stever

I'm not going till next September but I was told I'd need a 4 wheel drive to go up to the top of Mauna Kea on the Big Island as I'm trying to get to the top of all 50 US state highpoints. My hiking buddy and I have done 9 so far, and California's Mt Whitney [the tallest point in the Continental US) is next week (god willing we make it to the top!). I contacted a few rental car places and they said I CAN'T take the rental car past the visitor center, even if it's a 4 wheel drive as it's not a paved road. They said it was a 3 hour walk (or so) up to the summit from the visitor center, but I'll be with my wife on this trip and not my hiking buddy... My wife will never go for this (3 hour hike one-way)!

She's not into my highpointing activities
(I do them with a male friend) but I thought while I was in Hawaii, I could knock out this Hawaiin high point. It would be an added bonus as it's the tallest mountain in the world (from the ocean floor up!).

How could I get to the top in a vehicle? Does anyone know of a rental car place that would rent 4X4's that allow this?

Thanks in advance,
Steve
Maryland

Rusty

The rental car company means that you "may not" take the car past the visitor center, not that you "can't" take it beyond the visitor centre. Live dangerously and go anyway. What is the worst that can happen, especially if your own insurance covers rental cars?

Meesthare

You can certainly get to the top if you go with a company like Hawaii Forest and Trail - they'll take you up in their van. I know lots of people advise quietly ignoring the car rental companies' instructions, and I can't really comment on that, but I can tell you the last bit is a difficult road to drive on and probably quite hard on the driver as well as the car. Still, going up to the summit is a fantastic experience - would it be ruined for you if you didn't get there on your own?

stever

Meesthare: Thanks for the tip!!! That sounds like a great bet and it doesn't diminish the goal at all by having someone else make that drive up to the top in a van with me in the back. As long as I make it to the top - I'm happy as a clam. I'll check into that outfit soon. Grateful for all your info.

To Rusty: I appreciate the info as well, but just my luck I'd screw up the rental vehicle somehow near the top and be totally liable for the outcome. I think I'd rather play it safe and go to the top with a company that can do it "legally" and within the rules.

Peace to you both,
Steve
Maryland

fdecarlo

Good decision, Steve. You'll understand why when you take the tour. The final approach to Mauna Kea is so steep, every time we go up I'm convinced we aren't going to make it. It's incredibly steep, and unpaved.

Just so you know, in addition to Hawaii Forest and Trail, Pat Wright and Arnott's also have great summit/sunset/stargazing tours to Mauna Kea. If the goal is just to get to the summit, price all three and take the least expensive one that picks up where you're staying, or at least close to it.

http://www.maunakea.com

http://www.arnottslodge.com/mksg.html

BettyInToronto

There is one local car rental place that rents SUV's and allows them anywhere on the Big Island. Can't remember their name but think it's Harper or something.

Betty

ncgrrl

Stever, don't have any suggestions for Hawaii, but I think it's cool trying to get to the highest point in every state. In North Carolina, it's Mt. Mitchell (highest point east of the Mississippi) and is very easy to get to the top. Drive into the visitors center and walk maybe 1/4 mile up.

What states have you been to the top of already?

Meesthare

Stever - I think you'll really enjoy going with Hawaii Forest & Trail. There are a number of advantages - for one thing, the altitude can be pretty daunting up there, and they carry oxygen in the van. They can easily give you a whiff if you feel ill or light-headed (I know - I took advantage of it more than once!). For another thing, it's extremely cold at the summit, and they have parkas for you to wear. They also stop at the visitors' center on the way down for some stargazing. It's a super experience. You'll love it. When we went, they brought a light dinner along for everybody and we ate it at a picnic table at about 11,000 feet - it looked as if we were dining on the moon.

stever

You guys/gals are great. To ncgrrl: We have done Vermont, Maine, N Hampshire, NY, NC but we DID hike the whole way up from the bottome - a longgggg trek! someone gave us a ride down in there car so we shortcutted that one!, TN, TX - beautiful view into Mexico 50 miles!, and Pa.

To Meesthare: That sounds like a great trip you went on. I'll tell the wife about it. There's no way I'm going all the way back to HI and not doing Mauna Kea!!!

I think it will be best to do as a group trip as some of you suggest. It always adds to the experience.

Steve

circa2

Been There, Done That (Mauna Kea, that is)

As Betty pointed out...Harpers...in Hilo does rent vehicles that are "allowed" to go to the top of Mauna Kea.

