If I Were Going...: Maui #8 -- Haleakalā National Park/Summit District

Haleakalā Crater

There are two National Parks in Hawai’i, one of which is the dominant feature of Maui: Haleakalā National Park. It covers an area of 52 square miles, of which more than half is a wilderness area.

The park features the dormant Haleakalā (East Maui) Volcano, which last erupted sometime in 1790. It dominates the view of Maui from sea level, even though it is often swathed in cloud.

Haleakalā from Ma'alaea Bay

The Park is divided into two distinct sections: the summit area, which I will cover here, and the coastal Kipahulu area, which I will talk about in my next post.

The Park
Haleakalā was originally part of the Hawai’i National Park that was created in 1916. Kīpahulu was acquired in 1951, and, in 1961, the park was split into two distinct parks: Haleakalā National Park on Maui and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Hawai’i.

View of Hawai'i from Haleakalā

The name Haleakalā is Hawai'ian for "house of the sun," paying tribute to the demigod Maui, who imprisoned the sun in order to lengthen the day. In the Disney movie, Moana, Maui was depicted as a beefy Samoan. According to Hawai’ian legend, he was slim and buff, as the Park’s entrance sign illustrates.

Maui captures the sun

In the Summit District, a well-maintained road winds up the mountain. It includes Hosmer’s Grove, which I briefly touched on in my post on Birding, a Visitor Center near the entrance, a Visitor Center near the summit, Haleakalā Crater, the actual summit and the Haleakalā Observatory. Be forewarned, although the Parks is open 24/7, the Visitor Centers have limited hours. The Summit VC closed at 12:30 p.m. while we were there; I guess they get most of their volume in the early a.m. because so many people go for sunrise.

Haleakalā Crater

The Crater
Haleakalā Crater is seven miles across, two miles wide and a half mile deep.

The brightly colored interior of the crater is dotted with numerous features, including large cinder cones.

Two main trails lead into the crater from the summit: the Halemau'u and Sliding Sands trails. There are three cabins in the crater where hikers can stay; they need to be reserved through the Park in advance.

Haleakalā is famous for its sunrise. A popular activity is to take a van tour to the top to watch sunrise and bicycle down the steep road afterwards. Because of frequent injuries and deaths suffered by riders, the Park Service no longer allows tour companies to offer the rides from within the park. Now, tour participants have to start their ride outside the Park gates. I am not sure why you would want to do that, but to each his own.

Haleakalā Crater

I have never gone for sunrise – it’s so popular you need parking reservations between 3:00 and 7:00 a.m. at the summit. It’s cold, crowded and, more often than not, windy and cloudy. I prefer mid-day. Personally, I like to be there when the sun illuminates the beautiful colors of the crater.

The first trip up during my two visits was miserable – wet and windy enough to make us turn around at the first Visitor Center …

I mean, look at this Nēnē; he’s not happy.

Waterlogged Nēnē

But, later trips were spectacular, with great views and comfortable temperatures.

When I went with the birding tour, the summit was crystal clear. When I went with Caty, it was clear, but we could see a huge cloud bank creeping up the mountain, starting to pour into the crater. I suspect the top was socked in by sunset.

Clouds starting to fill the crater

Silversword

Haleakalā Silversword
At the summit, you can see the beautiful Haleakalā Silversword, a rare and endangered plant that is actually part of the daisy family even though it looks like an aloe. Its Hawai’ian name is ʻāhinahina, which means "very gray.”

A related plant, the Mauna Kea Silversword, is found at the higher elevations on the western slope of Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

Found on Haleakalā at elevations above 7,000 feet, the fibrous Silversword grows well in high-altitude volcanic cinder because its skin and hairs are strong to resist wind, freezing temperatures and intense sun.

The spherical formation of the plant’s leaves can raise the temperature of the shoot-tips up to 36°F by focusing sunlight to converge and warm the center of the plant.

Photo: National Park Service

At some point – even as early as five years, often as late as 50 – the plant produces a fast-growing stalk of maroon ray flowers that resemble the sunflower.

The flowering stalk may have up to 600 flowers and can reach 6.5 feet tall. The stalk has tiny sticky hairs that prevent crawling insects from damaging the plant, important for protecting the seeds until they are ready to be dispersed.

When the plant is ready, the stalk becomes limp and dry and falls over and the Silversword goes to seed and dies. Flowering usually occurs from July through October.

Silverswords are planted near the summit

Before the National Park Service had control of Haleakalā volcano, visitors often uprooted Silversword plants and took the flowers for arrangements or used the plants as kindling. That combined with excessive grazing by cattle and goats resulted in near extinction of the plant.

It has been threatened since 1992, when strict monitoring and governmental protection took effect. Since then, the species' recovery is considered a successful conservation story, although threats remain.

