visiting mauna kea brochure
DESCRIPTION
Mauna KeaIsland of HawaiiTRANSCRIPT
Mauna Kea is a special place. Anyone planningto visit should take special precautions and actresponsibly and respectfully when approachi ng
its summit regions.
Significance of Mantna Kea
Mauna Kea i s sac red to Na t i vc H l rw l r i i l r r . r s . I ti s hos t t o t he mos t soph i s t i c l r t cd c :< l l l c c t i on o f
as t ronomy fac i l i t i es i n t he wo r ld , and i t i s ho r . r . r cto ra re f l o ra and fauna - i nc lud ing spcc i cs t h ; r t
a re f ound nowhc . re e l se i n t hc wo l l c l .
When Visit ingl Maurla Keit
A s a g e n e r a l r u l c , v i s i t o r s a r e a s k c d t o l c r r v cthe moun ta in as t hey found i t : do no t r ( ' r l l ov ( 'any th ing ( t ha t i s no t obv ious l y t r ash ) l r nc i c l on o t i e a v e a n y t h i n g b e h i n d . P l c a s c r c m ; r r n o n
marked t ra i l s and roadw; rys .
Safety F i rs t and Forerytost
Due to i ts remote locat ion, emergencyass i s tance may be hou rs away . The Mauna Kea
Rangers p rog ram was es tab l i shcd to p rov ideda i l y ove rs igh t o f ac t i v i t i es a t t he sumn- r i t . l l ce d
al l warnings issued by the Rangcrs. The y ; r r - t :t he re t o he lp .
Emergencies: 911Visi tor Information Stat ion: 96r-zrBoWinter Condit ions: 935-6268 (record i ng)
Off ice of Mauna Kea Management
Vi s i tor Information Stat ion:
I n st i tute for Astronomy:
M a u n a K e a W c a t h c r C c n t e r :
OMKM ':O l f i r . o i A n r . G { c n
l ; l r 8 . r ! ( ! n t
The Universi ty of Hawai ' i at Hi loOff ice of Mauna Kea Management
64o N. A'ohoku PlaceHilo, Hawaf i 9672o
Phone: (BoB) g31-o73.4Fax: (BoB) 933-32o8
Email : omkm@ maunakea.hawaii.edu
Safely an:'d
Respor:LsibLy
A n y o n e p l a n n i n g t o v i s i t t h e s u m m i t o fMauna Kea shou ld rcad the conten ts o f
th is b rochure care fu l l y be fore proceed ing .Fa i lu re to heed precaut ions cou ld lead
to ser ious - evcn l i fe - th rea ten ing-s i tu a t ions .
Compliments of:The Office of Mauna Kea Management
Ku-kahau'nIa
MM B.o- Surnrnit
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$ t ;VISITORINFORMATIONSTATION
rrcENqrr rr = Natural Area Reierve-r r r r r r r f r = gravel road I.-- = asphalt road if r f f frr fr f fr = emefgency fOAd
i 'MM = Mile marker ;I = Obseryatory i'
Approximate Scale0' 2000' i
to Saddle Road (HwY zoo)
Due to the effects of low atmospheric pressure on your
body - including less avai lable oxygen encountered at
high altitude - it is strongly advised that individuals
in the following categories nottravel to the summit of
Mauna Kea:
. Persons under r6 years of age
. Pregnant women
.Anyone with high blood pressure, heart or respiratory
condit ions
. Scuba divers with less than 24 hours after their last dive
. Anyone who has been drinking alcohol (consumption
of a lcoho l i s s t rong ly d iscouraged on Mauna Kea)
Other impor tan t needs :
. Wel l -ma in ta ined, four -whee l d r ive veh ic les
. Pro tec t ive c lo th ing , sunscreen and sung lasses
. Dr ink ing water
Stop at the Visitor Information Station (VIS) at the
9,zoo-foot level and obtain a handout about Mauna
Kea Hazards. These handouts contain addit ional
information about the condit ions described here.
Hikers are encouraged to use the "buddy" system and
to advise Rangers and/or VIS staff of their plans.
Spend at lea.tt jo minutea at the VIS to allow
Vourbody to adju-tt to the elevation change.
Anyone proceedingbeyond the VIS should
understand that the atmospherlc pressure on
your body is roughly half of the pressure at sea
level. Your body may not adjust properly to this
cond i t ion . Symptoms can inc lude: shor tness o f
b rea th , headaches, dehyd ra t i on , nausea, impa i red
reason and drows iness , and loss o f ba lance
and musc le coord ina t io r - r . Morc than a mere
inconven ience, h igh a l t i tudc s ickness can lead
to ser ious - even l i f c - th roa tcn ing - s i tua t ions .
The on ly way to a l lev ia tc thcse cor rd i t ions is to
descend to a lower c lcva t ion .
A d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n o n h i g h a l t i t u d e s i c k n e s scan be found a t :
http:/ /www. i f a. h awa i i .cd r-r/m ko/v i s i t i n g.htm
n ( - Iurrve sarery
Four -whee l d r ive veh ic les a re s t rong ly
r e c o m m e n d e d b e y o n d t h e V l S . T h c u n p a v e d , B -
m i l c r o a d r i s e s n e a r l y 5 , o o o l c c t t o t h c s u m m i t
S e c t i o n s o f t h e r - o a d c ; r n h e e x l r c r n c l y l o u g h w i t h
s t e e p g l a d c s o { u p 1 o l 5 p c l c c n t . l c c a n d s n o w c a n
fur ther add to thc dungr : r ' s .
. Observe the z5-mi lc -pcr hour sp t , t ' c l l i n ' r i t a t a l l t imes.
' To reduce the chances o f b r i rku ovcrhcat i ng ar rd
brake fa i lu re , use low gear whcn dcsccnd i l rg
ra ther than re ly ing so le ly on your b rakes .
. I f you shou ld encounter road main tcnance
equipment, please drive with extreme caution. Be
especial ly careful when crossing the temporary
ridge that 's bui l t up down the center of the
roadway by grading equipment. Make sure the
underside of youq ve!,1icle is high enough to avoid
. Weather conditions can change rapidty.
. Daytime temperatures can range from the 5os to
well below freezing.. Wind speeds can exceed roo miles per hour.. Ultra violet radiat ion is very intense at the
summit; severe sunburn can occur rapidly.. The atmosphere on the summit is extremely dry.
Protective Measures
. Protect your skin and eyes by using an effect ive
sunscreen, sunglasses and protective clothing.. Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated- i t helps to fend off the effects of alt i tude
s ickness .. Be aware o f cond i t ions and dress appropr ia te ly .
Winter Conditions
Winter can br ing espec ia l l y hazardous cond i t ions .
Snow and ice can fo rm rap id ly . Evacuate thc
summi t fo r lower e leva t ions as soon as hazardous
cond i t ions beg in to deve lop .
For your own sa fe ty , p lease hced "Road C losed"
s ign i f pos ted .
Ca l l (BoB) 935-6268 to ob ta in recorded updates on
road cond i t ions and road c losures .
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