For the winter solstice I took a hike with about thirty people, mostly fire spinners, to see the lava flowing into the ocean just west of Kalapana on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was nearly a two hour hike over an undulating sea of newly hardened lava, often brittle and crunchy under the feet. At the ocean's edge, the molten lava meets the seawater in an unending plume of volcanic steam high into the sky. When the waves hit that 3000 degree river, Pele sends a spatter of red sparks into the air that's like fireworks. We watched from the cliff of lava 100 feet above the sand, the rock was still warm to the touch and the heat coming from some of the fissures wafted ominously. The news was that 15 acres was soon to drop off into the ocean. A few brave ones climbed down, got naked and played in the superheated surf close to the flow.

At nightfall the fire spinners danced with poi, chains and staffs with the churning steam cloud backlit in a pink-orange hue by the lava as a backdrop. They lit their firetoys by holding them over a hole in the lava crust where the river of neon yellow molten rock was flowing like a swift river. We were standing suspended on the lava roof over the river separated by it by only about 4 feet. The lava river was visible as it flowed down the mountainside many miles from where we were standing with its red neon curvy lines hugging the ground.

Walking back on this starry, moonless night over the frozen lava waves by flashlight, watching the intricate patterns unfold upon the surface, the rivers of rope and ice cream melting mounds, cavernous gullies and complex swirls, gave one a sense of an otherworldly terrain and being in a dreamlike environment. If it weren't for the red beacon flashing from the parking lot someone had thoughtfully placed before we left I believe it would have taken us a lot longer to get back. There are no signposts, no markers, no lights, no distinguishing features whatsoever and only the line of the horizon to follow. I enjoyed getting an adventure, a good workout, a spectacular one of a kind show, and communion with nature and friends. It was a magical evening with a fun group of spirits to honor the return of the Sun King.