A fence surrounds the summit to keep feral goats from doing further damage.

Because the delicate, shallow root structure can be crushed by walking in the rocks around the plant, Silverswords are generally found in planters or restricted areas. A recent local project resulted in a big area of tiny Silverswords planted by local children.

Endangered 'I'iwi

More endangered species live in Haleakalā National Park than any other National Park in the United States.

Because of Hawaii's volcanic origin and isolation, all of the native plants and animals on all the islands evolved from “pioneers” carried there by the wind, ocean currents or the wings of birds. Before the arrival of humans, a new species arrived in Hawaii every 10,000 to 100,000 years. Eventually, they evolved into endemic species, unique to the islands.

Once people arrived, many native plant species were destroyed either by overgrazing, over-harvesting and by being driven out by more aggressive non-native plants.

Birds were destroyed by predators, disease, competition for food or loss of the native plants or animals on which they fed or the vegetation in which they lived. Nearly 75 percent of our nation's documented plant and bird extinctions were endemic Hawai’ian species. And many of the remaining species are endangered or threatened.

While it is not extinct, the Haleakalā Silversword is greatly diminished. It used to cover the mountainside so thickly, it looked like snow.

Silverswords are hearty plants with delicate roots

Weather
Speaking of snow, it does snow on Haleakalā a couple of times a year. The worst snowstorm in recent history actually occurred the day after Scott and I left, resulting in closure of the Summit District for several days because of snow, ice, downed trees and fallen rocks.

This snow fell the day after Scott and I left

Haleakalā National Park is also known for its unusually clear views of the night sky. And, it is the site of Haleakalā Observatory, managed by the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. The Observatory conducts a number of dedicated astrophysical experiments that could not be accomplished anywhere else in the world.

Haleakalā Observatory

One of its missions, the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS), tracks satellites and debris orbiting the Earth. Because the Observatory is involved in top-secret DoD projects as well as NASA and University projects, it is not open to the public.

Hosmer's Grove
I spoke briefly about Hosmer's Grove in my post on birding. It is the best place to see endemic ‘I’iwi, ‘Apapane, Maui ‘Amakihi and the Maui ‘Alauahio.

Although there are many birds IN the woods, you can actually see many in the picnic area/campground and parking area.

'I'iwi in the parking lot

In my post about the birding tour, I showed pictures of the colorful birds I saw in Hosmer's grove, including the beautiful 'I'iwi and the Maui 'Amakihi.

Photo: Maui Forest Bird Recovery Program

The second time I went, the volume of birds seemed diminished. There were still a fair amount of 'I'wi's, but far less 'Amakihis and the birdsong that can be heard throughout the grove was much quieter.

I also noticed that a lot of the flowering trees had fewer or no blossoms.

I assume that the birds had moved on to better feeding grounds.

While we were finishing our lunch in the picnic ground, we saw a young guy taking photos in the stand of non-native trees (where Beth has said you can see the Maui ‘Alauahio (AKA Hawai'ian or Maui Creeper). That's one pictured at the right (not my photo).

Caty went to investigate while I put the picnic stuff in the car. She said she may have seen one of the little birds, but it flew away and we never found it.

Drat. When will I learn to drop everything to pursue a shot?

Non-native tree in Hosmer's Grove

There is considerable controversy about the non-native vegetation in Hosmer's Grove.

NPS would like to remove the non-native trees because they threaten native vegetation, mainly because their height blocks the light.

Without native vegetation, more endemic birds could go extinct.

But, local historical groups want to maintain the grove because of its role in the history of the Park.

Hosmer's picnic/camping area

The Park's resource managers do remove invasive trees and grasses outside the grove to prevent them from spreading seeds. If they didn’t, the forest would overrun the native shrubland between Hosmer’s and the crater, erasing a fragile Hawai’ian ecosystem that has taken millions of years to develop.

In a nutshell, this struggle goes on everywhere in Hawai'i every day.

Pueo
When Scott and I turned into Hosmer’s Grove the day after my birding trip, we had a rare treat. We saw a Pueo flying across the shrub. It was moving rapidly away from us and even though we tried to follow it, we lost it after it landed in the bushes. I got a few very bad photos. But, I did see it!

A very bad picture of a Pueo

A subspecies of Mainland Short-Eared Owls, the Pueo inhabits forests and grasslands throughout the islands and is considered sacred because it is one of the more famous of the various physical forms assumed by ancestor spirits in Hawai’ian culture.

When Caty and I visited, we looked and looked and didn't see any until our final drive out of the Park. Then, one popped up out of some roadside bushes and sped down the slope. I pulled over and tried to get a shot, but I couldn't get the angle right from the driver's seat.

