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Haleakala storm MOUNT HALEAKALA, Maui >> What began as an overnight stay in a cabin turned into an encounter with 65 mph winds, bone-chilling rain and hail for two women and a 3 1/2-year-old girl in Haleakala Crater.
traps woman and
3-year-old
Fierce conditions force emergency
help to save the hikersBy Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.comHaiku resident Nadine Newlight, 57, who suffered severe hypothermia while hiking out of the crater Monday night, said the rains were like cold "needles" striking sideways and the winds were so heavy they stalled her progress and made hiking dangerous.
"I almost got blown off," Newlight said.
She said she was drenched when she got out of the crater at the 10,000-foot level at 7 p.m. Monday and was worried about her friend, Julie Reinganum, 46, and Reinganum's 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Maya, of Mill Valley, Calif.
After an overnight stay, the three had left the Kapalaoa cabin at about 8:30 a.m. Monday and were hiking out of the crater to Halemau'u at the 8,000-foot level, when they made a wrong turn and eventually were separated.
Newlight said once she was on the highway, she tried to flag down vehicles. She said people in a bus and sports utility vehicle waved but did not stop to help. She finally found a couple of visitors at a restroom who gave her warm clothing and assisted her.
Reinganum, meanwhile, had made the decision to turn back to the cabin, afraid that her daughter might suffer hypothermia. "It was raining most of the day," Reinganum said.
She said it began to hail and she knew the weather was not going to get better. The wind was gusting so hard there were many times her daughter was unable to stand up.
"It would blow her over," she said.
Maya added, "It was too big."
Reinganum said she decided to carry her daughter and run for refuge as fast as possible. "I was tired. I wasn't accustomed to carrying a child for miles."
Haleakala National Park Chief Ranger Karen Newton said Newlight was disoriented and had difficulty explaining what had happened when she emerged from the crater.
NEWTON said the temperature was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit Monday night and closer to 0 to 10 degrees after taking into consideration the wind chill factor.
Newton said the search for the two was called off after a couple of hours Monday night and no helicopters were requested because of extremely dangerous conditions, including poor visibility.
The search resumed yesterday at 5:30 a.m. and by 8:25 a.m. yesterday, a ranger saw what appeared to be the two along with a man and boy hiking from the Kapalaoa cabin area on the Halemau'u trail at the 8,000-foot level.
Los Angeles resident Ted Stein and his 11-year-old son Eli said the Reinganums arrived at the cabin at 4 p.m.
"The little girl was crying ... We made them lemonade and a fire, and they were fine," Stein said.
Eli said he felt good about helping the woman and child. "It's Passover, and it's a wonderful thing to do in the holiday. I just hope they come back because the mountains are neat."
Reinganum said she and her daughter changed their clothes once they were in the cabin and the Steins treated them well. "They took care of us," she said. "They were wonderful."
Reinganum, who has hiked to the 19,800-foot level of the Himalayas, said she and her daughter were prepared for the hike and overnight stay but they had not planned on hiking in the wrong direction because of confusion with a trail sign.
Reinganum and Newlight said they would be back to hike in the crater again -- perhaps as early as within a week, before their 7-day park pass expires.
"When you're going through the lava fields, it's like going through a moonscape. It's beautiful. It's very dramatic and extreme," Reinganum said. "It's a very special place."