Pu'u La'au (R1) to Skyline Rd (R10) on Mauna Kea

Tired of the hot, sticky low elevation slogs along the beach? Never fear; Hawaii’s Big Island has some serious vertical to take care of those coastal blues. This route takes you up a pair of hunting roads high onto the southwest flanks of Mauna Kea.

The route starts at the Kilohana Hunter Check-in Station on Saddle Road. Hunters frequent the area in search of feral pigs and goats, so it’s recommended that you wear bright colors. The roads in the area are all well marked with an “R” designation – for this one, you start on R1.

At around mile 1.5, the road passes a junction with a popular side hike up the Pu’u Ahumoa cindercone. At mile 4, it passes the Palila Forest Discovery Trail on the left, which has a one-mile loop that swings past the road’s namesake Pu’u La’au cindercone, through a forest of trees that provide habitat for the native and endangered Palila bird. I jogged through the forest, but wasn’t treated with a sighting (that would probably require a more stationary approach).

At mile 5.8, the R1 intersects with R10, the “Skyline Road”, which continues the steep climb up the volcano until its abrupt end 5 miles and 2500 more feet of climb later. Along the way, if the weather’s good, you’ll be treated to views of Mauna Loa and the saddle between Loa and Kea, the island of Maui to the North. Above 10,000 feet, you have the opportunity to see a handful of endangered Mauna Kea silverswords.

Charlie’s notes: After weeks of gingerly picking over rocky lava fields or slippry root-bound jungle routes, the high altitude dirt road was welcomingly smooth and easy on the feet. When a misty rain started falling, it was a welcome experience to feel a bit of a chill. The silverswords were a joy to see (they are quite striking in person). I liked this enough that I decided to come back to do the all 36 miles of R1 a month later.

Laura’s notes: Ahhhh, now here’s a nice trail run. It’s got it all – pleasant temperatures that come with elevation gain, relatively smooth trail, excellent vistas, and fun botanizing. Just remember to bring some layers – I got hit with a mini snow squall high up.