The Pu'u o'o vent of the Kilauea volcano continues its long-lived, 32-year and current eruption. Recently, the past summer, the flow has once again been mostly southward, and is now within the far southeastern border of the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. The flow is accessible on foot or mountain bike-then-foot combination, though it is a 10 to 12 mile round trip. The route from the parking lot area takes you 5 miles into the old flow on a pleasantly smooth, mountain bike accessible gravel emergency road followed by a half mile or so (less soon, as the flow moves) on rough, glassy and irregular older pahoehoe lava surfaces. Then, after the visit with the lava, back the same way.
It is well worth the hike if you come here. Bring lots of water with you for the hike. While we were there yesterday morning, two other hikers told us they had taken a frying pan and insulated mittens and had cooked their breakfast eggs and toast on the cooling lava surface.
Some videos below, from July 16 this past week:
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