NEB with the Gold in the NYC Marathon

I was very nervous before the New York City Marathon on Sunday, counting down the hours, then the minutes, until race time. But I wasn't running the race -- I was anxious and excited for my friend Nancy E. Battey, who decided to run the marathon one year ago to the day.

NEB, my friend for 20 years, was running the race for Team Tillman. Team Tillman was formed to support the Tillman Foundation, in honor of Pat Tillman. Pat, a linebacker for Arizona State University, went on to join the Army Rangers, dying tragically and heroically in Afghanistan in 2004, when his unit was ambushed.

I am thrilled that I was able to cheer her on and actually see her on the course -- around Mile 17, First Avenue at 69th Street. Even better is that she saw us! I was so happy to give her a hug that I found myself crying with joy and anticipation.

NEB's goal was to finish the marathon in under five hours. Her 12 months of training paid off -- her time was 4:58:19! She was listed in the New York Times on Monday Nov. 3rd, for completing the marathon in less than five hours. Unfortunately the New England edition of the New York Times did not carry the list, but the important thing is that NEB got her copy!

Congratulations, Nancy! I am so proud of you!

Mt. Holyoke and the Seven Sisters Trail

The Seven Sisters, part of the Holyoke Range and located within Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley, are a series of basalt ridgeline knobs next to Mount Holyoke. In addition to Mt. Holyoke, there are seven distinct peaks; the only two that seem to be named are Mt. Hitchcock and Bare Mountain. Though none of the seven peaks is much higher than 1,000 feet, our walk along the ridgeline gave us an overall elevation gain of 3,700 feet -- more than I've done in any single day this year, even in the White Mountains!

Several of the peaks, particularly Mt. Holyoke and Bare Mountain, offered scenic clifftop views of the season's fall colors. The walk was made particularly pleasurable by the hike leaders, Steve Harrison and Sue Warthman, and the members of the AMC Naragansett Chapter (see photo of group).

5 miles, 3,700' elevation gain
Summits: Mt. Holyoke = 935 feet, plus seven "sisters", including Mt. Hitchcock = 1,002 feet; and Bare Mountain = 1,014 feet.
Route: The Seven Sisters are traversed by the Metacomet- Monadnock Trail.

Mt. Eisenhower in the fall

In the White Mountains of NH, there's only a one-in-five chance that you'll see the summit of Mt. Washington: it's said to be cloaked in clouds 80% of the time. We were lucky on Sunday to have clear views of the summit of Mt. Washington (in the distance in the photo) both on the summit of Mt. Eisenhower and on the Edmands Path on the way up. I could actually see the towers on the top with my naked eye!

The Edmands Path is a wonderful trail. I really love it. I kept saying "I love this path!" Very pleasant hike, without lots of large boulders to climb over. A relatively easy descent as the White Mountains go.

Throughout this hike, I kept thinking of my old friend Debra Goldfarb, who, with her husband Roger, led me and John up that path more than 15 years ago. I found it very difficult then; it was much easier the second time around because I'm in far better shape now than I was then.

The Crawford Path (shown in the photo) snakes it's way from the summit of Mt. Eisenhower, to Mt. Monroe, and then to Mt. Washington. One day I'll be on that path all the way to Mt. Washington!

6.6 miles, 2,700' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Eisenhower = 4,760 feet
Route: Edmands Path

Peak colors on Mt. Pierce

It was a beautiful view on Saturday from the summit of Mt. Pierce. Vast swaths of the valley to the north were awash in fall colors. We had glorious weather.

When we reached the junction of Crawford Path with the Mizpah Cutoff and kept going on Crawford Path, we wondered why no one else was ascending that way. Everyone was descending via this route. It was a very easy route to the summit.

Then we took the Webster-Cliff Trail to the Mizpah Cutoff down and discovered that we'd done the loop in the wrong direction! It is very steep -- much easier to ascend than to descend. So, note to self: go counter-clockwise via the Mizpah Cutoff trail on the ascent next time. It would be much easier on the knees!

