A short walk past the gate we were escorted to a bonus feature of the tour - an area where you could look into the crater of Mt. Waiʻaleʻale. On most days, Mount Waiʻaleʻale is concealed in clouds, especially at the summit. We were extremely lucky that we took our tour on a remarkably clear day.
When looking at the crater of Mount Waiʻaleʻale, think of Mount St. Helens and its eruption in 1980. Unlike Hawaii volcanoes such as Diamond Head or Koko Head whose craters are best viewed from above, Mt. Waiʻaleʻale erupted sideways much like Mount St. Helens. In fact the entire eastern side of the mountain blew out in an eruption eons ago. The pyroclastic flow helped form many of the valleys that now make Kauai so beautiful.
A common question is why Mount Waiʻaleʻale is the wettest spot on earth averaging more than 460 inches of rain each year at the summit. The answer is three-fold. Its northern position relative to the main Hawaiian Islands provides more exposure to frontal systems that bring rain during the winter. It has a relatively round and regular conical shape, exposing all sides of its peak to winds and the moisture that they carry. Finally, its peak lies just below the so-called trade wind inversion layer of 6,000 feet (1,800 m), above which trade-wide-produced clouds cannot rise.
The views of Mount Waiʻaleʻale and the valley below from this viewpoint are, in my opinion, superior to the views you get by helicopter. This final stop is the crowning gem on the fine 4x4 tour.
