Maui - Haleakala Crater, first time

Several people said we just had to take the bike ride down the Haleakala Crater after watching the sunrise so we signed up. The bus picked us up at our resort at 2am, made stops at several more resorts to pick up additional people then stopped at the bike company. After a quick breakfast, safely video on how to ride bikes, and handing out helmets and rain gear they drove us up the mountain. On the way up it was so dark you could look out the window and see millions of stars. Once we got near the top it started a light drizzle.

We reach the top of the mountain an hour before sunrise, it's freezing, wind howling and driving rain. You can't see across the parking lot, let along the sun rise.

At the official sunrise time the crowd starts singing or chatting in Hawaiin, not really sure, but it's still blowing and pouring rain and you can't see anything.

After the "sunrise" they drive us back down the top of the mountain to just outside the national park where we pick up our bikes, in the pouring rain.

Riding down in the pouring rain. The good part was out of 28.2 miles, only the .2 is not downhill.

Half way down it finally stopped raining so we took a quick stop for sightseeing.

The view of the south Maui shore from half way down the mountain.

As we neared the coast it warmed up enough we could stop and strip off all the rain gear and enjoy the last bit of the ride. I think this was the .2 miles that was not downhill.

After all the cold, rain and wind we finally reach the beach where's it's 85 and mostly sunny. It doesn't look sunny but that's the mountains in west Maui, they were always cloudy.