Greeting the Sun for My Wife's Birthday

To celebrate her birthday, Jennifer and I woke up early to drive to the summit of Mauna Kea (14,000 feet or 4,200 meters above sea level) for the usually beautiful sunrise.

Because of the snow and the clear air, it was spectacular! However, the wind was strong, and, with the windchill, it was close to -15C. My hands became numb about a minute after I took off my gloves to take pictures.

At this summit several years ago, we met Tormod Granheim--ready to ski down the snow-crusted slopes. From Norway, "Thor" is only the second person in recorded history to ski down Mount Everest--and the only person to climb up and ski down both Everest and Mauna Kea.

The top of Mauna Kea--really, you feel like you are on the top of the world--is one of my favorite spots on the planet. When you come to the Big Island, make sure you carve out some time to visit our mountain.