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Getting to Mauna Kea is far more difficult than actually climbing the last few hundred feet. Most rental car companies have standard exclusions that specifically prohibit travel on the "Saddle Road" which provides access to the summit road. We hooked up with a tour company - Arnotts - and after having them mess up our reservation they straightened it out and we had a great trip.
(A note to fellow highpointers about rental cars. The cost of a 4x4 is about $120 per day, and insurance can be another $35. By the time you figure in gas and other costs, the tour can be cheaper, even at $90 per person. Hawaii is an "at fault" state, and you are responsible for paying ANY and ALL rental car damage costs before you leave the island. Enough advice).
So we left Arnotts about 3pm and went by Rainbow Falls and stopped at a 7-11 for some snacks. After that it was the 45 minute ride up the windy and cloudy Saddle Road, which is so-named because it bisects the island and runs between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Coming from Hilo, when you reach the high point of the Saddle Road at about 7,000 feet, a road cuts off to the right to the actual summit. It's just a few miles up this road to the visitor center at 9,200 feet. Everyone recommends taking about 30-45 minutes to acclimate to the elevation, and it is probably a very good idea coming from sea level. We picked up some souvenirs and headed back up the road, which was now a 4x4 dirt road. After a short drive through the switchbacks, we broke out of the clouds and had a commanding view of the summit(s) and Mauna Loa. The terrain was a combination of red and gray, with rocks and boulders strewn across the landscape. I would say it looks like Mars, but (as Fischer pointed out) I've never been there! We continued up the road across the glacier-formed ruts and valleys. That's right - I said GLACIER! Ten thousand years ago, the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa were covered in 200-300 feet of ice. They still receive snow in the winter, and parts of the mountain still have permafrost below the surface!
We reached the summit and had a first-hand look at all of the telescopes on top. This is considered to be the THE peak for clear optical astronomy, due to the low humidity and low pollution. After parking and getting a safety briefing on high altitude hiking, we ventured off to climb the summit. The "climb" involves hiking down about 50 feet, across a small saddle, and up 100 feet. There is almost no difference in elevation between the peak you drive to and the peak you hike to. After about 10 minutes of slow hiking and labored breathing, we reached the cold summit of Mauna Kea. The wind was blowing steady at about 30 mph, and there was a definite chill factor. A shrine to Pele, Hawaiian goddess of fire, is on the summit. We stayed on top for about 20 minutes, as we took in the full effect of sunset on the high peak. An interesting effect is watching the shadow of Mauna Kea creep across the clouds, until it appears to be another mountain in the distance. This can be seen in several of the pictures below.
By now it was getting cold and it was time to hike back. On the way back up to the parking lot, I slowed down as I noticed a slight dizziness. I practiced the pressure breathing, and after about 30 seconds felt good again. The elevation is not that high, but going from sea level to 13,000+ feet in a matter of two hours takes a toll. We watched the last of the sunset, and crawled back into the van for the trip back. After dark we stopped on the mountain at about 11,000 feet in a parking area next to a radio telescope, where we were treated to a quick astronomy lesson from a local who was familiar with all of the Hawaiian and Polynesian stories about the stars. He related how they used the stars to find the islands and how they were used in navigation.
After the star party, we drove back down the road in the van, talking about the day and telling really, really bad jokes. We got back to Arnotts Lodge about 9:30pm, making the whole trip about 6 1/2 hours. Given the service we received and the quality of the information, I would highly recommend Arnotts Lodge to anyone coming out to do Mauna Kea (although if you have 3 or more people, renting a jeep at Harpers would be cheaper!)
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The following is a MOV format movie of that is a panorama of Mauna Kea at sunset. It may or may not play if you have Quicktime installed (click here if you need to install it)
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