Hiking to Pohoiki? Think twice

[Frank]

quote:

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Originally posted by snorkle

The funding is there. It's in the HFD budget. The Puna guards are already working in Hilo and will be transferred back to Pohoiki when the road is done. The towers are being stored at HPP.

The only added expense is the road (being done now) and a water tanker. The County is being reimbursed millions by the feds.

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If the county is getting millions, drilling a well w/solar powered 110 pump may be a consideration...

[MarkD]

"I did the hike last week. It's definitely very doable thanks to the volunteers that made the trail."

Is the new road being put in anywhere near this trail? Or is it coming from north of Pohoiki on the Kapoho side?

[shave_ice]

The trail is parallel to the road, on the ocean side. Both the trail and the road are starting from MacKenzie. To get to the trail, go towards the cliffs and trees at MaKenzie and you'll start to see newly planted coconuts. We did the hike the day before they started dozing the road and could see where they put the markers where the road was/is. I don't think the road will interfere with the trail, but is quite close to it.

[Midnight Rambler]

kalakoa: Seems ironic that County would bother to build an emergency road to a dangerous location where people could suffer injury or death.

Well there's not really any point in building an emergency road to a place where there aren't any emergencies, is there?

[ElysianWort]

Basically they realize that people will hike there one way or another. With county road or without one.

Also I think people are attracted to the potential danger. Not as exciting if there is no element of danger.

[glinda]

the potential danger...

Maybe I am missing something... isn't the entire island made of lava flows? Haven't we all walked on them.. sometimes covered in ferns that obscure cracks and crevices? Isn't the danger the same (more or less) island wide?

[MarkD]

The new Puna lava flows are much more dangerous. The state and county officials who criminalized lava viewing determined that.

The science on that is documented in a paper they are working on. They will release it to the public at some point. Or maybe not.

[birdmove]

I've heard that, you must walk over solidified, but still pretty hot, lava. Enough so that, it sounds like one should take a spare pair of shoes? Hiking back barefoot doesn't sound promising. But, I got this from a person that did the hike a month or more back.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[snorkle]

The millions the County is getting is to reimburse us for the overtime and other costs incurred during the emergency. The guard towers, staffing, and jet skis are already in the HFD operating budget.

A well is an interesting idea, but would probably have to come later. The first step is a water trailer. I would think a catchment system would be the next improvement. Remember that Pohoiki didn't have county water until the mid nineties. The old catchment tank worked fine.

[Obie]

"A well is an interesting idea"

Not going to work, water is too salty.Might as well put in a de-sal plant.