PERSPECTIVES

A Deceptive Vision of Paradise?

Words: James Hadde

Images: James Hadde

Pull Quote: “Each trip down this freshly laid powder, however exhausting, offers new territory to leave a signature of clean lines and envious memories.”

A Deceptive Vision of Paradise?

Cooler than a lychee shave ice, the snowy slopes of Mauna Kea on the Big Island present a surreal view of Hawai‘i that often escapes both the discerning local and the endless flow of visitors that flock to the islands each year.  At fourteen thousand feet, the air is crystal clear and the panoramic view at the summit endless, stretching off as far as the eye can see.  Add a fresh sprinkling of snow, known affectionately by locals as "pineapple powder," and this world created by the Hawaiian snow goddess Poli‘ahu is absolutely mind-blowing.  Grab your snowboard and skis, and this place transforms into a wild adventure park.

Extreme, harsh, and unforgiving come to mind while explaining this rare climatic experience.  There are no lifts, gondolas, or rope tows, and pure leg power brings you back from your glide.  By car, just four hours away from the sun-kissed beaches of Kona, the summit is intensely deceptive.  The speedy ascent can produce a parched throat, pounding headaches, and severe muscle cramping. Breathing in the crisp, thin air makes even walking a challenge.  Now imagine full-body exertion while snowboarding and skiing. 

Why, then, do I return each winter to take this seemingly insane challenge?  Well, when it’s on, it’s way ON.  Turn the volume up and ask Emeril to bump it up a notch!  Those same northern storms that bring monster waves to our islands also help to paint Mauna Kea a starchy white.  Each trip down this freshly laid powder, however exhausting, offers new territory to leave a signature of clean lines and envious memories.  The runs can be long, some more than two miles.  The view from the summit before ascent is absolutely lunar and out of this world.  As an immaculate bonus, one has the luxury of heading back down to the beaches and out of this winter wonderland all in the same day, perhaps taking a refreshing dip in the surf that only hours earlier could be seen stretching off around the islands in all directions.  Sublime. 

I have merely found here in these wonderful islands an experience truly unlike any other.  For certain and without a doubt, I have discovered…a deceptive view of paradise.  Aloha shirt optional!