The Pillars Of Pele First Things First – Just Why Is Kona So Dry? Three Pele-grown mountains protect Kona from the prevailing weather pattern, which originates predominantly from the east: Mauna Kea at 13,803 feet, Mauna Loa at 13,679 feet and Hualalai at 8,271 feet. These large mountains form a large rain shadow which protects Kona […]