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In my Google alerts this evening, I got the following:
"
What are the best places for a retreat in the mountains of Hawaii?"
"
The Big Island’s Mauna Kea Retreats
The Big Island presents a unique opportunity to retreat at higher elevations on Mauna Kea. Here, the clear skies and quietude are ideal for introspection and stargazing. The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station offers resources for those looking to extend their stay on the sacred mountain."
https://www.energyportal.eu/news/what-ar...#gsc.tab=0
It seems to be a bit of a copout to tell people to go to the visitor station on Mauna Kea to find out more, especially since, like me, they won't know what retreats exist. Does anyone know of one on the mountain?
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It sounds like a post written by A.I., ChatGPT. Something is a little off. The robot writers aren’t yet ready for prime time, but they certainly can create hundreds, thousands, millions of web pages filled with clickable advertisements.
Money for nothin’ and your clicks for free.
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I agree, probably AI junk. But I think there are a few hunting/hiking cabins and such up there.
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There are plenty of retreat centers on the slope of MK along the Hamakua coast - just not near the mountaintop.
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11-23-2023, 10:10 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-23-2023, 10:13 AM by TomK.)
Yes, there are retreats, including Puna as well, but none of them could be described as "in the mountains", at least using any search engine I tried. There is Hale Pohaku, but it's not open to the public and not something I'd call a retreat.
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Gilbert Kahele Recreation Area has some cabins. Can those not be rented?
Technically these are located on the Mountain. I'd correlate them to base camp at Mt Everest
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The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station:
Overnight stays are available for qualifying groups (up to 48 individuals) at the park's bunkhouse facilities with an approved permit.
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11-29-2023, 08:32 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-29-2023, 08:51 AM by TomK.)
(11-28-2023, 04:31 PM)leilanidude Wrote: The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station:
Overnight stays are available for qualifying groups (up to 48 individuals) at the park's bunkhouse facilities with an approved permit.
That's not the Visitor Information Station, it's the Mauna Kea Recreation Area, and I'd hardly call it a retreat.
https://hawaiicounty.ehawaii.gov/camping...57934.html
https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1789/720?npage=38&arch=1
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(11-27-2023, 10:49 PM)SeanandTheresaM Wrote: Gilbert Kahele Recreation Area has some cabins. Can those not be rented?
Technically these are located on the Mountain. I'd correlate them to base camp at Mt Everest
Sorry - missed this earlier. This is the Mauna Kea Recreation Area just by a different name. You can camp there with a permit. That doesn't scream retreat to me unless all camping sites are defined as retreats. I disagree with it being "correlated" to the base camp at Mt Everest for obvious reasons. I'll explain if you really want me to, but Mt Everest base camp (there are actually two of them) isn't next to a modern highway, is at an altitude of around 17,000 ft and, understandably, doesn't have a play park for kids, picnic areas or parking.
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unless all camping sites are defined as retreats
I organized, and hosted, a photograph retreat on Mauna Kea the week leading up to July 11, 1991 in which a dozen world class photographers, and their various teams and other guests, gathered to do photographic sessions on and around Mauna Kea, culminating in being on the summit for the total eclipse on that date.
DLNR was very fussy about permits, and access around the entire island was controlled because they feared we'd be overrun by eclipse groupies traipsing across the landscape without regards for local concerns. I was able to secure permits to set up a tent city of sorts on the summit of Ahumoa, which is a large cinder cone on the mountain's southwest flank, and from there held day trips around the island, and had evening sessions at Kilohana in which individuals shared their experiences.
It was an odd experience. That side of the mountain is dry, and omg is it dusty, but the view was wonderful. And besides the army was playing war games that week, complete with bombing runs coming out of Oahu at night that just lit the entire saddle up.. and amazed us as we looked out from our perched campsite.. and even through the eclipse wasn't as spectacular as it might have been because of clouds and a blanket of ash in the upper atmosphere from Mt Pinatubo, everyone had a great time.