Road from the visit center to summit is steep. In regular car, expect to travel 15-20mph...floor boarded!

The view is awesome!

stever

circa2 - thanks for the info. I checked out Harper's website
http://www.harpershawaii.com/4wd.htm...er's-47857
and called them and they cost $102-128 per day for the cheapest 4X4. From Kona it's about $10 more. We'd probably go during the day as my wife isn't a night person and get's tired very quickly. The alternative is to take the Mauna Kea Adventure's Tour
http://www.maunakea.com/details.htm
operator which is $165 p/p and is a 7-8 hour deal. It would leave around 240pm and get in at 11pm! Kind of late for us, but possible. I talked to a lady at Harper Rental car and she said her husband did it during the day and it was great, AND he noticed at least 2 regular rental cars stuck on the side of the road with their hoods open due to the tough strain on them! I guess that's why they say only 4 wheel drives should go up there. She added that her daughter did it recently with a tour in the evening and it blew her mind to the point that she's now going to change her major and go into astronomy. She LOVED checking out the telescope and said the sky at night was like nothing she'd ever seen.

So - tour? On our own? I'm kind of leaning on spending the extra money and time on the mtn and doing the tour.

Steve

fdecarlo

You know, Steve, I'm the kind of guy who *hates* guided tours. I avoid them whenever and wherever possible. But the trip to Mauna Kea summit is one of a very few cases where, every time I go, I'm glad I'm on a guided tour. Between their resources for knowing what the weather is at the summit, their dependable transportation, the interesting facts given by the tourguides, the parkas, hot beverages, telescopes etc etc it would be a real hassle trying to duplicate the experience on my own.

stever

fdecarlo - excellent info!!! I'm THERE. Now, to talk the wife into it. This will be state high point #11 if we make Mt Whitney next week (14496 ft, and maybe we'll even go for Boundary Peak in Nevada 2 days after that 13140 ft -).

Mauna Kea bound,
Steve

Meesthare

Stever, you'd definitely want to do the evening tour. Actually I think Hawaii Forest & Trail only goes up then. It takes a while to get there; you leave in the late afternoon (they pick up at various hotels), stop at the Visitors' Center to get acclimatized, then there's a dinner break, and then you get to go up to the top to see the sunset. I don't think you will ever have seen a sunset like that! Because of the vantage point, it's all around you - it feels as if you could pick up handfuls of it.
OOH - I'm jealous. I want to go back there. Please post a trip report!

KMK

When do you plan to climb Denali in Alaska? Brrr, I think that is the one that would keep me from trying to do all 50!!!!

Good luck in your quest!

pb_and_j

I did the tour with Arnott's lodge and definitely recommend it. The tour starts out of Hilo. It's $75 or only $50 if you stay at Arnott's. We went up to the visitor's center to acclimate for a while. We went by the observatories and were the first tour group to the top. So there was plenty of time to wander around. There's an additional 1/4 miles hike to the "true" summit that we did with the extra time. Most of the other tours arrived with a couple minutes before sunset. We went down near the visitor's center for star-gazing afterwards. It was an EXTREMEMLY dark ride home, our driver put on some Brother Iz and we dozed off. A very nice excursion.

stever

pb and i: THANKS! That $90 p/p price saves us over $120 total!!! I wonder why the other Mauna Kea operators charge so much more? What do you get for the difference? I can't wait.

I don't think I'll be doing ALL 50 state highpoints but will try to do most of them. I doubt I'll do Denali in Alaska for instance. That's the largest (not the highest) mountain in the world.

Cheers. We're off to Mt Whitney.

Steve

circa2

Stever

Which ever tour or self guided trip you choose...you won't be disappointed.

Depends on what the pocketbook will handle...but the adventure is worth it.


Been to all the islands and most of the sights. (Mauna Kea)One of my most memorable of Hawaii (Islands).

Hawaii....it's all good!

stever

Completed the rigorous, ridiculously long trek up to the top of Mt Whitney last week and look forward to getting to the highest point in Hawaii (Mauna Kea) much easier - by a tour in a van!

Circa1 - thanks for the positive advice. We'll just book the cheapest tour and enjoy the views.

Steve

jacobsonbob

From stever's posting it appears one may go AS FAR AS the visitor center in a rental car. Is this true, and if so, what rental cars will allow this (besides Harpers)? By the way, is this the visitor center at 9300' elevation? I'd be thrilled just to be able to do this!

Bob