Weight=179.4 pounds, Steps=14,313
I have been aging my wine in Hawaii's in lava tubes (caves formed by lava flowing underground) for the past ten years. We went to the usual Kaumana Caves to place my next bottle, a 2014 vintage Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma Valley), which I picked up at the KTA store in downtown. The retrieval of the last bottle aging for five years did not go so well. We forgot the exact location where it was hidden in the rock wall deep inside the cave Furthermore, I slipped and was cut-up by the razor sharp lava cinder stones...blood was drawn. So I decided to leave it as an offering to Goddess Pele.
he Kaumana Caves, part of a 25-mile-long lava tube located on Hawaii's Big Island, are the centerpiece of a small park maintained by the County of Hawaii. Set on a hilltop above Hilo, near the 4-mile marker along Kaumana Drive (often called Saddle Road by the locals), the cave's entrance is accessed by walking down a steep staircase.
The lava tube was formed by lava flow from Hawaii's Mauna Loa eruption which began on Nov. 5, 1880 The lava continued its slow approach on Hilo through the first few months of 1881. By late June, it was within five miles of the town and began picking up speed. Legend has it that Hawaii's Princess Ruth, sent from Honolulu, is responsible for saving the then-tiny village because she was carried into the hills in late July and took up a position in front of the lava, praying to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of religion and fire, to spare the town. The flow began slowing, and finally stopped in early August 1881, just 1.5 miles from Hilo Bay.
Those who plan to explore the caves beyond the first 200 or 300 feet should bring at least two powerful flashlights with extra batteries; wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, gloves and a long-sleeve shirt or jacket. I didn't heed my own advice this time and paid for it in blood, after loosing my footing while climbing up the side of the cave. The lava cinders are sharp and rough. Proceed with caution and always shine the flashlight ahead, because the lava can be slippery, especially after heavy rains, and the farther you go, low ceilings, ledges and outcroppings make it easy to bump your head or another body part. The height of the ceiling varies from 25 to 30 feet in areas near the entrance to less than three feet in some deeper sections.
Pele is a very powerful Goddess who controls all the lava flow on the island according to Hawaiian legend. The wine aged in her caves has miraculous effects.
If you want to know all intricacies of lava tubes and the names of their features visit the Virtual Lava Tube site
I have been aging my wine in Hawaii's in lava tubes (caves formed by lava flowing underground) for the past ten years. We went to the usual Kaumana Caves to place my next bottle, a 2014 vintage Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma Valley), which I picked up at the KTA store in downtown. The retrieval of the last bottle aging for five years did not go so well. We forgot the exact location where it was hidden in the rock wall deep inside the cave Furthermore, I slipped and was cut-up by the razor sharp lava cinder stones...blood was drawn. So I decided to leave it as an offering to Goddess Pele.
he Kaumana Caves, part of a 25-mile-long lava tube located on Hawaii's Big Island, are the centerpiece of a small park maintained by the County of Hawaii. Set on a hilltop above Hilo, near the 4-mile marker along Kaumana Drive (often called Saddle Road by the locals), the cave's entrance is accessed by walking down a steep staircase.
The lava tube was formed by lava flow from Hawaii's Mauna Loa eruption which began on Nov. 5, 1880 The lava continued its slow approach on Hilo through the first few months of 1881. By late June, it was within five miles of the town and began picking up speed. Legend has it that Hawaii's Princess Ruth, sent from Honolulu, is responsible for saving the then-tiny village because she was carried into the hills in late July and took up a position in front of the lava, praying to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of religion and fire, to spare the town. The flow began slowing, and finally stopped in early August 1881, just 1.5 miles from Hilo Bay.
Those who plan to explore the caves beyond the first 200 or 300 feet should bring at least two powerful flashlights with extra batteries; wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, gloves and a long-sleeve shirt or jacket. I didn't heed my own advice this time and paid for it in blood, after loosing my footing while climbing up the side of the cave. The lava cinders are sharp and rough. Proceed with caution and always shine the flashlight ahead, because the lava can be slippery, especially after heavy rains, and the farther you go, low ceilings, ledges and outcroppings make it easy to bump your head or another body part. The height of the ceiling varies from 25 to 30 feet in areas near the entrance to less than three feet in some deeper sections.
Pele is a very powerful Goddess who controls all the lava flow on the island according to Hawaiian legend. The wine aged in her caves has miraculous effects.
If you want to know all intricacies of lava tubes and the names of their features visit the Virtual Lava Tube site
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