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I would like to see a cave map that can be displayed as a layer over a google map.
If one exists, I have not found it.
I've never been in the cave. There are 3 entrances near me in Orchidland (I don't know that they are a documented part of the Kazumura system). We put an offer on a property with one when we first got here, but we had decided to buy it before we saw the cave entrance. I've spoken to neighbors who have been in two of them. One of them described the cave as having a gentle, barely perceivable breeze but the tube became very narrow before widening again (like a horizontal hourglass) and at the narrow part the breeze became a focused wind that was difficult to walk against. He also said that there were so many offshoots that they didn't even notice as they went down the tube because as they passed them they were behind them. It made the return trip challenging because they weren't always sure which fork to take. Unless one has a good map, they will have to make one as they go.
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(09-27-2020, 07:21 PM)terracore Wrote: I would like to see a cave map that can be displayed as a layer over a google map.
If one exists, I have not found it.
I've never been in the cave. There are 3 entrances near me in Orchidland (I don't know that they are a documented part of the Kazumura system). We put an offer on a property with one when we first got here, but we had decided to buy it before we saw the cave entrance. I've spoken to neighbors who have been in two of them. One of them described the cave as having a gentle, barely perceivable breeze but the tube became very narrow before widening again (like a horizontal hourglass) and at the narrow part the breeze became a focused wind that was difficult to walk against. He also said that there were so many offshoots that they didn't even notice as they went down the tube because as they passed them they were behind them. It made the return trip challenging because they weren't always sure which fork to take. Unless one has a good map, they will have to make one as they go.
The section I am trying to buy is Sexton's Maze area, with waterfalls, and lava slides. There is a decent map of the length of the cave, but the side shoots are a total mystery still. On the most recent maps, most of them are represented by a side branch with a squiggled off end, indicating unexplored. I have had good luck at locating properties above this system, by switching between google Earth, Realtor.com, and the cave map. I believe this to be a national treasure which needs to be preserved. There are burial sites down there, and yet people see it fit to dump raw sewage into the system. That's not very aloha in my book.
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Never mind raw sewage and construction debris, coconut wireless reports a complete D-9 Dozer fell in Ainaloa years ago & is still there. I've been through a lot of Ainaloa caves, but never seen it.
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(09-27-2020, 11:24 PM)DoryGray Wrote: Never mind raw sewage and construction debris, coconut wireless reports a complete D-9 Dozer fell in Ainaloa years ago & is still there. I've been through a lot of Ainaloa caves, but never seen it. One fell in in Orchidland. Maybe 15 years ago. A couple other machines kind of made a ramp and pulled him out
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I spoke with one of the more famous dozer operators and he was aware of 2 that fell into tubes. One took the insurance payout and the other reportedly hired some Samoans to stack up rock ramps that allowed him to drive out. So according to him, there is a D9 at the bottom of a lava tube, somewhere.
I wonder if it was stripped for parts?
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I think I saw that dozer spray painted matte black with tinted windows and obscured plates up here in HA... (Actually one is supposed to have fallen in up here too, off of Ale Rd.)
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09-28-2020, 07:54 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2020, 07:55 PM by MikeyMike11.)
(09-27-2020, 11:24 PM)DoryGray Wrote: Never mind raw sewage and construction debris, coconut wireless reports a complete D-9 Dozer fell in Ainaloa years ago & is still there. I've been through a lot of Ainaloa caves, but never seen it.
So is that thing up for grabs? I can winch that out, fix it, and use it...
(09-28-2020, 03:12 AM)terracore Wrote: I spoke with one of the more famous dozer operators and he was aware of 2 that fell into tubes. One took the insurance payout and the other reportedly hired some Samoans to stack up rock ramps that allowed him to drive out. So according to him, there is a D9 at the bottom of a lava tube, somewhere.
I wonder if it was stripped for parts?
Ummm, thanks for that info, I can get it out, I've done crazier things.
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09-28-2020, 08:01 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-29-2020, 06:12 PM by SBH.)
Orchidland - https://orchidland.org/about-us/faq/#item19
There’s a home in Hawaiian Acres with an entrance that use to give tours and offer camping, not sure if they still do.
Kilauea Caverns of Fire
https://www.kilaueacavernsoffire.com
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Well, it seems as if the deal is going through. We want to open up the Sexton's Maze, and Eureka Falls for tours. My end goal is to open it to the public to explore on their own, and have a cafe up top, as we plan on farming the 3 acre portion we have with a food forest. I researched this cave for years before this came up for sale.
It will take a bit of work, but I will keep you all posted. My end goal is to preserve this national treasure, as best as one individual can do, and hope to connect with cavers and cave tour guides who may want to bring their groups down there.
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Good luck suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fools in your efforts to start a business in Hawaii County. I'm looking forward to visiting your attraction before it gets shut down! 
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