6.5 miles, 2,400' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Pierce = 4,312 feet
Route: Crawford Path to Mt. Pierce; Webster-Cliff Trail to Mizpah cutoff to Crawford Trail down

Don't Leave them in the Dark

These are Anna Deavere Smith's haunting final words in her one-woman play, Let me Down Easy, at the ART. She's referencing the millions of children in Africa who are dying of AIDS -- specifically those at the Chance Orphanage in Johannesburg. But figuratively with those words she's speaking to the broader issues of mortality, vulnerability and resilience.

The artist and actress informs the audience that her play is about grace. It is about that and much more, touching on genocide, Katrina victims, horse racing and fittingly, the state of the U.S. health care system. One man, learning that his heart transplant will cost $250,000, simply laughs heartily and exclaims "That's less than the cost of a Ferrari!"

Overall, Let Me Down Easy entertains and enlightens with sad, thought-provoking and moving testimonials of life, injustice and beauty.

At the ART in Cambridge, MA through October 11.

Near-Peak Colors Around Mt. Jackson

After my high-altitude hiking in Peru, where the oxygen is limited, hiking in NH's White Mountains near sea level was a piece of cake! I felt great! And I didn't need to break for breathers on the way up.

We got a late start, so we met quite a few people coming down from the summit. Everyone of them lamented the lack of views due to the low cloud cover. "It's not worth it," several said. Well, I'm glad we continued.

Miraculously, when we reached the summit, the sky cleared and we had 360 degree views! Autumnal colors were vivid in areas of sun; less so in areas of cloud cover. Not quite peak yet though.

Although the summit of Mt. Washington to the northeast was occluded by clouds, the rest of the mountain, and the area around it, was majestic to behold.

The trail near the summit is very steep and rocky, and requires some tricky foot and legwork to get over massive boulders. Fortunately even the wet rocks weren't too slippery.

A very enjoyable 6-hour hike! And it was Mike's very first Presidential! Congratulations, Mike!

5.2 miles, 2,150' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Jackson = 4,052 feet
Route: Webster-Jackson Trail and Mount Jackson Branch both ways

Peru and Machu Picchu

A wonderful hiking trip with Mike, Harry and Javier. See more of my photos on flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23477159@N06/sets/72157607550775182/detail/

NH Highland Games & Highland Dancing

Two of the key activities in the Highland Games are the Heavy Events Athletics and Highland Dancing.

Scottish Highland dancing is one of the oldest forms of folk dance. Although Highland dancing was historically restricted to men (warrior or celebratory dances), it has been performed primarily by females since the 1900s. Highland dances, which require both athletic and artistic skills, include

• The Highland Fling
• The Sword Dance (Gillie Callum)
• The Seann Triubhas (prounounced "shawn trews" and meaning "old trousers")
• The Strathspey and Reel

Of the Heavy Athletics events, I saw the stone toss, in which a 100 lb. stone is tossed with two hands for distance. It precedes the modern one-handed shot put. The winner of this game tossed the stone nearly 15 feet!

The signature event of the Highland Games Heavy Athletics is the caber toss. Unfortunately I missed this one. In this event, the athlete lifts the caber (essentially a 130-lb. telephone pole), runs with it, stops abruptly and tosses the caber end over end (at at least attempts to do so). This is something I plan to see next year!

Mt. Pemigewasset

Saturday's two-hour hike was sandwiched in between rain in the morning and thunderstorms in the afternoon. It was also a warm-up to Sunday's longer 4,000 footer.

I've said it before -- this trail rewards you with stunning views for relatively little effort. Though it only takes an hour to get to the summit, the trail is unrelentingly up-up-up the entire way. No switchbacks and no level stretches to catch your breath! A great workout!

At the summit, we enjoyed sun while we ate our lunch, and within 15 minutes, storm clouds rolled in and we could see rain in the distance. As the thunder got closer, we moved quickly to descend before the storm hit the mountain. I am always amazed as how fast the weather moves in the Whites!

3.4 miles, ~1,250' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Pemigewasset = 2,557 feet
Route: Mount Pemigewasset Trail from the Flume Visitor Center parking area

Cannon Mountain

We saw a red-tailed hawk only a few feet away on a branch on the trail!

