I was about to find out. The people I met were profoundly interesting. Some, I found, are just curious. Many approach from a scientific interest.
A few are downright insane.
Take New Zealand’s Geoff Mackley. You might find Geoff sneaking past a police barricade to get into a town under siege by a violent volcanic eruption. Hanging out with this guy can be hazardous to your health.
To catch a volcano in action, the best approach is to watch the news and hop on the next flight to wherever a volcano is starting to erupt. Chances are you’ll be moving in when everyone else is trying to get out. Beware: a volcano can cause a big mess, raining down tons of ash, blocking out the sun and choking everything in its path.
A pleasant alternative lies on the Big Island of Hawaii. (Just mention Hawaii and people seem to brighten. Reveal that you are traveling there on business and a score of your friends will offer to carry your bags.) Hawaii remains one of the best places to visit some volcanic activity without too much of a hassle. The Kilauea volcano on the south side of the island has been continuously active for over 18 years and, at any given time, provides a real spectacle.
Helicopter tours are very popular and charter flights head out many times a day from nearby Hilo. To get the big picture, videographer Mick Kalber often takes to the air. “I fly in helicopters a lot, probably more than I should,” offers Mick. He has a definite opinion on their capabilities. “Helicopters are unsafe vehicles. As my pilot used to say ‘You never want to fly out farther than you want to walk back or higher than you want to fall.’”
I sat down with Mick and his fiancée Ann in a little pasta bar in downtown Hilo. As we spoke, people kept dropping by the table to say hello. It seemed like they knew the entire town. Mick’s work has been seen around the world and he is a local celebrity of sorts. Add Ann’s warm smile and infectious charm, its little wonder people are naturally drawn to them.
Getting a good angle for volcano watching is pretty much Mick’s job. He’s been chasing eruptions for the better part of two decades and has emerged as one of the leading videographers of volcanic activity. He’s gotten so close that his camera literally began to melt.
“I’ve melted a lot of things out there. I used to wear tennis shoes because they didn’t retain the heat and would cool off quickly when I got off the hot stuff. But, unfortunately, tennis shoes melt when they get too hot. I’ve stood in a lot of places out there that would melt anything. You have to watch where you put things. I’ve melted lens shades, parts of cameras, tripod feet, backpacks - all kinds of things.”