Sunrise Bikeride
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Sunrise
Bike Ride
At Mt. Haleakala, Maui
By Susan Miles
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Looking for a thrill? Pedal
down Mt. Haleakala, Maui's dormant volcano. |
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While the islands of
Hawaii may be best known as the 50th State of the United States of
America, they also belongs to the group of islands known as Polynesia.
Stretching from New Zealand in the Southwest to Easter Island in the Southeast,
this triangle formation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is bordered to the
north by the islands of Hawaii.
Approximately 2,400 miles
(3,860 km) from the U.S. mainland, this series of 120 islands attracts millions
of visitors annually to the three of the largest islands,
Oahu, Hawaii (The Big
Island) and Maui.
Maui,
the second largest behind The Big Island, is dominated by Mt. Haleakala, at an imposing 10,023 feet (3,040 m).
When I discussed my
planned trip to
Maui with my “friend” Michael, he was quick
to suggest that the bicycle tour down Mt. Haleakala would be in keeping with my
adventurous nature.
Being a total sucker for
this type of compliment, I enthusiastically signed up for this activity, which
would take me to the top of this dormant volcano at sunrise and then cycle 38
miles (61km) from summit to sea.
What my dear friend failed
to point out, were the realities of the adventure: A 2:30 a.m. wake-up call, a
windy, hour-long bus ride up one of the world’s fastest climbing roads, to a
10,000 feet elevation, and a bitterly cold wait at the summit for the sun to
appear.
While I stomped my feet
and lamented my decision to leave my winter coat and gloves back home in
Japan, my Aussie
friend was being mentally crossed off my Christmas card list.
But I should have known;
those things that require the greatest effort usually produce the greatest
rewards.
As I waited with the
steadily growing crowd at the summit for the sun to appear, I marveled at the
way the moon glistened off the surface of the sea below and the majesty of the
Mt. Pu’u Kukui in the distance.
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After an invigorating
ride, head to the beach
for one of Hawaii's famous sunsets. |
Standing at the crater’s
edge was a study in rewarded patience as we watched the sky slowly change from
orange to pink and finally blue. The grand finale began with a simple fiery dot
on the horizon that spread to a line and finally turned into ball of gold that
made complete strangers turn to each other and go, “Whoa!”
As the sun lightened the
sky, the black hole that we had been standing beside was majestically revealed
as an extraordinarily textured landscape, dotted with cinder cones, lava flows
and mini craters.
It was clear why this
3,000-foot-deep (91 m) crater was chosen as a practice ground for our early
astronauts; it truly has a moon-like appearance. After willing my numbed fingers
to capture this spectacle on film, it was time for the adventure part of the day
to begin.
With half a dozen
companies offering a sunrise bike ride down Mt.
Haleakala, the car park
soon filled with helmeted riders, pulling on their wet weather gear and testing
out their wheels.
My guide, from the tour
company Maui Downhill, wisely
took our group of 12 to a higher lookout, five minutes by minibus, to enjoy a
360-degree uninterrupted view of
Maui, while the other groups prepared for the
descent. It was also our chance to view the rare and exotic Silverword plant
that can only be seen on the islands of Hawaii and Maui. These squat,
spindle-like plants yield a flower only once in their lifetime (on average 28
years) and then die.
The actual bike ride was a
cautious, single-file ride, with our tour leader in front and a support vehicle
in the rear. My group ranged in age from mid-teens to mid-60s; a convivial
combination of vacationing retirees, honeymooning couples and family groups from
the U.S. mainland,
Korea and Japan.
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Geared-up riders pedal
down 10,000 feet (3000 m) of volcano wilderness. |
Our youngest group member
opted to go “co-pilot” in our support van as at 12, his legs would not stretch
far enough for the adult size bikes provided. Rather than use conventional
lightweight mountain bikes, we were provided with heavier framed models; more
suited to the highway road that we would traverse.
Our legs didn’t get much
of a work out on our ride, but my right hand seemed to be getting plenty of
strength work as it was firmly and permanently squeezed around the rear wheel
brake.
Our guide had instructed
us before we set out to maintain a 15-mile (24 km) per hour minimum on our
journey. As this was also the posted speed limit, I wondered if we were in
danger of being ticketed!
With endless hairpins,
switch back backs, and signs indicating a series of turns in the shape of “3’s”
“C’s” and “Z’s,” concentration on the road rather than the view before us was
mandatory. However, our journey down the mountain included plenty of stops to
savor the views, enjoy interesting commentary from our knowledgeable guide and
capture plenty of photos.
Our group experienced one
spill during the 38-mile (61 km) ride, a soft fall on the roads’ shoulder, when
we had to leave the comfort of the middle of the road to share with the traffic
in the final quarter of our ride. But with serious motorbike-style helmets,
full-face covers, and sturdy wet weather jackets and pants provided by the
company, our rider was left momentarily shaken but not injured.
The terrain over our 38
miles was varied and absorbing. Once we had navigated the “U” turns and hairpins
on the mountainous first 12 miles (19 km), we rode through fields of sugar cane,
pineapples and grazing farm animals.
At the 6800-foot (2073 m)
mark, we drove through Hosmer’s Grove, where the air was so rich with the scent
of eucalyptus from the gum trees, for a few minutes, I was gloriously
transported to my native Australia.
Our brake hands and rears
were giving a well-timed rest at the 28-mile mark for breakfast. Our group
retired to a comfortable golf club restaurant for a buffet of eggs, bacon,
French toast, potatoes, juice and coffee.
For our final 10 miles (16
km), restored by our hearty breakfast, we actually got the chance to pedal, but
out of the entire 38 miles, we probably only pedaled for a total of 400 yards
(366 m).
During this stretch, we
passed through funky, arty towns, old sugar cane factories, quaint stone
churches and caught views of our final destination, the beach.
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Along with bunches of
plumerias, one can find rare and exotic flowers that bloom only once in a
lifetime. |
From the early wake up
call to the cold wait for sunrise — they were all well worth it. There is a good
reason that the sunrise bike ride down Mt.
Haleakala is one of Maui’s most popular
tourist attractions; it is truly one of the best travel experiences to enjoy in
Hawaii.
If You Go
Tour Cost: $120.00 per
person
Includes: Hotel pickup and
drop off — All equipment including bikes, helmets, wet weather gear —
Knowledgeable guide and support vehicle — Muffins and Coffee before the tour and
coffee “on tap” during the predawn wait for sunrise — Buffet breakfast —
Certificate of achievement.
Maui Downhill
www.mauidownhill.com
Fitness Required: While
not a strenuous activity, you will be covering 38 miles by bike and need to be
strong enough to control your bicycle over this 3-hour+ descent.
*Hint: Bookings strongly
suggested, even during the quiet pre-Christmas
week, these tours were
busy and full.
Getting there
Both islands of
Oahu and Hawaii
are serviced by International Airports.
Flight times from
Sydney, Australia
– 11 hours, Los Angeles, California – 5.5 hours,
Tokyo,
Japan – 6 hours.
Hawaiian Airlines and
Aloha Airlines provide inter-island flights from
Oahu, Hawaii to
Maui
daily, travel time: 30-45 minutes.