Casual hikers be warned: Hi-Cannon is a difficult and challenging trail, and includes a wooden ladder to scale some particularly vertical boulders! The ladder is not as difficult to step off of as the ladder on the Mt. Morgan-Percival trail, though. To avoid the ladder, we returned via the Kinsman Ridge trail, which was as difficult and challenging as the Hi-Cannon. Nearly as challenging as the Laura Cowles Trail on Mt. Mansfield.

I was impressed by the number of parents who took their children up the Lonesome Lake trail. I wonder how many of them made it to the summit of Cannon?

The views on top are 360 degrees around:

• North and South Kinsman to the southwest, with Mt. Moosilauke peeking behind them about 9 miles away
  
• Mt. Liberty and the stunning Franconia Ridge Trail (Mts. Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette) to the east

As soon as the weather is predicted to be clear (read: no thunderstorms), we'll be on that ridge!

The summit of Lafayette is behind us in the photo.

5.9 miles (according to the White Mountain map, though it is probably more), ~2,350' elevation gain
Summit: Cannon Mountain = 4,100 feet
Route: Lonesome Lake, Hi-Cannon and Kinsman Ridge trail to summit; Kinsman Ridge trail to Lonesome Lake Trail back to Lafayette Campground

Geocaching with family in Michigan

I've now added a fifth state to my list of states where I've found geocaches! This past weekend my brothers, nieces, Uncle Rod, Mike and I searched for 4 and found 3 geocaches in the Tawas City, MI area.

My favorite, pictured here, was Buck Creek Pond, Iosco County, north of Tawas. What a beautiful area! I really enjoyed walking along the shore to find the cache. My niece traded a box of Big Boy crayons for two NRA stickers -- which we later learned was actually placed there by our uncle several years ago! How ironic is that?

Uncle Rod took a lot of great shots of us geocaching, but I captured this shot of him (holding his camera) and my brother Steve at the BBQ Sunday night! Thanks, Uncle Rod, for joining us in the geocaching adventure!

Special thanks go to Aunt Paula and Uncle Gerry for their generous hospitality over the weekend. I'm so glad that my brothers had the opportunity to get to meet them and our other uncles. It is a strong possibility that we'll (or at least I'll) be back again for the Baker reunion and Brown get-together next year. Second weekend in August.

An electrifying storm

Lightning struck one of the chimneys in my condo building yesterday, sending bricks flying hundreds of feet away. One of the bricks flew into my door, breaking the glass. The impact was so great that it jarred part of the door handle inside loose. Fortunately, no one in the area was hurt.

The chimney itself is in a precarious position, ready to fall at any moment. The area below the chimney has been sealed off with yellow police tape; residents won't be able to enter through their front door until the chimney is either stabilized or repaired.

The storm tore through the Boston area about 3:30 p.m. and dropped nearly an inch of rain in less than an hour. Wind speeds in some parts of Greater Boston hit 45 miles an hour. Ten people in Dorchester were injured when lightning struck the tree under which they were standing. Across the region, the storm downed trees and power lines, washed out streets, and knocked out traffic lights. Several boats in Boston Harbor sent out distress signals. Part of I-93 flooded near Columbia Road, backing up traffic for miles.

My first real hut experience

Yes, I did huts on my Grand Traverse trip in New Zealand. But those were luxury huts, complete with hot showers and even a drying room! No showers in the AMC hut system, including the hut I stayed in on Saturday night.

How did I do, without a shower? Better than I thought I would. But the jury is still out as to whether I'll do it again. Maybe ...

The Gale River Trail to the hut followed the course of the Gale River. It is a moderate wooded trail, with some steepness at the end--but not nearly as steep as the Sunset Ridge Trail or Laura Cowles on Mt. Mansfield.

Galehead Hut is at 3,800' elevation, with some nice views south. Unfortunately, due to haze, visibility was limited to about 10 miles, so the farthest mountain we saw was Mt. Flume. Mt. Kearsarge was not visible.

No views on Galehead Mountain's wooded summit, but there was a nice outlook east to the hut.

