Na Kuleana o Haleakala

On February 18, 2020 at in the darkness before dawn and during the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational, I drove 3,000 feet up in elevation to the 10,000+ ft elevation summit of Haleakala Volcano in Haleakala National Park. When I arrived at the crowded summit visitor center parking lot as a slight glow filled the eastern sky, I was relieved to find it only slightly breezy with clear skies as I was now well above the clouds which enshrouded the island. I packed up my painting gear and began hiking down the Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) trail in the dim grays before dawn. I was all alone on the trail descending into the crater in complete solitude without wind or sound. The ground was frozen solid and the largest frost crystals I have ever seen (several inches long) grew upward from the trail. The sun finally broke the horizon and began illuminating the moon-like alpine landscape. On the trail I found the perfect scene I had sought with endangered Ahinahina (Haleakala Silversword) in the foreground and spectacular alignment of the volcanic features in the background. I set up and painted for almost exactly two hours from 7:30 till 9:30 am as the painting seemed to flow effortlessly in the incredible quiet and almost magical solitude unlike any place I have ever experienced. I have never been in a place with absolutely no sound whatsoever. No wind, no wildlife, no cars, no airplanes, no talking, just peace and calm as the fog crept over the crater rim, and shadows and sunlight crawled across the lava features. I didn't see or even hear another person until about 9:30 am as I was finishing up the painting.

The title Na Kuleana o Haleakala essentially translates to responsibility of Haleakala. Kuleana actually means more than that literal translation and refers to the care, respect, guardianship, preservation of the land and living beings and the symbiotic giving from the land to benefit people as well.