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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?????????????
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?????????????
Real men and women don't need guardrails! 
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