On Day 2, we weren't able to summit Mt. Garfield, despite being only about 0.2 miles and about 200' elevation from the top. The weather was threatening, with low foreboding clouds and very high winds, and we knew the forecast was for thunderstorms. Not worth the risk.

The Garfield Ridge Trail is challenging, with some very steep sections. Yet all were doable. We are thankful that we did those steep sections before the rain came. It rained on us on most of our trip down on the Garfield Trail. A nice couple from Franconia named Brant and Minnie drove us the ~1.5 miles from that trailhead to the Gale River Trail lot. A good day, despite not making the summit and getting rained on. There's never a bad day when you're on the trail! (Or at least, almost never :-)

14 miles (over 2 days), ~2,500' elevation gain (2,200' to Galehead Hut + 300' to Galehead Mt. summit) on Day 1; ~500' elevation gain on Day 2
Summit: Galehead Mountain = 4,024 feet
Route: Gale River Trail and Frost Trail to Galehead Hut and Galehead Mountain; Garfield Ridge Trail to Garfield Trail

Mt. Mansfield, Vermont

The crest of Mt. Mansfield, which is Vermont's highest mountain, resembles the profile of a human face. The mountain's highest point is the Chin, at 4,395 feet. From the chin are promontories for the nose, forehead and even the Adam's Apple.

Like Camel's Hump, the views are 360 degrees around. On Saturday, from the Chin of Mt. Mansfield, we looked southwest to see the majestic double summit of Camel's Hump, the summit we climbed to on Friday, July 4th. Just as we did when on top of Camel's Hump, here on Mt. Mansfield, we could see Lake Champlain, the city of Burlington, and New York state's Adirondack Mountains.

Cantilever Rock off of the Sunset Ridge Trail is worth the side excursion. It's a truly amazing 30 foot rock monolith jutting from the face of a barren cliff (see photo). It's so massive and apparently precariously situated that I felt uncomfortable standing beneath it.

A warning -- don't descend via the Laura Cowles Trail! And don't rely on the map you purchase at Underhill State Park! The map leads you to believe that the grade for both the Sunset Ridge Trail and Laura Cowles Trail is the same, as the contour lines look nearly identical. Beware! While the Sunset Ridge Trail is rated as difficult, with rock scrambles and rough footing in many sections, the Laura Cowles Trail is extremely steep and FAR more difficult. It is truly a challenge to descend on the Laura Cowles Trail. If you want to do a loop to the Chin from Underhill State Park, ascend the Laura Cowles, and return via the Sunset Ridge Trail. Your knees will thank you.

7.0 miles (with side trip to Cantilever Rock), ~2,500' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Mansfield (the Chin) = 4,395 feet
Route: Sunset Ridge Trail to the Chin; Laura Cowles Trail back to Underhill State Park lot

Stunning views from Vermont's third-highest mountain - Camel's Hump

After walking through a forest of moss, lichen and ferns, and navigating many water-covered rocks (which fortunately aren't too slippery), one reaches the summit of Camel's Hump with moderate effort on the Monroe Trail. Many dogs on this trail have their own packs, and inevitably ascend faster than their owners. They have four feet after all! :-)

The 360 degree views from the summit of Camel's Hump are stunning -- west to Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks in New York (see photo), north to Mt. Mansfield, and east to the White Mountains. You really feel like you're on top of the world!

7.4 miles, 2,600' elevation gain
Summit: Camel's Hump = 4,083 feet
Route: Monroe Trail

Great B&B in North Conway, NH

If you're in North Conway, I highly recommend the Wildflowers Inn. The rooms are nice, and the breakfast delicious. But what makes this B&B stand out from the rest is the ambiance. The owners are extremely friendly and personable, and make you feel at home as soon as you walk in the door. They accommodated our request for early, pre-hike breakfasts and even upgraded us to a suite with an in-room jacuzzi when they found out we were celebrating Mike's birthday! You won't be disappointed if you stay at Wildflowers!

South Moat Mountain in the fog and mizzle

Approaching thunderstorms on June 21st prevented us from summiting South Moat, but we made another, more successful attempt on June 28th, walking in mizzle and dense fog. We're told that there are amazing views both from the ridge and from the summit, but alas, the fog was too thick for us to see them.

