Prior to May of 2021, I had never picked up a professional camera, let alone hiked with one! My iPhone had been my primary picture-taker up until then. But after committing to a Sony Alpha full-frame mirrorless digital camera, I decided to bring it along on my very first camping trip in Haleakalā Crater. Well, “bring it along” makes it seem casual…this was actually a pretty major undertaking! I had the Sony housing, two lenses and a tripod added to my two-person tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food, water and more — all somehow stuffed inside my backpack. With that, I began the descent down Sliding Sands (Keonehe’ehe’e Trail), supporting around 45 pounds on my shoulders!!
Worth the Weight?
The 10-mile trek from the summit to Palikū is no joke on a good day. Try it with a too-heavy backpack and it’s very serious stuff! Thankfully I was there with my hiking buddies, who kept the mood light and had years of experience camping in the crater. Unlike me, who literally had none…and was lugging quite a load, feeling the strain on my hips and joints. But I’m not one to complain, and we made it to Palikū campground!
What a gorgeous zone. At around 6,300 feet, Palikū is at the base of a rainforest cliff, where you’re surrounded by lush landscape and can see the etchings of past waterfalls in the rock walls. It is a sight to behold, and a special reward at the end of a long journey.
After figuring out my tent and getting myself settled, I crashed out for the night. Or at least, for a few hours…
Introduction to Astrophotography
The fact is, I didn’t sleep much, since my plan was to wake up and shoot astrophotography. I lucked out on the timing, since the galactic core of the Milky Way was not only brilliantly shining, but it was also right in line with my tent, giving me a colorful element in the foreground. I was definitely learning and playing around with different exposures and angles, but felt good about the photos I got, being my first try and all!
Intense Journey to Palikū Overlook
The next day, we had Palikū to ourselves and decided to explore. I brought my camera along and had expected this to be a mellow exploration, but…it wasn’t. My hiking buddies are known to be a little hardcore, and sure enough, they had me army-crawling on the ground through six-foot-tall invasive blackberry bushes (and those buggahs are SHARP!) for two miles! We must’ve gotten lost a half-dozen times trying to find our way, but finally made it to Palikū Ridge Overlook, and man — what a view!
Astro, Again
Our second night in Palikū was peaceful until 11 p.m., when a massively wild windstorm woke us up!! I’ve never experienced anything like that and thought my tent might blow away with me inside it! But we made it through and the weather finally calmed down around 2 a.m. I was awake, so figured, hey, I might as well get up and snap some photos of the night sky!
Pack it up, Trek it Out
Morning meant time to pack up and hike out the 10 miles, and I stopped a few times to grab some daylight photos. In the last few miles, my ridiculously heavy backpack and I tackled a 3000-foot elevation gain up Sliding Sands! Not easy, but we made it.
It was an unforgettable experience all the way around, tackling two “firsts” at once — being a complete newbie to overnight camping AND busting out my brand new camera for the first time on such a journey. So much learning, but I loved it, and came back from the camping trip with hundreds of photos. These were some of my favorites.
As always, I have such reverence and respect for Haleakalā; I consider it a magical and healing place. I’m grateful for the time there, and encourage you to go experience it for yourself!