Maui: Day 4

2:30am:  Beep. Beep. Beep. Alarm goes off. It's time to get up. Today we drove up Mount Halekaeka with Maui Sunriders to watch the sunrise then biked down the 27 miles to sea level.

2:45am: Scrambling to find the warmest possible clothes we brought along. It's 30 degrees at the top of the crater. We're Minnesotans, but didn't exactly plan for that kind of weather in Hawaii.

3:00am: On the road. We rubbed our sleepy eyes; not sure what the upcoming trip down the volcano will bring.

3:30am: We arrived to the bike shop. Everyone else seemed sleepy too. There's kids there which is a good sign to me; if a 12 year old can bike down a volcano so I can I, right?

4:00pm: After a short safety briefing we're off up the mountain. Our tour guide Remy tells us fun facts about the mountain and our surroundings. Of course we can't see a damn thing because it's pitch black outside. Hope we make it down OK. Car sick anyone? I hope not. The roads are steep and windy all the way up.

5:00pm: 10.023 feet high. Mount Halekaeka is the 3rd largest volcano in Hawaii after Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. We drove to the top, hopped out and man, it's cold and windy! We can't see anything but clouds and the dark rock of the crater's inner circle.

5:45am: The sunrise is beginning. They say the view will make you come to Jesus. And they're right. Only God is responsible for such a wonder.

Maui Sunrise from Andi Dickson on Vimeo.

7:00am: After the sunrise, we hopped on our mountain bikes and started our 27 mile trek down the mountain. I envisioned dirt roads, dodging trees and all hell breaking loose. In actuality, we biked down the same paved road we drove up. It's the steepest paved road in the world so it fast, but safer than I'd imagined.

8:30am: Half way down the mountain, Andi and I stop for breakfast at a local roadside lodge. We warmed up with hot coffee and a warm breakfast before making the rest of the trek downhill. 

9:00am: The most beautiful site I'd seen in Maui yet. As we rode down the volcano, it started to mist a little, horses alongside the road and the most picturesque rainbow was present. We hopped off our bikes to snap a few photos.

10:30am: We're nearing the end of our ride down Halekaeka, cruising into the small surf town Paia. What an amazing experience biking down a volcano was!

11:00am: Andi and I headed down the beachside road to watch the surf roll in. On the Northern side of Maui, the waves crash hard against the land. We snapped a few photos of locals hanging out at the beachside.

Noon: We head back to the hotel in Lahaina. We're exhausted so Andi and I decide to lounge by the pool at our resort for our last day before heading to Maui's eastern edge - a town called Hana.

6:00pm: After laying in the sun then showering up, we headed to dinner at Sonz, the nicest restaurant at the hotel. We ordered a delicious dinner to cap another great day in Maui.

Tomorrow we're checking out of the Hyatt and driving the famous road to Hana. We're staying there for our last 3 days on the island. Looking forward to the next big adventure!