It is a very pleasant path, with a short (1/4 mile long) talus slope and a moderate incline. No rock scrambling.

On the way back down, we stopped to find two "Moat Mountain Challenge" geocaches (#4 and #6), supplementing the two we'd found the weekend before.

5.4 miles, ~2,200' elevation gain
Summit: South Moat Mountain = 2,770 feet
Route: Moat Mountain Trail from Dugway Road

A quieter way up Mt. Pemigewasset

There are two trails up Mount Pemigewasset. The Mount Pemigewasset Trail, which starts from the Flume Visitor Center, is the most popular. I've done that trail a dozen times. But this was a first for me on the Indian Head Trail, which starts a short distance away. Conditions on Saturday, April 26 were difficult at best:

• the trial was very poorly marked, causing an excruciating number of stops along the way to find the elusive yellow blazes
• much of the trail was flooded, causing even our waterproof boots to get soaked
• a good portion of the trail, especially at the beginning and near the summit, had piles of snow 3' high, causing post-holes unless you used snowshoes

Even though it was 70 degrees by mid-day and we were in shorts and t-shirts, we definitely needed, and used, our snowshoes. We constantly put them on and took them off, bare booting it in the stream and at crossings. The last half-mile near the summit is very steep, giving me a chance to practice steep descents in snowshoes. The hike took 6-1/2 hours, despite the moderate mileage. That's the slowest I've ever gone on a trail, --even slower than the Caps Ridge Trail up Mt. Jefferson!

The views from the summit are just as spectacular this time of year as in the summer -- a nice reward for soaked boots and a frustratingly slow pace.

4.5 miles, ~1,500' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Pemigewasset = 2,557 feet
Route: Indian Head Trail (very poorly marked)

Sex and democracy in "Elections and Erections"

Sex and democracy were both illegal in South Africa during the apartheid years, according to Pieter-Dirk Uys, who headlines the ART's current production. They are the subject of thought-provoking humor and political satire in Elections and Erections.

Uys, a playwright, actor and AIDS activist, delivers comedy and drama with equal brilliance. While most of the one-man play is packed with humor, the most moving part is his depiction of the fear he felt as a sexually active gay man in Johannesburg.

You'll enjoy this play, even if you're not intimately familiar with South African politics (though it helps). Uys makes the play contemporary by referencing the U.S. presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Eliot Spitzer, among others. I was entertained and even educated. I recommend seeing this production, which runs at the Zero Arrow Theater in Cambridge through May 4, 2008.

Hills on Long Island!

The white-blazed Greenbelt Trail, starting from Cold Spring Harbor, provides a surprising number of ascents and descents. Who would have thought that there are hills on Long Island? We walked for two hours toward Jericho Turnpike, crossing three roads, then turned back. This trail system, which is said to comprise more than 100 miles of trails, is a real plus for Long Island!

The Bravery

It's not often that a live band sounds just like their album, but last night, The Bravery managed that feat. The lead singer Sam Endicott didn't miss a key. He told the audience that they had just come out with a new album, The Sun and the Moon. That album is far from "new": most of the audience had had several months to memorize the lyrics to each song. There was only one song on the set list, Dandy Rock, not on either of their two albums. They performed their hits -- An Honest Mistake, Believe -- flawlessly, and I found the song "Every Word is a Knife in my Ear" to be particularly moving. This is a band that's easy for everyone to like (it's definitely not heavy metal which I am partial to). I look forward to their new album, "The Moon" in March.

Avalon Trail, New Hampshire's White Mtns.

The goal was Mt. Tom, a 4,000 footer. Or, worst case, Mt. Avalon -- a mountain at least, though only 3,442 feet tall. Wouldn't have been a problem in better weather. But winter hiking is so much more difficult! I made it 1/3 of a mile past the trail junction with the Mt. Avalon spur, but then I wimped out. Two spills on the steep descent before the steep ascent of Mt. Tom, and I was done. Didn't feel comfortable doing the ascent, knowing I had all that to descend. I didn't even want to ascend Mt. Avalon, again due my perceived steepness of the trail. The good news is that I spent the rest of the 1.5 miles back to the car practicing flat-footing with the snowshoes on moderate grades. And I feel comfortable with that now. So, next weekend, I'm attempting Mt. Tom again. I just have to be more aggressive with my footing. Mike was a good sport about it all. I think I was more disappointed not to make it to the summit than he was! But a beautiful hike, on nearly 3 feet of packed snow!

