After getting up at 1:30 (ok, 1:40 after hitting snooze), we took a sunrise tour up Haleakala to see the sunrise. Unfortunately, nature wasn’t on our side. We glimpsed beautiful streaks of pink between the clouds, and then it was light. I was freezing the whole time, but despite all that, it was worth it. Our tour guide from Haleakela Bike Company,  Derek, was entertaining and helpful and our driver, Keith, made the trip seem like a breeze even when the road wound round and round as we climbed. I have a couple of suggestions: Bring snacks, because you won’t have a chance to eat for many hours and if you are like me, your stomach wakes up hours after you get out of bed. Also, warm clothes are essential! Brrrrrrrr.

Even if the sunrise had been perfect, I think the best part would have been the bike ride down. I was still bundled up in two fleeces and Under Armour winter pants, but cruising down a volcano on a mountain bike is FUN. You can see for yourself on the video. We did the whole 22.5 miles by 9:30 am just because going fast feels great. Then, we went to Colleen’s, a breakfast spot in the same strip mall as the tour company. If you love coffee, check it out. The Maui Roasting Company does a special blend for the restaurant and it was delicious. The food was good too.

Steven’s lunatic thought of the day:  Maui is at 20.7984° N latitude. The diameter of the earth at that point is 7,923.054 miles (Google it!), which means that the circumference is about 24,891.01 miles (using excel which does π to 15 decimal places).  Last year we saw the sunrise over the Sahara, just outside Merzouga Morocco (31.0802° N latitude). The distance between the two is 8,400 miles and 12 time zones. Maybe for our next trip we will try and figure out what is equidistant of the remaining 16,000 miles and watch the sun rise there…. I think it’s the middle of the ocean …so maybe we will bobbing on the water somewhere.