Day 2 by Alexis

The first full day of our adventure was physically demanding but also very rewarding and insightful. I had visited Hawai'i in the past on vacation and went to the same places as we did today, so at first I thought I'd find things repetitive. In reality, my experiences were very different than when I went a couple of years ago.

After seeing the visitor's center and Jaggar museum, we began our four mile hike around the Kilauea Iki crater. The last time I was here, I only looked at the crater and never actually hiked down into it. It was daunting, given how far we had to hike and how steep the path was. We had a guide who was an ex-ranger take us down the path and tell us about the flora of the island. He told us about invasive species like ginger that are destroying some of the islands forests, and some others like the orchid that are less harmful. He also talked about the endemic species of Hawaiian tree fern, and how it has formed symbiotic relationships with other plants and is very important for Hawaii's forests. Simply walking around the island is great for seeing the beauty of nature, but actually learning about the plants makes the experience a lot more meaningful. 

We hiked downwards towards the crater floor, where there had been a lava lake in the past. Once we started walking across, our guide told us about how the crater was formed. It was hard to imagine that this place was once spewing lava. We crossed the crater, spotting some steam vents on the way. From the top on the trail, the crater seems immense and I didn't believe we could cross it so easily. After getting to the other side, I was tired but surprised about how far we had actually walked. By the time we climbed back up the trail to our starting point, it had been only two hours. I thought it would take a lot longer than that to hike the Kilauea Iki crater. 

Overall, I think this was a rewarding experience and I'm glad I was given another chance to see the crater.