Greenstone & Routeburn Track photos

Vicki above Greenstone Valley.

Vicki, JC and John in the enchanted forest, covered with goblin moss, lichen and ferns, on the way to Mt. 1538 on the Greenstone Track.

For more photos, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/23477159@N06/ . Click on the "i" in the middle of the first photo in the slideshow to get the photo names, which describe the photo.

Rob Roy Glacier and Central Otago wine country - New Zealand

Hike to Rob Roy Glacier, 54 km from Wanaka
Left Aspiring Lodge at 7:10am and arrived at Raspberry Creek car park at 8:11am. Began hike at 8:20am. Easy-moderate grade with a good trail all the way to the end. Many switchbacks. Reached end at 10:15am (2 hours up). Views of gigantic Rob Roy Glacier (which JC explained is receding) across the mountain, with substantial snow packs from avalanches below. While watching the Glacier, we heard the telltale rumble of an avalanche (like a low, long roll of thunder) and saw what looked like a third waterfall which was actually snow falling hundreds of feet into the snow pack below. After a few minutes, the fall of snow ended and the third "waterfall" disappeared. Hike back to car took only 1-1/2 hours.

Central Otago Wine Country
Back at the lodge around 1pm. Changed clothes, got lunch and began drive from Wanaka to wine country (destination: Cromwell, to the SE). We drove around the industrial park in Cromwell, before finding Quartz Reef.

Quartz Reef Winery (Cromwell) -- Rudi, an Austrian who worked at Rippon Winery in Wanaka before starting Quartz Reef, amiably served us his riesling and pinot noir, discussing the soil conditions and modest 3000 case output of his winery. He directed us to Rockburn Winery (unexceptional) in Cromwell and Mt. Difficulty Winery in Bannockburn.

Mt. Difficulty Winery (Bannockburn) -- excellent views from the hilltop and cafe. In comparison to Quartz Reef and Rockburn, this winery had excellent merchandising, though it pales in comparison to the merchandising of wineries in Napa and Sonoma.

Felton Road Winery -- last stop in Bannockburn. Cult status.

I tasted pinot noirs from all four wineries, with the 2006 pinot noir from Felton Road being quite exceptional.

Took a photo using JC's camera of JC and John in front of each winery.

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Took a taxi to Queenstown Airport to pick up Hertz rental car. Loaded trunk up and began journey from Queenstown to Milford Sound. Stopped halfway in Te Anau to get gas and lunch. Saw enormous, probably non-perennial snow pack just before Homer Tunnel. Water had carved a 10' high tunnel in the snow pack, and mist arose from the icy/snowy mass.

Two hours later, after a drive through an alpine zone, we arrived in Milford Sound for our 4:30 pm overnight cruise on the "Real Journeys" Mariner. We motored through the sound (no rain!), admiring the sheer cliffs and waterfalls, stopping in Anita Bay (near the end) for "water activities". Some went in a motor boat. We kayaked for 1-1/2 hours with a nature guide, learning about "Post Office Rock", the garden, and the cottage there. It took three takes on the videocamera before capturing John in his kayak with the Tasman Sea in the background. The boat anchored in Harris Cove for the night.

Dinner on board with 2 nice women from Australia. Pavlova for dessert again. Slept in tiny bunk bed in a tiny cabin surprisingly well.

Awoke on board Mariner and went to front deck as we started cruising back out of the Sound and into the Tasman Sea. Another rainless day (2-1/2 days out of 3 it typically rains!) and exceedingly calm seas for a cruise in the Tasman Sea. On the way back in we got close to a massive waterfall and got wet from the mist. And then we saw three dolphins, which rode our bow for 10 minutes. (John got it all on video.) Magnificent views, and an excellent idea to do an overnight in Milford sound instead of a 1-1/2 hour cruise, which is what most people do.

