It was so crystal clear the entire two days and we had gorgeous views the entire time. The picture below is of the Sliding Sands trail we had just complete and we were now about 1/2 way to the cabin. You don't think of having your shoes full of sand when you backpack!
There are three cabins in the crater that will accommodate 12 people; basic and comfortable. Paliku is in a beautiful pasture under a cliff and has incredible views down Kaupo Gap to the ocean. I ended going to bed early right after dinner and rested while the card games and joke telling continued. Neil slept outside on the lawn under the stars. It was actually much warmer than I thought it would be. I think because the cabin is at a lower elevation and I keep thinking how cold it is on top of the crater all the time. Amazing with all the stiff muscles, we were still smiling as we set out on day two to climb out.
And the climb begins. Even though we were hiking out to a different spot about about 8,000 feet, we had some descending to do in the middle before we climbed the last three miles up 2,400 feet through switch backs.
Hiking through the area called the boiling pots feels a lot like the painted desert. It is amazing to see all the different colors of earth each step.
Notice there is no after picture. We were all pretty tired and pretty sore by the end. I was really pleased my muscles held up even through the last, but my only other option was to spend the night right in the middle of the trail! Of course, the next day I was walking like a penguin.
I am so glad I did it, What an incredible experience and I enjoyed all the views. We are now planning to hike in again in December, but plan to only go to the cabin 4 miles from the trailhead and have some day hikes without the backpacks on.