Camp Lava Rock

Imagine it is about 200 years ago, you are standing in the middle of a valley and Mauna Loa (Ma-oo-na Lo-ah!) is erupting. The lava is flowing down the mountain. Everything in its path vanishes. Hundreds of acres of land are gone in minutes. Now Imagine it is present day...

You are standing in the middle of a black valley of lava rock. It stretches farther than your vision allows with the Hawai'i (Ha-va-e-e) sun heating up this black ocean.

You can see the paths, patterns, tunnels, and caves the lava has left behind. It is an eerie sight, which gives you chills. Yet, it is spectacular. Unlike anything you have ever seen before.

Day 2 in Hawai’i, I was packing for a no bathroom, no shower, beach bonfire camping trip along the Pacific coast (out of respect, I am not disclosing the location). To reach the destination, one must go four wheeling. This trip isn’t geared for most vehicles. The lava field hasn’t been broken down into boulders, rocks, and sand. The trek is quite long, rough, bouncy, and a lot of fun! Once the camp location was reached, I was in complete awe. I have only dreamt of camping on the beach with a bonfire.

The white coral mixes with the black lava sand like salt and pepper. It is NOT soft. Some of the biggest waves, I have ever seen, crash against the massive black rocks along the shoreline. The force is powerful.

To camp with no bathrooms and no showers only brings appreciation for plumbing and serious jealously that men have it easy. As you search and squat, there is the fear of the "announcement" being missed.

I saw a car in the distance and immediately jumped up. I ended up with a gash about 2 inches long and a quarter wide on my ankle. My gluts and thighs bruised and scraped. The lava rock is no joke. It is VERY SHARP with jagged edges. Each night, I would fall asleep to the sounds of waves. Each morning, I would wake up to ocean scenery and blue skies. What a great way to start my month long adventure!

The next day, I went to explore. I stood in the middle of this lava field. I could see the flow all around me. It was hard to believe it is roughly 200 years old: our country's age. You can visually see the ripples of movement it once made. I would find myself in craters of lava tunnels and caves. Everything was black. No vegetation, no signs of life. It was dead quiet.

Along the shoreline, these black crabs would jump from rock to rock before being washed away. They looked like wolf spiders. One crab had begun to follow me, my new friend. The sun started to beat down on my light skin in this black ocean, so I hiked to the other side of the campsite. I had walked a half a mile to a pool of still water. Not sure still water is safe to swim in a 'no bathroom' location. But, the sun had me beat and I took my chances. It was like warm bath water. Little fishes swam all around and nibbled at my legs. The tide was not high enough to reach the pool. It eventually did later that evening when the other campers and I came back.

Locals told the story of Mother Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire. She created the island. It is believed that removal of lava rock with bestow bad luck onto you. Locals also said to ask for Mother Pele’s permission to take shells from her island.

It is to be felt on a spiritual level, whether permission was granted or not. One should say a small indication as to why you wish to remove these items. This is partly why I wish to not disclose the location. The locals would like to preserve the area and steer from making it over run by tourists. I am truly honored to be able to spend a weekend at this spectacular site.

XO - R.Mae

Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i

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