Took a 15-minute side trip near Milford Sound to a gorge where water had carved magnificent shapes into rocks hundreds of feet below us. Spent remainder of day driving from Milford Sound to Queenstown. Met Tom and Linda Watkins (and Alan and Ann) for dinner at Speight's Ale House.

New Zealand!

Thirteen days in New Zealand and there's so much more to see and do! I only saw part of the south part of the South Island! It was a FANTASTIC trip, planned well by my good friend JC. The highlights:

• we summited Bob's Peak on the Ben Lommond Trail over Queenstown on Christmas Day
• we did the Grand Traverse -- hiking hut-to-hut on the Greenstone and Routeburn Trails for 6 days, weathering only two days of solid rain (my first hut trip!)
  
• we watched fireworks to bring in the New Year over Lake Wanaka in Queenstown with new friends from our hut trip
• we cruised Milford Sound and went out to the Tasman Sea in the Mariner, both in the afternoon and again in the morning
• we kayaked on Milford Sound
• we hiked to Rob Roy Glacier and watched several avalanches (the snowfall looked like a huge waterfall from the distance)
• we visited 4 wineries in the Otago region (pinot noir and sauvignon blanc are their standouts)

The Greenstone Track
Day 1 - 11.2 miles/ ~1500' elevation gain to Steele Creek Lodge
Met at 7:45am in Queenstown and drove to Glenorchy for a scone and tea. Eight of us plus two guides, Kath and James, started the trail at 10:30. First part of path is a stately beech forest. We followed the Greenstone River running through a deep chasm for several hours; it was so clear and green. Enticing for a swim but entirely too cold. Saw bush robins and Paradise ducks. Views of Mt. Christina as we walked the last hour to the lodge over river flats. Several sections of "braided" river here. Lunch at Slip Flat, including hot tea and milo (hot malted chocolate), plus "lemon and barley" drink. Developed major foot problems with pinched pinky toes and a right heel blister. Dinner of Fettucine Bolognese and onion soup with brandied fruit for dessert. To bed early (9:30pm) with a hot water bottle to ward off the cold. Silk sheet is a great cocoon!

Day 2 - 9.9 miles / ~860' elevation gain to McKellar Lodge
Continued along Greenstone River (on left) for entire walk. Constant views of the Livingstone Mountains to the left. From lodge walked short distance to a LONG swingbridge, the Steele Creek bridge, which can only accommodate the weight of one person at a time. It was not only long (about 200 feet), but it was also very high, with Steele Creek FAR below. I was terrified when I was only 1/4 of the way across and stupidly looked down. I hung on to the wire on both sides for dear life; John got it all on video. I smiled for the camera to disguise my terror. But I made it across. Everyone did.

We walked for two hours (5.1 miles) to our lunch spot. It rained constantly during that walk, whose highlight feature was the vast "rocky slip" or rocky slide. Rocks left over from the glacial period, falling off a nearby cliff, defined the path for nearly a mile. We reached the lunch spot just as the skies opened up. Drank hot orange tang. Yummy!

3 miles from the lunch spot we saw the last view of the Greenstone Valley, shrouded in clouds. We then walked through a lush rain forest, with moss, lichens and ferns everywhere. Green on all silver beech tree trunks. Very Lord of the Rings-like.

It was very wet (rainy) and cold for the last half of the hike. By the time we got to McKellar Lodge, we were so wet and cold that I had great difficulty using my fingers to untie my shoes, take off my socks, and pinch clothespins to hang up my wet clothes. Thank God for the hot shower!

Second Skin on right heel and both pinky toes worked fairly well!

Day 3 - 4.5 miles / ~2,100' elevation gain, nearly to the summit of (Mt.) 1538 (meters)
We set out at 9:40am for the "lookout", or saddle of Mt. 1538, making it after an hour of enchanted forest and another 1/2 hour above "bush" (tree) line. Nice and sunny today, but our boots were still wet from yesterday's rain. Steady climb up from 690 meters to 1000 meters (bush line) and lookout (1100 meters), through a gnarled tangle of tree roots.

