does anyone else here use the designation DKI when referring to Saddle Road?
It's been Saddle longer than 20, 200, or DKI so Saddle works fine IMO. Not sure what it was called then, but it was notable enough to mark on topo maps back in the 1890s, as a way to go Hilo to Waimea up over "Table Land".
https://universalviewer.io/uv.html?manifest=https://www.loc.gov/item/2009583839/manifest.json#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&xywh=8179%2C4743%2C1948%2C688
In other words the motive wasn't best alignment, but quickest, because it was a part of our response to Pearl Harbor...
While it seems like just realigning the road up onto Mauna Kea 3/4th of a mile around Pu'u Huluhulu would avoid the lava inundation issue going forward, to actually get out of all the lava paths down from Mauna Loa, the road would have to shift 2-3 miles in some areas and reach Hilo north of the Wailuku River (see orange line on attached). Probably not in the budget compared to just having FEMA fix the road for us when the lava goes 'a'a cruisin.
It's been Saddle longer than 20, 200, or DKI so Saddle works fine IMO. Not sure what it was called then, but it was notable enough to mark on topo maps back in the 1890s, as a way to go Hilo to Waimea up over "Table Land".
https://universalviewer.io/uv.html?manifest=https://www.loc.gov/item/2009583839/manifest.json#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&xywh=8179%2C4743%2C1948%2C688
In other words the motive wasn't best alignment, but quickest, because it was a part of our response to Pearl Harbor...
While it seems like just realigning the road up onto Mauna Kea 3/4th of a mile around Pu'u Huluhulu would avoid the lava inundation issue going forward, to actually get out of all the lava paths down from Mauna Loa, the road would have to shift 2-3 miles in some areas and reach Hilo north of the Wailuku River (see orange line on attached). Probably not in the budget compared to just having FEMA fix the road for us when the lava goes 'a'a cruisin.