Haleakala (May 20, 2007)

Today was the day we experienced the drive to the summit of Haleakala, "the House of the Sun". Hawaiian legend tells of the demi-god Maui whose mother, Hina, complained that the day was to short to dry the strips of Kapa that she hung out after making them from the bark of the wauke and mamaki trees. Upon hearing his mother complain, Maui climed to the 10,000 foot summit of Haleakala where the sun was sleeping. As the sun began its journey, Maui lassoed its rays and forced it to move more slowly across the sky. A bargain was struck and the days became longer during six months of the year, as the sun agreed to slow its journey across the sky and shorter for the other six months, as the sun moved at its preferred pace.In reality, Haleakala really has a 10,000' summit, but it does not house the sun (although sunrises and sunsets as seen from the summit are spectacular). Haleakala is a dormant volcano that has been a national park since 1961. It is the only place on earth where the silversword plant grows and home to a number of creatures that live no where else as well. As we began the journey to the summit, clouds filled the sky on a typical Maui morning. About 3/4 fo the way to the top, it seemed rather dreary and foggy. We were now literally in the clouds. Another half hour of driving and we were at the summit, where the skys were clearest blue and we were looking down on a sea of clouds. I have never experienced anything like it and the best I can compare it to is the view from the window of an airplane - only we were standing on solid ground with no plane and no window. Much like the SCUBA diving trip I had experienced, I realized that there was a spiritual significance to this journey. It was a long road to reach this "height", but the view from there was worth the trip. Here we could find things that one would never see anywhere else on earth and see straight into the heavens (Haleakala is considered one of the top places on earth to view the stars and numerous multi-million dollar observatories have been built there as a result). Along the way, it would have been easy to say the journey was too hard, or that the view too dreary, but had we turned back, we would have missed those spectacular views. There are always hardships associated with reaching mountaintops, both in this natural life and in our spiritual life, but the mountaintops are always worth the journey.