Mauna Kea and kids
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2024 10:20 pm
Posting with reference to this older thread to comment on the state of things on Mauna Kea in our experience on July 24.
Plan was for me to hike the Humuula trail from the visitor center and Kylie to drive up with our 3 y/o to hang out together on the summit. We rented a 4Runner for the day (via Turo) to make sure we wouldn't have any issues since I'd read the rangers are a tad overzealous in requiring true 4WD to drive up.
For us problems started at the visitor center as soon as the ranger noticed our kid in the back seat. He first said they don't recommend bringing little ones to the summit, then when we didn't seem too concerned laid into us about how we'd be endangering his life, and if we decided to proceed despite the warning, they would take down our information and if our boy came down the mountain unconscious would report us for child endangerment. (No mention of rendering assistance.) They don't have any enforcement authority on this point, though he said "if we could stop you, we would." Seeing as we were not persuaded by ratcheting threats, the senior ranger decided to have a go. Among other nonsense he said any prior acclimatization is null after 24 hours at sea level regardless what elevation you live at, that less than half the people who attempt the hike make it to the top, that the majority of people who need to be rescued (not sure what that means as there are no emergency services on the peak but many drivers who seem more than happy to give you a lift) are from Colorado, and that it's prohibited to visit the true summit. Oh and p.s. the trail is closed due to sheep harvesting heli operations, so I'd have to walk the 8.6 mile summit road instead. They laid it on so thick I was starting to question reality, but after thirty minutes of their talking down we decided to stick to our original plan.
Once I was a couple hundred feet up road the commandos refused to let Kylie pass the barricade until the 4Runner was in 4 Lo (still on pavement) and would not assist despite that all the patrol vehicles are also 4Runners; thankfully we had good cell service all the way up. On ascent the locals driving past threw smiles and shakas and the rangers stared daggers. I made the top in 2:40 and couldn't have been happier to be done with it. The true summit is a few feet higher and a short ways off the road, and though it is not off-limits, there is a sign next to the obvious trail stating it is discouraged due to its spiritual significance to native Hawaiians. The trail was freshly coned off, and at any rate I felt quite unwelcome and didn't bother going over there.
Mauna Kea was an afterthought on this trip and would have been a forgettable experience if not for the drama. It was fun for the kiddo to see the big telescopes though. I didn't want to spend a whole day solo else I'd have gone for Mauna Loa instead.
If you're not bringing children under 13 and are just wanting to hike from the visitor center, you may not have problems, but lie if they ask where you're coming from. If you want to drive beyond there you will need a 4WD to get past the rangers. I did see at least one AWD going up but it was probably staff. Further research indicates the University of Hawaii and its ranger program are being given increasing authority to manage operations of the Mauna Kea summit highway, so things may become more difficult in the future.
Plan was for me to hike the Humuula trail from the visitor center and Kylie to drive up with our 3 y/o to hang out together on the summit. We rented a 4Runner for the day (via Turo) to make sure we wouldn't have any issues since I'd read the rangers are a tad overzealous in requiring true 4WD to drive up.
For us problems started at the visitor center as soon as the ranger noticed our kid in the back seat. He first said they don't recommend bringing little ones to the summit, then when we didn't seem too concerned laid into us about how we'd be endangering his life, and if we decided to proceed despite the warning, they would take down our information and if our boy came down the mountain unconscious would report us for child endangerment. (No mention of rendering assistance.) They don't have any enforcement authority on this point, though he said "if we could stop you, we would." Seeing as we were not persuaded by ratcheting threats, the senior ranger decided to have a go. Among other nonsense he said any prior acclimatization is null after 24 hours at sea level regardless what elevation you live at, that less than half the people who attempt the hike make it to the top, that the majority of people who need to be rescued (not sure what that means as there are no emergency services on the peak but many drivers who seem more than happy to give you a lift) are from Colorado, and that it's prohibited to visit the true summit. Oh and p.s. the trail is closed due to sheep harvesting heli operations, so I'd have to walk the 8.6 mile summit road instead. They laid it on so thick I was starting to question reality, but after thirty minutes of their talking down we decided to stick to our original plan.
Once I was a couple hundred feet up road the commandos refused to let Kylie pass the barricade until the 4Runner was in 4 Lo (still on pavement) and would not assist despite that all the patrol vehicles are also 4Runners; thankfully we had good cell service all the way up. On ascent the locals driving past threw smiles and shakas and the rangers stared daggers. I made the top in 2:40 and couldn't have been happier to be done with it. The true summit is a few feet higher and a short ways off the road, and though it is not off-limits, there is a sign next to the obvious trail stating it is discouraged due to its spiritual significance to native Hawaiians. The trail was freshly coned off, and at any rate I felt quite unwelcome and didn't bother going over there.
Mauna Kea was an afterthought on this trip and would have been a forgettable experience if not for the drama. It was fun for the kiddo to see the big telescopes though. I didn't want to spend a whole day solo else I'd have gone for Mauna Loa instead.
If you're not bringing children under 13 and are just wanting to hike from the visitor center, you may not have problems, but lie if they ask where you're coming from. If you want to drive beyond there you will need a 4WD to get past the rangers. I did see at least one AWD going up but it was probably staff. Further research indicates the University of Hawaii and its ranger program are being given increasing authority to manage operations of the Mauna Kea summit highway, so things may become more difficult in the future.