Above the Clouds on Mauna Kea

No trip to the Big Island of Hawaii would be complete without eating a Cheeseburger on top of Mauna Kea.  At 13,796 feet (or 13,803 feet, depending on who you believe) in elevation, Mauna Kea literally towers over the island of Hawaii. 

With Splasher and Esterlinkage off to ride animals of the equine variety, I chose instead to bag Mauna Kea.  After a dropping off wife and child in Waimea, my plan was to pick up a delicious locally sourced Cheeseburger from Village Burger in Waimea.  Sadly it was 8 in the morning and Village Burger did not open until 10 AM!  Quickly looking around I was eventually able to procure a Sausage Egg and Cheese Sandwhich on an English Muffin from a nearby Starbucks.  With a Cheeseburger in hand, I was off.  It should be strongly noted that getting to the Mauna Kea Summit entails a very long drive through very isolated areas, so be sure and bring extra Cheeseburgers in case you get hungry.  As I drove up the seemingly endless rise from sea level to almost fourteen thousand feet, I kept eying and smelling my Summit Cheeseburger.  It was only through a great force of will (plus a Venti triple shot mocha, some jolly ranchers and multiple handfuls of Hawaiian carmel corn), that I was able to stop myself from prematurely enjoying my Cheeseburger.  Eventually the paved summit access road ends, just above the Onizuka visitors center, at about 9200 feet.  You now have the choice of hiking up the Mauna Kea Trail or continuing on the unpaved road.  Needing to return to Waimea in a reasonable amount of time and in honor of my Trail Sobriquet, I chose to continue driving.  After reaching the cluster of observatories, you must park your car and make the final 1/4 mile push to the summit pyre and benchmark.  As I clambered from my car I was hit with a wave of nausea.  Recognizing that I had gained 13,000+feet of elevation in less than an hour, I quieted the rumble of my stomach by swigging the last mouthful of the triple shot Venti Mocha, quickly followed by a handful of carmel corn.  Properly fortified, I charged bravely forward.  The summit is marked with a Geological Survey Benchmark . 

and a lovely summit pyre

Once on the summmit, it was finally time to honor my hard fought journey with a delightful Cheeseburger!

Yum!