GARY KUBOTA GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM California resident Julie Reinganum, left, smiled last week as she and her 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Maya, on the back of Haleakala National Park worker Ziggy Mizner, exited the Halemauu trail at Haleakala National Park. Following on a mule was park worker Ervan Gouveia. Reinganum and Maya were separated from friend Nadine Newlight of Haiku, Maui, a week ago during a severe rainstorm in the crater. A search was launched last Monday night and early Tuesday morning for the mother and daughter before park rangers found them.

Mauna Loa’s high
altitude takes its
toll on hikers

A Kailua resident will take it
slower next time after a
painful trip to the summit

---

By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

On March 22, around 9:30 a.m., Kailua resident Pat Woods and four others drove up the earth's largest active volcano, Mauna Loa. At 11,000 feet the group hiked along the observatory trail toward the summit.

On the way around the crater to the summit cabin, Woods experienced severe headaches.

"My head was pounding," Woods said.

Less than a mile away from the summit cabin, he dropped his pack and slowly made his way to shelter with the help of his friends.

Around 5:30 p.m. they reached the summit cabin at 13,200 feet where they were surrounded by purplish, dark blue skies. Woods was feeling dizzy.

"I was really woozy to the point I was seeing stars and getting ready to faint," he said.

Headaches, nausea and dizziness are some of the symptoms one can experience while hiking in high altitudes. Park rangers and tour guides at Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala said anyone -- from a novice hiker to a marathon runner -- is susceptible to altitude sickness.

That is just one of the hazards facing hikers braving Hawaii's tallest volcanoes.

Woods said he began to throw up after he reached the cabin. His friends layered him with blankets and urged him to drink large quantities of water.

The next morning, Woods was airlifted to Saddle Road and transported to Hilo Medical Center by ambulance.

Hawaii's tallest volcanoes Mauna Kea: 13,796 feet Mauna Loa: 13,680 feet Haleakala: 10,023 feet

Dr. Matt Lambert, emergency medical doctor at the Hilo hospital, gave Woods fluids intravenously because he was suffering from dehydration. Lambert also prescribed medication for his headaches.

"I lost 10 pounds in 24 hours," Woods said.

Lambert said Woods suffered from a moderate type of altitude sickness.

Symptoms are similar to having a hangover, Lambert said.

However, there are two forms of severe altitude sickness that can be life-threatening: cerebral edema and pulmonary edema.

Lambert said cerebral edema occurs when a hiker experiences swelling of the brain. Severe headaches, difficulty walking and confusion are signs of cerebral edema. Pulmonary edema occurs when fluid accumulates in the lungs causing shortness of breath and wet coughs, he added.

Treatment for those suffering from moderate to severe altitude sickness is to get down the mountain, Lambert said.

Lambert, an avid hiker, said the best way to prevent altitude sickness is to spend the night at various altitudes to get used to the oxygen content and atmospheric pressure.

Acetazolamide and dexamethasone are two types of medication that help decrease the chances of a hiker experiencing altitude sickness. Lambert said there are no guarantees the medication will prevent mountain sickness, and advised persons to consult with a doctor to find out if the medication is right for them.

Officials at the visitors center of Mauna Kea, Hawaii's tallest volcano, noted drivers and their passengers traveling to the summit may also experience shortness of breath or blurred vision because of the altitude change.

The volcano, which rises 13,796 feet, receives about 1,500 visitors a week. About one out of 10 persons suffers from symptoms of acute mountain sickness while traveling up Mauna Kea.

Tour guides advise hikers to remain at the visitors center, which is located at 9,300 feet, for an hour before traveling further up the dormant volcano.

At sea level a person's oxygen level is at 100 percent. That drops to 75 percent once the person reaches the visitors center at Mauna Kea. Officials said a person's oxygen level drops below 60 percent after the visitor reaches the summit.

Experts said an average person experiences mountain sickness at 8,000 feet and above.

Officials said those prone to altitude sickness include toddlers, teens, seniors and pregnant women.

Park ranger and spokeswoman Jennifer Talken-Spaulding of Haleakala National Park recommended women who are pregnant and those who have pulmonary problems talk to their doctor before planning a hiking trip in high altitudes.

Altitude sickness Here are some of the symptoms one may face while hiking in high altitudes: >> Fainting spells >> Dizziness >> Shortness of breath >> Nausea >> Headaches >> Hypothermia >> Fatigue >> Malaise

Park rangers and tour guide officials emphasized that hikers travel in groups in case an emergency arises.

"Having another person there may be the person that keeps you alive," said park ranger Mardie Lane at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.

"There's a lot of emotional and physical support when hiking together. ... It's one way to have that extra measure of safety," Lane said.

Last week, California resident Julie Reinganum and her 3-year-old daughter, Maya, were hiking out of the Haleakala Crater with Reinganum's friend Nadine Newlight of Haiku, Maui, when the group separated. After making a wrong turn, Reinganum encountered strong wind gusts while making her way back to the Kapalaoa cabin with her daughter.

Newlight suffered from hypothermia after she hiked out of the crater, alone, through rainy and windy conditions.

Haleakala's chief park ranger, Karen Newton, said, "The pace of the group should be determined by the weakest hiker."

Every person should carry a map and consult with every trail junction to make sure they are on the right track, Newton added.

Also, emergency plans should be made before the hiking trip to predict one's behavior, Newton said.

Talken-Spaulding recommended hikers anticipate rapid weather changes from sunny weather to strong rains and wind gusts.

"There are days when weather changes every five minutes up here. People need to prepare for every weather condition," she said.

Weather changes that occur at Haleakala are similar to conditions at Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, according to park rangers.

Woods was released from the Hilo hospital that day.

He advised those who are planning to hike the Mauna Loa trail to acclimate themselves in low altitudes before going any further.

Woods said if he returns to Mauna Loa, he will take the doctor's advice and hike to the summit in three days rather than in less than 24 hours.

"That's certainly (what) I came away learning a lot about," Woods said.