The Haleakala crater rim looks like another world. As you stand high above and gaze out over a red-brown cinder cone spotted bowl cut by wind, rain, and volcanic activity for hundreds of years, it is easy to imagine being on Mars.
The ridge cuts fast and high with remnants of lava tubes and miniature volcanoes hardened by superheated rock. As erosion set in over the years, these cinder cones and rock formations were the only thing strong enough to stand the test of time.
The unique landscape below affects the sky above, creating a constantly changing atmosphere of quick-moving clouds and fog that fills and then empties the basin several times a day.