Caty did, however, get a few pictures that absolutely confirm that it was a Pueo. I say this because the Pueo is fairly light-colored and has a pronounced facial disk. Both times I saw them, I wondered if they might be introduced Barn Owls instead. That would be less likely because we were in Pueo habitat and Pueos are daytime hunters as opposed to the nocturnal Barn Owl. But, still, you want to be sure. But. Caty's photo leaves no doubt.

Pueo; Photo: Caty Stevens

Pueo numbers have been declining in the past two decades, putting them on the endangered species list. This may be because they nest on the ground, making their eggs and young susceptible to predation by Mongooses and other predators. They are also strongly affected by light pollution and are often killed by cars when they dive toward headlights, possibly in an attempt to hunt.

Pueo appear to be somewhat resistant to the avian malaria that has devastated many other endemic bird populations in Hawai'i, but they have recently become victim to a mysterious "sick owl syndrome," or SOS, in which large numbers of Pueo have been found walking dazedly on roads, leading to death by collision. It is suspected that pesticide toxicity may be responsible, particularly through secondary rodent poisoning.

Eurasian Skylark
I mentioned that we had heard, not seen, Eurasian Skylarks on the slopes of the mountains while on the birding tour. The ones I may have seen were flying rapidly, so I didn't expect to get a photo – or even a sighting – on this trip. But, shortly after we stopped for the owl, we stopped once again to try to photograph a Ring-Necked Pheasant. When it ran over a rise, I saw a small brown bird standing in the grass. Bingo! A Eurasian Skylark.

Eurasian Skylark

The bird is known for the male's song, which is delivered while rising, circling or hovering from heights of 150 to 350 feet. The long, unbroken song generally lasts two to three minutes, but gets longer later in the mating season, when it can last for 20 minutes or more. At wind farm sites, male Skylarks have been found to sing at higher frequencies as a result of wind turbine noise. The beautiful song contrasts sharply with the Skylark's rather dull appearance.

Eurasian Skylarks forage on the ground

Widespread across Europe and Asia, the Eurasian Skylark was introduced to the southeastern Hawai'ian Islands beginning in 1865. Although once common, it has declined in abundance on O'ahu and is no longer found on Kaua'i, maintaining populations on Maui and the Big Island.

The Eurasian Skylark eats insects, seeds and young leaves that it finds on the ground.

When the word "lark" is used without specification, it usually refers to this species.The collective noun for Eurasian Skylarks is an "exaltation," referencing their loud communal singing.

Invasive vs. Local Species
The day Scott and I visited, we also saw a Hawai’ian Ibex Goat, one of those pesky escaped farm/game animals that is doing so much damage to the landscape. Although we heard over and over that "there are goats everywhere," this is the only one we saw.

One of the goats that does so much damage

A technique being used by local conservation groups to address the goat problem – in addition to putting up fencing – is to use a collared goat to attract or join a group of wild goats. Then, this so-called “Judas Goat” is tracked and the wild goats are shot. The Judas Goat is picked up and moved to attract another group of victims. That goat must have some issues!

Hawai'i from space; demonstrating its remoteness

Because Hawai’i is more than 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, all land mammals found in Hawai’i today, except the Hawai’ian Hoary Bat, have been introduced by people. They destroy fragile native plants that evolved without the defenses needed to protect them, such as poison, thorns and scent. Fencing provides some protection, but pigs and goats have done significant damage.

A common native tree in Hosmer’s is the 'ohia, with its red bottle-brush shaped. These are favorites of the ‘I’iwi, as are the yellow-flowered māmane. When the ‘I’iwis dip their curved beaks into these flowers for nectar, they also pollinate the flowers.

'I'iwi and Maui 'Amakihis drink nectar from māmane (yellow) and 'ohia (red) blossoms

The Hinahina silver geranium can be seen growing along the trails at Hosmer's Grove. With its silvery leaves and small whitish flowers, it is found nowhere else on earth. I saw them on my first trip, but couldn't isolate one on my second.

In a positive relationship between native and non-native species, Chukars and Ring-Necked Pheasants appear to be benefiting the native plants by breaking down the seed hull and spreading it in their droppings, taking the place of now-extinct seed-eating birds. But, Chukars and Pheasants also adversely affect native birds by spreading disease.

Chukar at the summit

I mentioned before that Haleakalā is a good place to see Nēnē (and this was true on my FIRST visit). The Nēnē actually died out entirely in the Park, but were reintroduced in 1962 with the help of the Boy Scouts, who carried young birds into the crater in their backpacks.

Boy Scouts on Sliding Sands trail taking Nēnē to Haleakalā Crater in 1962; Photo: NPS

Views
As I mentioned, my first visit was super rainy, my second and third were clear and my fourth was sunny being threatened by a rising cloud bank. To give perspective, here's the view from the summit during my birding tour ...