An unforgettable sunrise above the clouds. A true solo traveler experience.
Thursday, February 8th, 2024
Tonight was my 3rd evening on Maui. I was staying at Howzit Hostels in Wailuku and loving every minute. Thursday happens to be free margarita and karaoke night. (Tip your bartenders!) I enjoyed the margaritas since they rolled out at 7:00 p.m. It was a great night of meeting new people and swapping stories.
At about 10:00 p.m., this guy texted the Hostel WhatsApp group chat. “Does anyone want to go to Haleakala National Park for sunrise in the morning? I have a reservation. I also have plans to hike Sliding Sands Trails afterward.” (Reservations are super hard to come by because everyone wants to see the sunrise at the summit of Haleakala volcano. (10,023 ft/3,055 m) You can get a reservation here.
I hadn’t seen this text until 11:40 p.m. and decided to go for it! I was on the beach looking at the stars with two friends, Nindu and Mali. Luckily, Nindu had gone before because she recommended we leave early for parking and ask the hostel for blankets. After all, it gets cold at the summit.
I wasn’t back to the hostel til midnight. I was in my dorm room and talking with Sue, a lady from Australia. I was telling her how excited I was about going, and she wanted to go as well but didn’t have the shoes for the hike afterward. I was meeting Goux, a completely random stranger that I hadn’t even met in person, at 3:35 a.m. in the lobby. I set my alarm for 3:28 a.m.
Friday, February 9th, 2024
*3:28 a.m., my alarm is going off*
*still going off*
*3:30 a.m. someone shakes my leg awake.*
I woke up in a panic, honestly. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. I hadn’t even seen who woke me up. I quickly put on both pairs of sweatpants (I’m not sure why I had two pairs of pants in Hawaii, but I did), a long sleeve, my pullover, and a windbreaker. I grabbed my backpack and walked out into the lightly lit hallway. I went to the bathroom, turned on the light, and instantly regretted Margarita Night and 3.5 hours of sleep. I looked in the mirror and told myself, “You are going to see a sunrise on the top of a f*cking volcano. How cool is that?”
Then, I met Goux in the lobby. He was later than 3:35 a.m., but I didn’t complain. I finally met Goux! He was a nice Chinese guy. I’m unsure how old, but I’d have to guess his late 20s or early 30s. We got our blankets from the hostel and went to his car. I was the only other person going with Goux. I hoped I could have just slept in the back seat on the way there.
The summit was 30 miles from the hostel, but the drive would take approximately 1 hour and 7 minutes. I think it ended up taking us a little longer with traffic. I admittedly told Goux that I was feeling a bit hungover, didn’t get much sleep, and would try to sleep on the way there. I didn’t sleep once. The road was so windy that we chatted the entire way there.
We had gotten to the park entrance and used my annual national park pass to get in (avoided the $30 fee there.) We had arrived at the summit parking lot about an hour and a half before sunrise, but the parking lot was already filling up. We decided to nap before we went and watched the sun ascend through the clouds.
The time stamp on the photo to the left is 6:14 a.m. The parking lot was lined with vehicles. Between the elevation change and a slight hangover, I had the worst headache and felt nauseated. It was also freezing; it was a lot colder than I expected. The walk from the parking lot to the viewpoint is less than 5 minutes.
The viewpoint was packed and loud. We found an opening on a few rocks and bundled up in our blankets. Goux was obviously a lot more prepared than I was. He had an insulated blanket and gave me a Patagonia windbreaker to wear.
The photo shows the shadow cast by the peak of Haleakala volcano. It was unbelievable! You could see the water and beaches along the coast. Pictures don’t do it justice. You’ve got to see it for yourself!
Goux and I ended up deciding not to go hiking. I offered to hitchhike back to the hostel, but he shot that down. He figured my parents wouldn’t like the idea of that. Like many others I’ve met, he is amazed to see me solo traveling at 19. It’s nice to meet experienced travelers to gain all their knowledge and destination points.
We returned to the hostel, and I desperately needed a warm shower and sleep. When I walked into the lobby, all my friends from the night before caught me and wanted to hear about the sunrise. I chatted and showed them pictures and videos for about 15 minutes. I discovered Sue (the Australian lady from the night before) had woken me up! I told her how thankful I was, and she was happy to help. It was an unforgettable morning, but I was back to sleep before 10:00 a.m.
Garrett On The Go 
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