Haleakala - Paliku for Mothers day

At 4 hours into my 7 mile trek from Holua to Paliku the horses caught up to me. It was at the worst spot on the trail for the horses. An AA' lava wall whihc had rooed over the smooth pahoehoe lava and cinder preceeding it. The trail was heading downhill w/ some 2 foot step down type ledges. Loose clinker lava and only 3 feet wide. I know my mare would refuse to walk down this. No problems for this gang. We were now less than 2 miles from Paliku. After leaving me in the rear.. I soon came upon them again. Annette requesting my backpack which she slung up on Mr. M's saddle and tied it down. I felt as light as a feather as I followed them down to Paliku. Someone had been working on the trail as it was sooth and rock free with boards to help prevent water errosion. The Shangrala of Paliku soon greated us all. The horses munching happily on long grass. 3.5 hour trek. Not bad! I do love this place. Tall Mamane tres's, Old Ohia Lehua, bright red native forest birds and my favorite - Nene! The horses blast away to the far reaches of their 14 acre pasture. Freedom again! The cabin is in better repair than Holua and has a storeroom full of pressed fire wood logs. A few hours later Riley, leslies son arrives. The while sitting at the picnic bench in comes a small group staying next door at the ranger cabin. The ranger states his Mom wanted to do this for mothers day, she was bringing up the tail end. Across the field Lorraine and I say "That looks like Emi Lou". Yes it was! A small world indeed. Leslie cooks a tai curry meal, Rileys favorite for his Birthday. I need that recipee. Chicken, mushrooms, multi colored peppers. More star watching. A pair of nene are sleeping right up against the cabin under the ferns. Tonight I am too hot!. The morning is beautiful. Breackfast and a trek to the pasture to check the horses. I wish I had a nice fancy camera to capture the subtle reds and greens. The pasture is quite uneven with tufts type clumps of grass. Nene soar overhead. Lunch and we have a visitor Lloyd appears on his horse. He had spent the night at Holua hilton on the hard stable ground expecting we would be there. Soon he is telling stories of his crater expeditions. He first came into the crater 50 years ago when he was 8 yo with the boy scouts bringing in Nene reared in England to re-populate the crater. I had also made my first the trip in 68' when I was 13 with the girl scouts and recall the Boy scouts packing the nene in. I also recall the herds of wild goats running across the floor of the crater. Lloyd relates a trip where there were 27 waterfalls coursing down the cliff faces as it poured rained for 4 days. all the water was filling up the horse pasture. Finally they saddled up the horses for a ride down Kaupo. The water in the pasture was belly high at 4 feet. As they neared the trail down to Kaupo they could hear a roar. They came upon a massive whirlpool as all the water drained down a lava tube. Millions of gallons. This was the bif field just beyond the bottom of the horse pasture just beyond the fence. "Dont walk over there, lava tubes big enough to swallow a horse". The rest of the gang decided to ride down Kaupo gap. I toold up a spot on the picnic bench w/ Lloyd,and campers Ian and Noah. When the gals returned the afternoon was spent laughing and talking.. no peace and quiet in Paliku! The night was cold. we awoke to frost on the ground and leaves. Buur what temp is that? 30's? With 10.3 miles I left early at 8am. I figured I might be out of the crater by 4pm. Suprisingly I was zipping along. After an hour Riley caught up to me. 3.5 hours to Holua. A little lunch break and by 1:30 we were out in the parking lot. We

never saw the horses.