Saturday- Diamond Head

Saturday morning was spent climbing Diamond Head. It's about a .7 mile hike which consists of switchbacks on uneven rock, over 200 steps (including a very steep set of 74), and a dark, narrow tunnel. Our hike ended up being a bit longer. There are only a certain allotted spots for personal vehicles and if that fills up, there are about 6 waiting spots. When we go there, both were full. We had to go back down park and then walk into the park. That was probably another 1/2 mile hike each way. The view was well worth it!

Landon & Andrew climbing the last bit of stairs.

All of us at the top

Landon at the top!

Even baby Made it!

Some History of Diamond Head Crater:

The most famous volcanic crater in the world is Diamond Head, located on the South-east Coast of O'ahu at the end of Waikiki overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was originally named Laeahi by the ancient Hawaiians. The name meant "brow of the tuna" and looking at the silhouette of the crater from Waikiki, you can see the resemblance. The current name came was given to the crater by British sailors in the 1800's. When they first saw the crater at a great distance, the calcite crystals in the lava rock appeared to glimmer in the sunlight. The sailors mistakenly thought there must be diamonds in the soil. Diamond Head is a crater that has been extinct for 150,000 years. The crater is 3,520 feet in diameter with a 760-foot summit. When the United States annexed Hawaii in 1898, harbor defense became a main responsibility. One of the major defense forts, Fort Ruger, occupied the Diamond Head Crater. A battery of canons was located within the crater providing complete concealment and protection from invading enemies. An observation deck was constructed at the summit in 1910 to provide target sighting and a four level underground complex was built within the walls of the crater as a command post. A 580-foot tunnel was dug through the crater wall to provide easier access to the Fort. (http://www.hawaiiweb.com/)