Day 2: Part III: Hiking and Steam Vent by Night

Cody and I enjoyed a few trails throughout the park. We had read about an awesome sunset view, but had forgotten where exactly that was. When we asked a ranger, we learned it was more of an evening steam vent viewing (it was very cloudy for a sunset anyway). We hiked to the overlook in time to get a great vantage point as the lava far below the surface made the entire steam vent glow red as the sun receded. Very cool!

Great crater: it had several steam vents as well

Cheesin'

Devastation Trail- this used to be a road here, minus the mound as well

Cody made a friend

Steam Vent from Devastation Trail

We hiked 1.2 miles to the steam vent overlook, as encouraged by the park ranger

First picture, about 6:00 pm

Continuing to take a picture every 3-5 minutes or so

This steam vent has been spewing since March 2008. The perimeter road was closed when geologists noticed a bulge in the land. Two weeks later, this spew erupted and has continued ever since. The crater's the size of a football field. 

It's predicted that this will continue to spew VOG throughout our lifetime.

About 6:30pm

We had a prime spot and were unwilling to leave

This steam vent produced VOG clouds as far as Maui

It was a long, dark walk back. Complete with light rain.  We enjoyed a nice dinner in the nearby town of Volcano

 

We stopped back by after dinner- the entire sky was red from the under-flowing lava