exploring haleakala

A couple of days ago, my sisters and a couple of friends went on an overnight camping trip to Hosmer's Grove near Haleakala.  Matt, Oliver & I decided to tag along the first day & go for a short hike.  It is about an hour drive to Hosmer's Grove if you are coming from the Paia area.  The drive is absolutely gorgeous!  I really enjoy driving upcountry Maui because it feels like you are in a completely different state.  Rolling green hills, lush forests & foggy roads are just some of the little wonders of upcountry Maui!
When you drive up to Haleakala National Park, be prepared to pay $10 to enter (but that is good for 3 days & it is well worth it!).  When we arrived at Hosmer's Grove, we walked around a little trail & then went exploring on our own.  The weather upcountry is really refreshing & somewhat chilly (be sure to bring a sweater), but it is perfect when you are hiking around & holding a wild animal (Oliver).  Oliver is at this stage where he doesn't really want to be held, instead he wants you to help him walk E V E R Y W H E R E!  It was definitely a struggle carrying him around & even though we brought our jogger, we couldn't take it out of the car because the trails & places we went were really bumpy & steep.  So, next time we will remember to bring a pack for him!

Here are a few a lot pictures of that little hike ;)










After a few hours, Oliver had enough & was starting to get a little cranky!  We headed back to the girl's campsite & loaded him in the car & decided to drive the remaining 30 minutes to the very top of Haleakala.  I usually go for the sunrises at Haleakala, but this sunset was AMAZING!  Seriously.  I didn't even edit ANY of these pictures below!  This was Matt's first time here & he was in awe!  Again, make sure you bring a few sweaters (one was not enough), because it gets cold!  Once you get to the top, it is breathtaking!  If you look where the sun is setting, you see a serious amount of fluffy white clouds, changing colors periodically as the sun starts to set.  If you look on the opposite side, you see the ocean & nothing else!  Then, on either side you see the crater.  It looks like you are on the set of Star Wars or walking on another planet!  I know I have said this MANY times before, but God is THE greatest artist of all time!







The rays shining through the clouds are incredible!