doesn't seem so bad then.


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## webdizzy (Sep 7, 2009)

post-it said:


> I'm not sure what part of the country your travelling from, but when we go over to Hawaii we always do excusions that start early on the first or second day while we are still on California time.  It doesn't seem so bad then.



We're coming from Ohio (6 hours ahead), but we'll have already been in Oahu for 4 nights and Maui for 3 night by the time we do the Haleakala tour, which doesn't start till 9 a.m.  We're not doing the sunrise tour. I thought maybe it would have warmed up by 10 a.m. to noon or so.


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## daventrina (Sep 8, 2009)

*Sunset*

Been once. It was nice, the sun rose over the clouds. Was worth the trip ... once. Left at 4am, 20 years ago there wasn't much of a line to get in the park. 
Could always go for sunset and look for the green flash...


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## Kildahl (Sep 8, 2009)

Icarus said:


> Why not go in the mid-late afternoon and enjoy the Haleakala sunset after exploring the park a bit? No getting up at 2:30AM, no driving up in the dark. You will drive home in the dark, and be back at your hotel at a reasonable hour.
> 
> http://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/sunrise-and-sunset.htm
> 
> ...



Having been there for the sunrise session, I fully agree with Denise and Icarus: Sunset is the best time.


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## Hawaiibarb (Sep 8, 2009)

*It's supposed to be spectacular....*

but the one time I tried it, it was very cloudy, as others have mentioned.  It was as though the sun simply didn't come up that day.  So I'm with those that feel it just isn't worth getting up so early.


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## Courts (Sep 8, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> I have to disagree with you there - Haleakala is a beautiful, fascinating, and unique place any time of day.  There is a lot more to it than just the sun rise.


I totally agree. We went to the sunrise thing and was disappointed. I did not see the colors in the volcano (clouds) until we were at the lodge and looked at pictures being sold. 

Next time we may go later in the day. My wife got motion sickness from all the sharp turns going up.  

.


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## daventrina (Sep 9, 2009)

*How many times...*

How many times does it take to see a good sunrise? 
Well a few years ago someone got a nice photo of the green flash from the top. Took 168 trips up the volcano. 

So, it may take 168 trips up to get a great sunrise too.
With one data point there is no knowing what the standard deviation is...
It could be 20 trips, 200, or 400 to get THE ONE. 

It took us 20 years to catch the lava, but when we did it was priceless.

Just remember that if you have been diving you have to wait at least 12 hours (24-48 may be better depending on your profiles) before you go up the hill (even to the winery).

If you go once and get a great sunrise you were soooo lucky.

The good news ... the chance of getting a nice sunrise is better than winning the CA lottery...
The bad news ... the chance of winning the CA lottery is really bad.

Plan on a really bad trip and you will may get what you expected. If it is better than that you'll be happy...


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## dive-in (Sep 12, 2009)

I have a smaller sample size, 3 sunrise visits, but we must have had pretty good luck.  The first trip it was nothing.  The second was GREAT and I got a time lapsed video of the sun coming up over the clouds.  The third was OK.  Better than the first but not as good as the second.  It's always a crap shoot with Mother Nature.  

Our strategy has always been to stay in Kula for the first few days.  That we we can hit the sunrise while we are still jet lagged the first day.  Very short drive from there.  It's also right on the road to take the back side of Haleakala to Hana.


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## daventrina (Sep 12, 2009)

So, is there anyone here that has seen the sun rise over the ocean with no clouds?


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## LisaRex (Sep 19, 2009)

Better late than never.  Here are my 2006 Haleakala pictures:


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## webdizzy (Sep 27, 2009)

Now that I've "been there, done that", I can give my own 2 cents to anyone else wondering about which tour to take if they're biking down.

We took a van tour up Haleakala which met at 9 a.m. and then biked down, unguided.  I found a few advantages to what we did and am glad I made the decision I did.  First, I have to say we were lucky enough to have gorgeous weather!  Our guide kept telling us how rare it was to get by with t-shirts and shorts at the summit, which is what we did, and to have such clear skies. But, that was just lucky planning.  

I found one of the biggest advantages of going on the later tour was the lack of crowds at the summit AND while biking down.  There were very few people at the summit and very little automobile traffic and no other bicycle traffic except for our group on the way down.  Little traffic made the bike ride much easier and more relaxing since it's a very curvy road which is 98% downhill.

Since our bike down was unguided, we could go at our own pace and stop for lunch where we wanted to.  A guided tour really isn't necessary since you can't really get lost.

Also, the van tour guide did a LOT of narrating on the way up.  Without daylight, you wouldn't be able to see much of what he was talking about.  Of course if you go down in the van instead of biking, I imagine you'd get the narration on the way down.

Hope that helps someone!


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## Reno27 (Oct 4, 2009)

nice pic icarus....
it's very lovely sunset...
do you have pic of sunrise?


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## Icarus (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks. I don't personally have any sunrise pics from Haleakala, but if you search google images, you can find tons of nice ones.

-David


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