HALEAKALA CRATER If you are in Hawaii and looking for something to do besides eat, relax, swim, eat, surf, eat, etc., might we recommend that you visit Haleakala (Hawaiian for "House of the Sun"), a gigantamundo volcanic crater on--heck, that makes up more than half of--the island of Maui. It is a National park, and truly a beautiful place for anything from a day visit to a week-long backpacking trip. Margaret and I traversed the crater in 1999 (her first time, my second). Here are a few pages of pictures from the trip. Near the top of the Sliding Sands Trail, leading down into the crater. Elevation approximately 10,000 feet. I know the hike seemed a bit long, but how the hell did we get to Mars? Margaret standing next to a Silversword, a species of cactus found only in and around Haleakala (Margaret on the left). Base of the crater interior, approximately 6000 feet. Don't let the sign fool you; our cabin at Holua was at least 120 miles away. Desolate? Who said anything about desolate?

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