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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Hump Day Highpoint - Hawaii

After the Chilean earthquake which was so strong that it shortened the length of a day on Earth, there was much panic about tsunamis spawned in the Pacific Ocean. This was obviously mainly a problem for everyone's favorite archipelagic state, Hawaii. Standard procedure for approaching tsunamis dictates you head to higher ground and if you're in Hawaii the highest ground is 13,803 ft Mauna Kea:
Proud Mauna Kea advocates enjoy pointing out that when measured from their respective bases Mauna Kea is higher than Mount Everest rising as it does from well below the ocean floor. More rational people, however, are quick to point out that nobody actually measures mountains like that. Just like pretty much everything in Hawaii, Mauna Kea is a volcano though it is ok because it hasn't erupted for over 4000 years.

Mauna Kea is located on the island of Hawaii, which is generally called the "Big Island" to avoid general confusion. Big is, of course, a relative term as the island ranks 76th on the list of the world's biggest islands (Island Note: New Zealand is made up of two large islands. Because New Zealanders are not very creative the islands are named North Island and South Island). Once you get to the island the summit can be reached by road as there is a large observatory at the top. However, until recently rental car companies did not allow their vehicles on this road.
Interestingly, the peak of Mauna Kea is capped with snow in the winter making it possible to build a snowman in Hawaii that doesn't suck like this one:

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