Mauna Kea Adventure

I was going through some old photos and came across these.  This was a Sandalwood (Iliahi) tree planting on Mauna Kea.  Iliahi was a thriving tree until the demand for it decimated the population in Hawaii.  The planting takes place at roughly 6,000-8,000 feet.  The weather is very changeable.  What started as a clear and sunny day became misty and showery.

This area is also the headwaters of the Wailuku River which feeds Rainbow Falls in Hilo.

After planting, we went up to about 11,000 feet on some of the back roads.  Astronaut training for Lunar and Martian missions would take place here.

The last photo is an endangered Mauna Kea Silversword.