Hawaii
Wow!
Mauna Kea after a good snowfall and before the skiers got on the slopes. Did Martians beat them to it? Nope, click here to find out what else is on the mountain. - Photo courtesy of Gemini Observatory
Did you say snow skiing? Yes, you can snow ski and snowboard in Hawaii.
In fact, they once had a ski meet on the Fourth of July on Mauna Kea.
Some call this the finest snow in the world, 100 square miles of it.
When's the ski season? Depending on how much snow falls in winter -- Hawaiian winter, is that an oxymoron? -- you can probably get started in November, hit the best months in February and March, and maybe go into July. You might run down two miles or so, dropping from 1,000 to 4,500 vertical feet.
But this isn't for wimps. No ski lifts. You need a four-wheel-drive to get to the top. The snow could be a few meters deep or thinned out with unmarked rocks.
If you hit lava rock, you can wreck your skis and wreck yourself. Winds can hit 60-70 miles per hour. Throw in an altitude of 13,000 feet and thin air for tough breathing.
Because of those conditions, the Hawaii Ski Club will not sponsor trips there anymore. But there is a private outfitter who arranges ski trips in the Pineapple Powder.
In fact, they once had a ski meet on the Fourth of July on Mauna Kea.
Some call this the finest snow in the world, 100 square miles of it.
When's the ski season? Depending on how much snow falls in winter -- Hawaiian winter, is that an oxymoron? -- you can probably get started in November, hit the best months in February and March, and maybe go into July. You might run down two miles or so, dropping from 1,000 to 4,500 vertical feet.
But this isn't for wimps. No ski lifts. You need a four-wheel-drive to get to the top. The snow could be a few meters deep or thinned out with unmarked rocks.
If you hit lava rock, you can wreck your skis and wreck yourself. Winds can hit 60-70 miles per hour. Throw in an altitude of 13,000 feet and thin air for tough breathing.
Because of those conditions, the Hawaii Ski Club will not sponsor trips there anymore. But there is a private outfitter who arranges ski trips in the Pineapple Powder.
Snow skiing in Hawaii not for wimps