At 13,796 feet there's no telling WHO you'll run into....

New wheels appeared this morning on day three of our TEOK adventure. Hopping into our 4 wheel drive van gave us some indication that today would be unlike any other day we had experienced thus far. Making our way down the highway we surveyed the desolate area that surrounded us unsure of where we were going to make our next stop. As the van came to a screeching halt Dr. Blay instructed us to grab all of our gear and prepare for a two hour hike on the Puu Oo Trail. Stopping at four different points along the trail we practiced identifying our location using a GPS. Using a topographic map we exercised our ability to utilize latitude and longitudinal directions. This activity inspired us to explore integration of map skills and geology.

As we continued on our hike Dr. Blay highlighted several vegetation and substrate variations. We began to discuss how Hawaiian species adapted to the island. Many of the animals lost their protective instincts because there were no predators. Light bulbs went off again in our heads- our group began to discuss how we could incorporate this into our curriculum unit on animal adaptations. This day was full of classroom integrations and it was just beginning. We also all took note of the lava flow variations along this 2 mile hike. Even though it may have seemed as though we were hiking for hours we hadn't gone very far and the lava flow was extremely different. At our last stop on the trail we all climbed atop mound of  'a'a (ah ah) lava to observe the beauty that surrounded us.It was hard to believe that in 1881 this lava flow came within 1 kilometer of Hilo Bay. 

Hopping back into the van we then traveled on the Saddle Road which is between the two largest volcanos in Hawaii, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. All of a sudden we began to SHAKE, RATTLE and ROLL as we slowly made our way up the switchback filled road. We weren't sure what we were getting ourselves into after reading the safety guidelines and warnings about altitude sickness. After all we were going to the summit of Mauna Kea which is the highest point in the Pacific Basin sitting at a sweet 13,976 feet.Dr. Blay was quick to point out that heavy layers were necessary for this leg of our trip. Looking like snow bunnies we prepared ourselves for this frigid journey up the mountain.  Taking each turn every so slowly- our ears popping the whole way- we began to see the Keck Observatories.  Going inside to take a sneak peek at the optical and infrared telescopes we were amazed at its size and beauty. Emerging from the observatory Dr. Blay made note of Maui's presence in the distance. Walking the perimeter of the observatories it was as if we were walking above the clouds- then we realized- WE WERE walking above the clouds. 

Walking a mere 200 feet from the observatory we made our way up the summit of Mauna Kea. As our breath baited and our hearts pounded each step brought us closer to the 13,796 mark. Wiping the sweat from our brows we were triumphant in our trek up the quarter mile inclined hike to the summit. Absorbing the vast space around us we took in the sights and sounds of this most powerful point in the middle of the pacific ocean that is above 40 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. Surrounded by cinder cones, clouds, evidence of glacial deposits it was here we realized how small we really are. Even though we four teachers may be quite small on this mountain of Mauna Kea we will strive to make a BIG impact on all of our students for years to come. 

Returning to normal breathing conditions we were able to reflect on todays experiences at Rueben's.  The night ended with wonderful company and conversations over dinner with our fellow TEOK teachers. It was here through story telling and laughter that we realized how blessed we truly are to have this experience. This opportunity has led us to create life long relationships with teachers globally in order to not only grow professionally for us but also to better educate our students.