Mae's Real Stories

Last summer we drove along the Chain of Craters Road to see the volcano. It was pretty quiet, with a few Nene geese, in the picture we took (above). We saw the fences that were at the edge of the cliff to keep visitors from falling down the cliff into the crater. We saw gifts to the goddess Pele that people left, such as food and flowers.

Last week everything changed at this crater. In the next photos, which were posted on the park website, you can see the same area.
Behind the fence, a huge plume of smoke, ash, steam, and boulders has erupted explosively. This is the first time in about 80 years that there has been such an eruption. The road is closed because the air is full of nasty sulfurous fumes and it's too dangerous to be around the volcano now.

Above is the parking lot where we parked -- now covered with ash.
For more pictures including these, and updates on what's happening there, see the Hawaii Volcano National Park Website. Also, a webcam now shows what's happening at this new eruption site.