It has happened - we have experienced snow in Hawai’i. To have this experience we had to venture 14,000 feet above sea level to Mauna Kea and the area where 12 telescopes reside. This location has been classified as one of the best places to observe the universe because of its unique position in the Pacific Ocean on Hawai’i. Here we were able to look inside one of the two Keck Twin telescopes before being escorted down the mountain because of snow conditions and the clouds rolling in. Snow is something that we knew we would be coming back to be never thought that we would experience here in Hawai’i. Overall everyone enjoyed being that high up and experiencing the effects it has on the body. Prior to going up the mountain we were privileged to have a tour of the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope observation headquarters. Here we learned about what the massive telescopes are used for and what there pictures look like. It was amazing to learn that each picture that is recorded from the CFH telescopes is 700 megabits and that 10 gigabits of data is generated in one night. We were also blessed with a short presentation on astronomy by our guide Remi Carbanac, who was awesome. The astronomy unit was very informative to everyone and we all thought that going up to the mountain was an awesome experience well worth the travel.

As we near the end of the adventure we have one last stop to make and that is to the place of refuge and Pu’uhona o Honaunan. Here we will learn more about Hawaiian culture and better understand that Hawaiian past.

We would like to feature Hawai’i students Steven and Nicole. Steven is a sophomore business management and biology major from Puyallup WA. He has enjoyed snorkeling and looking at the reefs during class, as well as the hikes that were done in the volcanoes. His favorite place we visited was the Botanical Gardens. When not hard at work he enjoyed swimming in the ocean and “freckling my white body.”

Nicole is a junior psychology major from Pleasanton CA. She has enjoyed learning about Hawaiian culture and observing the Hawaiian fish in their natural habitat. Her favorite place to visit was Pu’uhona o Honaunau. In her free time she had a lot of fun walking on the beach and shopping.

Hillman’s Hawaiian Posse