mauna kea

I’ve mentioned this off and on, but today is the day!  In a few hours, we’ll pick up the giant 4x4 needed to ascend to the summit of Mauna Kea.

Call this the ‘before’ photo:

[Original: ‘Where I’ll be tonight’ on flickr]

For those of you totally geeking out on this harebrained scheme, a map of the telescopes at the summit and a map of where all this goodness is on the Big Island, anyway.  Both are from the Mauna Kea Weather Center.

What we’re expecting:

“I think a lot of people who come to visit Mauna Kea come for a reason,” said James Kimo Pihana, a ranger with the Office of Mauna Kea Management. “People challenge the mountain. The mountain always wins; it is people who lose. But the mountain accepts challenges.”