By Bob Krauss
Advertiser Columnist

Back from vacation. Three weeks at the volcano made me forget all about Christmas. All the tourists talk about over there is how to see the lava flow. You should hear some of the stories.

A couple drove to the end of the road, where you have to walk over fresh lava. They set out with a picnic hamper to dine romantically at the edge of the flow, where they found a nice mound with a spectacular view.

The sun set while they were eating. As it got darker, they noticed fiery orange veins of lava glowing through the surface crust all around them. To their consternation, they realized that the mound was moving. They were riding on the lava flow. Fortunately, the crust on top was solid enough for them to run to safe ground.

Park Ranger Ron Ely, who gives people advice at the end of the road where a trail begins, said few volcano watchers get hurt. Mostly they fall down and twist an an ankle on sharp lava. But there are a few horror stories.

A ranger making his night rounds found an empty car parked at the end of the road. In the morning, rangers set out on the trail. They found a couple lying dead on the lava near the ocean. Apparently, the wind had shifted while they looked for lava flowing into the sea.

The hot lava hitting water makes hydrochloric acid. It is very strong in the steam cloud that rises from the ocean. The wind must have enveloped the couple in a cloud of acid steam. Before they could escape, their lungs were burned and they were unable to breathe.

Ely said it happened during a rainstorm that may have caused a whiteout.

"Below the surface, the lava is still hot," Ely explained. "When the rain hits it, steam rises and you can't see. The couple may have become disoriented."

Park rangers warn everybody who will listen not to go near the ocean on a new lava flow because it's often unstable. One fellow went right to the edge to get a better picture. Suddenly the lip of the lava ledge he was standing on plunged into the ocean, sending up splashes of hot water and steam. About 20 people nearby got burned but none seriously. The man and his camera were never seen again.

Such disasters are rare and are caused by stupidity. The rangers can only give people advice. There's no way to stop them from being idiots like the rugby team from London that kicked the ball around on the lava.

Ely said a walk out to see the flow is a chance to see nature in action. It's as much fun as surfing "but it isn't an exhilaration, it's more of an amazement. Some of my friends do it for recreation."

On the day I talked to him, the lava flow was three miles from the end of the road. He advises people to take water and a flashlight at night. Ely lends out walking sticks and repairs shoe soles with duct tape. He answers endless questions as people stream by. "This is the last point where you can get advice," he said. "From here, you are on your own."