Has your Viper been higher than the clouds? A Hawaii story!

[Newport Viper]

Had the opportunity to take advantage of a job transfer to Maui in 2002 with my wife...
for all of you who have been to Maui on vacation, I'm sure you've heard about or experienced the tour or bike ride down Haleakala, a dormant volcano on the island.

Website: http://www.nps.gov/hale/pages/tier_one/home.htm

You have the option to take a guided bus/bike tour, or drive up & down the volcano on your own. Many go in the evening to watch the sunset below the clouds from the top of the volacno. My buddy & I decided to join the adventurous many who get up at 4:30am, in order to make the drive up to the top of the volcano in time to see the sunrise!! The crazy part is that when you wake up at 4:30am, it is likely 75 degrees outisde, anywhere on the island near the beaches (where most people live and hotels are situated for vacationers). When you get to the top of the volcano, HOWEVER, the temerature changes drastically! If you don't have layers of clothing on, you will absolutely freeze! The elevation at the top of the volcano is 10,000 feet, and the temperature is in the teens or twenties with an unbelievable windchill factor to boot! Look at the people behind me trying to walk in 30 to 40 mph wind!

Would you believe my buddy and I drove my Viper all the way to the top with the roof off?? I dare say there may never have been anyone crazy enough to do such a thing! To be honest, we froze our a**es off, but it was well worth it! Watching the sun rise above the clouds was absolutely gorgeous, and something I will likely never have an opportunity to experience again in my lifetime.

No reason anyone needs to drive a Viper to the top of the volcano to enjoy the experience! Not to mention, I was 1 of 2 Viper owners on the entire island of Maui when I lived there. That said, I WOULD highly recommend anyone planning to vacation to Maui take advantage of this fantastic experience.

The first picture you see below is of my Viper, parked at the top of the volcano next to one of the world's rarest plants: The "Silversword" plant.

Website: http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/t172.htm

When I drove off, I hope my Roe Racing exhaust didn't knock any of the plants over!!

The drive down the mountain was absolutely amazing!! There are likely few other roads in the world with as many twists and turns...my buddy who went with me was absolutely "green" with car-sickness when we got to the bottom!

Here is my Viper, higher than the clouds.

How many of your Viper's have been in Viper Heaven?????????????

 

[ViperGTS]

Nice story and pics!

Above the clouds? Some times - in the Alps.

 

[Gerald]

That last pic is phenomenal! Get a wide screen and zoom way in for a AWESOME wallpaper pic! Thanks for the photos!!


Gerald

 

[Cudaman]

All I could think of when I was at the same spot in Hawaii, was to play magic carpet ride driving down and around the volcano with my Viper.Just like the old Viper commerical. Although I forgot to pack the Viper in the luggage. I think the 2 most impressive (US)vacations/States I have been to, was Hawaii and Alaska.

Cudaman

 

[Yves]

Thanks for sharing. Nice !

Here's a pic of 27 Vipers above the clouds : the June 2004 Austrian Alps meeting.

 

[Newport Viper]

Impressive pictures, Yves!!!!!!!

 

[NOMERCY]

 

[ERDOC]

Those are some nice pics. I did the "Bike down the volcano" thing and it's amazing the temperature difference from top to bottom.

 

[knuk]

The volcano is one of the coolest (literally!) places I have ever seen...will be back yet again in March! Maui is THE nicest place on earth.

 

[SnakeEye]

Great photos!

 

[SoFlaSRT]

I've taken that drive, but not in my Viper. How did it run at 10,000 feet in the thin air?

 

[ViperGTS]

Thin air = no problem.

 

[CTViper]

I did it years ago. Its cold alright! But just to let you know you & I were one of the lucky ones! I forget the exact figure but there aren't that many days when you can actually see the sunrise! Lots of fog, clouds, haze. I was the first one on Top that day. i could have slept another hour! Quite a Ride!

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

I have done that, but not in a Viper, in a rental. I'ts one of the most impressive sights I've ever seen. Also, had a chance to fly over the volcano on the big island in a helicopter when it was erupting. That was actually scary.

 

[Steve Miehe]

I'll bet that was no small feat getting 27 vipers together in the Austrian Alps.....ALL the pics are great!

 

[Newport Viper]

I've taken that drive, but not in my Viper. How did it run at 10,000 feet in the thin air?

I didn't notice any difference. It wasn't a high speed course!

How about your cars Yves?? Anyone notice anything??

 

[allanlambo]

Hey! Ive done that same run in my Lambo!

 

[Newport Viper]

Hey! Ive done that same run in my Lambo!

Weren't you going to move out there at one time?

 

[RT66_Viper]

Nice Pics!!

Did it in a RT/10 that I rented from Island Riders about
5 years ago... to say the least thats how I ended up with My 94 RT/10 today!
The funny thing was a guy was hangin in a rented Farrari waitin for me to start down. We waited a while for all the rice rockets to get the hell out of our way and started down. All I could hear was his tires as he drifted in all corners trying to stay up! I slowed down so he wouldn't try and take a short cut over the side..lol
As we rolled out the bottom and hit the stop light ... Well I guess you guys know the rest!

Lifes should NOT be
A journey to the grave
With the intention of arriving Safely.

In an attractive and well-preserved body,
But rather to skid in sideways,

Whisky in one hand,
Women in the other,

Body thoroughly used up,
Totally worn out and screaming


"WOO HOO what a ride!

 

[ViperDave]

Was up there last month in a rental buik century of all things, aptly named as you have to be 100 to buy one.

Saw a black viper just heading up as we got to the cattle grid on the way down. Waved at him but in the POS we were in he had no reason to wave back. Automotive highlight of the trip though seeing a viper.

 

[Newport Viper]

By the way, the only privately owned Viper in Maui belongs to a chick!

 

[vette2viper]

Enjoyed your pics and stories about Maui and Haleakala. I lived/worked in Maui and experienced all that you mentioned. It is awesome. Even had to work a few days up at Science City and at 10,031 feet, that was an experience. If you didn't know, the crater of the volcano is big enough to place New York City inside it...for real! It is like a moon scape with the gray volcanic ash making for an eerie sight.

I moved from Maui directly to Alaska in the midst of winter and acclimated in about two weeks. Great experiences and glad to see you share yours. BTW...that volcano with it's climb from sea level to 10,000ft is the highest rise in the shortest horizontal distance of anywhere in the world. Also, unmodified air tends to cool with altitude at the rate of 3 degrees C or 5 degrees F for every thousand foot ascent. So, you can see where the 50 degree F change comes from. It is breathtaking to say the least. I was the first meteorologist at Kahalui Airport, Maui to send out a report of snow falling at the volcanic rim. Pretty neat for the tourists.

Thanks again for your post...it brought back some great memories.

 

[PatentLaw]

When you drive up to the summit on Maui, if you have a water bottle in the car, you can hear the deflection of the sides due to the difference in air pressure. When you get up to the top, you can feel light headed from the pressure differential. My suggestion is take your time getting up there. You can get altitude sickness quite easily.

Although it is a beautiful road, don't slide off of that one. It is a long long way down. No amount of roll over protection is going to save you one that one.

 

[Mastiff]

Thats a good story. I have been to the top of Haleakala. About 2 years ago with my wife in a rented Jeep Wrangler with the top off. It was a good day, hardly any wind and temps about 55.

That pic of your car next to silversword plant is funny to me, my wife had to kneel down and take a pic of that thing. I think the coolest part of the trip besides the drive up was being above the clouds and way out in the distance you could see the top of Mauna Kea sticking up above them.