This last one of the Pele series is of some friends of mine that went out to the flow on Halloween night. They were standing close to the edge of the pali where the lava was pouring off the cliff, dropping about 30 feet, 10 metres, into the sea below. I stayed briefly behind to take one more picture as they all headed out into the absolute darkness on the one hour walk back over a bizarre terrain of still cooling lava.
After I had taken my last picture and gathered my gear into the backpack, I took one step forward and broke through the thin, newly crusted lava, I was standing on. My left leg went down between the crust that was still glowing red and I fell forward with the weight of my thrust and heavy pack. This was as close to a broken leg as I have ever been. I struggled upright and pulled my leg out. I was severely lacerated on not only the leg but arms and hands as well. During this time my friends were completely invisible in the black on black landscape and beyond earshot. Had I broken my leg I may have been there awhile...
...Just as I was back on my feet there was a small earthquake when a section of the lava bench I was on did some shuddering but not collapsing.
I was able to catch up to my friends flashlights but it was hard going, not only from my sore and bleeding cuts, but because that area was covered in the other kind of lava called A’a which is very very sharp and jagged; it crunches underfoot like glass as you wander up, over and around the wild formations it leaves. I managed to snap a few more photos of this but do not have them scanned in. I looked a mess by the time my friends shone their lights on my leg, blood-soaked & torn jeans and the rest of me.
Oh well, at least you got to see a picture of my friends so I guess it was all worth it eh!