A winter wonderland — in Hawaii.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship fully reopened the road Friday after clearing it of thick ice and heavy snow.
Over the weekend, a strong winter storm covered Hawaii Island’s tallest peaks — Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa — with snow. The snow created a very hard covering of ice and icy snow along with snow drifts on Maunakea Access Road, leading to its closure, according to a news release.
Icy build up made it difficult for staff to clear the road.
Despite the reopening of the road, Maunakea Rangers warned that conditions on the mountain can change quickly and become dangerous.
“We understand lots of kamaaina and visitors are looking forward to driving up to the mauna. However, we urge everyone to please adhere to all directions and precautions from our Maunakea Rangers,” said Nahua Guilloz, director of stewardship at CMS. “Safety is of utmost importance to us and we need the public’s kōkua to help keep everyone free from harm.”
At the summit, snow will typically have a thick layer of ice on top. The slopes are very steep with rocky outcroppings at the bottom.
Maunakea Rangers advise people do not use inner tubes, boogie boards or other devices that are not equipped with braking or steering mechanisms to sled down the mountain.
Sunscreen and sunglasses should be worn to avoid sun damage, as the summit is above much of the atmosphere that blocks ultraviolet rays.
The high elevation can also cause altitude sickness.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated with the announcement the road has reopened. (Dec. 23, 2022)