The County of Hawaii recently completed the restoration of vehicular access to Pohoiki for residents and landowners, and while it remains closed to the general public, the road is beautiful! Below are photos of the road, and a few other areas we visited during our overflight.
Lava within Kapoho Crater still smolders, as does the lower east rift zone in the background.Life is quick to appear on the rugged new Kapoho coastline, as green algae flourishes in the littoral zone.A radically different coastline lies to the east of Pohoiki. The lava field still smolders, while vegetation is recovering in areas downwind of the eruption zone.The new sand-lined Pohoiki Bay, with still smoldering lava fields and Kapoho Crater in the background.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, reconnecting short sections of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137. Skeletons of trees lie atop of the flow field, and stark reminder of the devastation that occurred so recently.A view of the existing McKenzie coastline that remains. Ocean currents have pushed sand created at nearby entry points into caves, creating little hidden pocket beaches. The new road can be seen in the background.A beautiful two lane gravel road has been cut through the stretches of ‘a‘a, connecting what remains of Hwy 137.Cones are prominent along the lower east rift zone in Leilani Estates, and continue to vent gas.The majority of Puna Geothermal Venture’s facility remained untouched by the eruption.Homes in lower Leilani Estates sit in the shadow of fissure 8.Gases continue to rise from fumaroles just west of fissure 8.Fissure 8 remains inactive, while unstable edges of its channels have been collapsing inward.Heat and steam continue to rise from ground cracks to the west of Hwy 130.Gases rising from Pu‘u ‘O‘o obscured our view of the crater’s depths.Pu‘u ‘O‘o degases in the foreground, while the sleeping giant, Mauna Loa, sits in the background.
Hawaii Lava Update 
Fantastic images.
LikeLike