TA Tidbits #74 No Tortolita Tephra
- Mark L. Johnson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Shirley and I have been gone for a month on our annual visit to the Big Island (Hawaii). So I hiked the Upper Javelina Trail early this morning to catch up. The Tortolitas are dry, and very few wildflowers are observed. This, despite a normal monsoon and some good winter rain. The warm weather has stunted the wildflowers--so far.
With nothing else to report regarding the Tortolitas, I will provide some interesting experiences on the Big Island.
Big Island (Hawaii)
We had perfect weather for 30 days, and departed just in time as the Kona Storm hit the Hawaiian Islands the day we left. Hiked the lava fields and beaches and swam with the whales, sea turtles, and tropical fish daily. Two important goals of this year's visit were to visit Parker Ranch and Volcanoes National Park.
Parker Ranch
Parker Ranch was started in 1817 by John Parker (New England sea captain) and his wife, Chiefess Kipane (granddaughter of King Kamehameha I). It is located in Kamuela (Waimea) (elevation 2,500 feet) in the Kohala District of the Big Island. The ranch was officially incorporated in 1847. It is one of the nation's largest cattle ranches and covers 130,000 acres with 17,000 head of cattle, 150 horses, and 16 paniolo (cowboys).
Parker Ranch was passed down to family members over the years, and upon the passing of the last family owner (Richard Palmer Smart) in 1992, the ranch was left to a beneficial trust to support Parker School, Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Richard Smart Fund, and Queen’s North Hawai‘i Community Hospital.
Natural Resource Management is a major goal of the ranch, including conservation, restoration, and sustainable use practices. It was really amazing to see how this private land trust has protected 130,000 acres of natural resources and preserved its Native Hawaiian heritage.
See some photos of Parker Ranch and its historical buildings below.
Kīlauea Eruption-Episode #43
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, we traveled from the Kohala coast to Volcanoes National Park (100 miles, 2-hour drive). The USGS scientists had predicted that the Kīlauea Volcano might erupt during the period March 10-18. So we gave it a shot.
Along the way, we could see a mushroom cloud in the general direction of the Kīlauea volcano, but thought it might just be steam. As we approached the entrance to Volcanoes National Park, something started hitting the car. At first, I thought it was rain, but then the particles got bigger and bigger. It was raining tephra (volcanic material). Some pieces were the size of a football! It was about 1/2-inch thick on the hood of the car. We entered the park, but soon after, the National Park Service had to close it down as it was too dangerous. We did get to see the eruption/lava flow in the crater via webcam. See the video and some photos below.
