Inter-Island Airways, Thurston Lava Tube - Tom Barefoot
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Inter-Island Airways, Thurston Lava Tube - Tom Barefoot
The hike to the Thurston Lava Tube in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the most beautiful walks on the island. The lava tube is similar in kind to any one of the thousands of underground tubes that riddle the subterranean understructure of the Big Island but this one is large enough to walk through and its proximity to Halemaumau Crater in the national park makes it a natural for visitors to explore. Lava tubes such as this were initially formed literally by rivers of lava rushing from the depths of earth below. Walking through the tube gives you a rare perspective of the geological labyrinth of crossing tunnels that carry lava today from Halemaumau and Puu Oo vent toward the ocean. The tube can be somewhat narrow in places so it is a good idea to watch your head as youre negotiating your way through it. One of the most delightful parts about the hike however are the forested areas leading to and from the tube. This portion of the park is among the densest rainforest areas within the whole park region and the plant and bird life found there is simply spectacular. The sound of birds above is particularly audible not to mention beautiful. Although most of the birdlife is found high in the trees my son Jake actually ran into a group of pheasants that cruised through on the path just before us and disappeared into the dense jungle just as easily as they appeared.
