06-24-2019, 04:23 PM
"The folks I know who have, in some cases repeatedly, made pilgrimages to Mauna Kea for spiritual purposes would never have been seen by the staff at the different telescope facilities. Most I know have ascended the mountain on foot, some on the Umikoa Trail, and have avoided the actual summit, sighting the telescopes and tourist activities as reasons to avoid the area entirely, and have favored other areas near by."
Yet many others, the ones that go up for solstices and equinoxes, go to the summit region in their vehicles with assistance from the observatories. So how big or small a subset is this group who hike up but don't go to the summit. In addition, the area that the TMT will be built is easily visible from many observatories and visitors there would be very obvious, as they were the night after the recent DLNR operation. Trails to Lake Waiau are also easily visible from the summit access road.
Yet many others, the ones that go up for solstices and equinoxes, go to the summit region in their vehicles with assistance from the observatories. So how big or small a subset is this group who hike up but don't go to the summit. In addition, the area that the TMT will be built is easily visible from many observatories and visitors there would be very obvious, as they were the night after the recent DLNR operation. Trails to Lake Waiau are also easily visible from the summit access road.