We lost the trail from the lookout up for a while, stepping across and through tussocks to ascend. It was tough going, and I felt a bit panicky when I realized I'd lost the trail. A few moments of terror, led to me proclaiming that I wasn't going any further. Annette and JC convinced me that it would get easier, and they were right. I kept worrying about the difficult and steep descent that awaited me at the end of the day, and decided to stop at a large rock ~155 meters from the summit. I took cover behind the huge boulder, added several layers, a wool hat and mittens, then ate lunch and took a nap. James, JC, John, Thomas and Annette returned in an hour and ate lunch there before we began our descent. Fortunately, James lent me his poles, which eased the descent considerably.

Note to self: trails in the White Mountains of NH are much better maintained than this track up to 1538. I found this trail to be quite challenging, especially in the descent. I walked at a much slower pace than most of the group.

Those in our group who didn't hike with us that day took a boat out on the river, and we could see them rowing in their boat from the saddle of 1538!

The Routeburn Track
Day 4 - 8.1 miles / ~1,000' elevation gain to Lake Mackenzie Lodge
We walked through more enchanted forest along the western shore of Lake McKellar for two hours. Then we walked through a boggy part at the head of the lake. Then we emerged at Lake Howden, the junction of the Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks. This is where we met up with the 12 hikers, including three teenagers, who joined us to do only the Routeburn Track.

After lunch at Lake Howden, I climbed gradually through a silver beech forest to the spectacular Earland Falls. It is impossible to capture the magnitude of those falls on film; I needed 2 separate landscape photos to stitch together. They are 147 meters high! The track passes by the base pool, where you get wet from the falls.

After leaving the falls, there are some nice views of the Darran Mountains to the west, and Hollyford Valley to the north. (We'll be tramping to the east of the valley tomorrow, on Day 5 of the Grand Traverse (Day 2 of the Routeburn Track).)

Near one bridge crossing is a rock and moss formation called Myrtle the turtle It looks like a turtle!

After Earland Falls is the Orchard, created by a winter snow avalanche. The lodge is another 45 minutes.

My favorite day so far. No pressure to keep up with the group, and plenty of time to "stop and stare" and take photographs. Plus the track was very well graded, and I found it easy to ascend and descend.

Day 5 - 9.2 miles/~2,000' elevation gain to Routeburn Falls Lodge
Highest point 1355 meters (~4,065 feet)
We climbed via 2 zigzags above Lake Mackenzie into an alpine world overlooking Hollyford Valley. It rained on us all day, and I discovered that my GoreTex raincoat is not waterproof! After 1-1/2 hours, we had our morning chocolate break underneath some dry rocks and added another layer in anticipation of the walk across the Hollyford face.

Two hours later we stopped for lunch at a shelter at Harris Saddle. Hot milo was a treat for my rain-soaked self!

After lunch, the Routeburn Track climbs around Lake Harris before dropping into the upper Routeburn Valley. Mt. Cook Lilies -- actually the world's largest buttercup, named a lily only because of the water lily-like leaves -- grow surprisingly tall in the alpine vegetation. The white flower apparently stands out among insects and moths which only see the world in black and white.

You see nice views of the Routeburn Valley before beginning the descent to Routeburn Falls Lodge. The trail for 2 hours was a gushing stream of water -- impossible to avoid and causing mini waterfalls at nearly every turn. We very quickly gave up trying to avoid the water -- our boots were already soaked through and I was sloshing in mine!

Descent was over beautiful purple and red rocks -- unlike rocks in NH's White Mountains, they were not slippery when wet. A very pleasant walk, despite heavy rain and flooding. A hot shower and dry clothes were a welcome end to the day.

Another fantastic meal and pancakes for dessert, which we each to line up and catch with our plates when the guides threw them backwards over their shoulders!

Day 6 - 6.1 miles to Routeburn Road end
Breakfast with sausages. And oatmeal (porridge) again. A "fine" day -- a bit cloudy but no rain in sight.

We walked one hour downhill to an Ultimate Hikes shelter with milo and toffee/chocolate cookies. Then another hour of descent with abnormally wide and easy paths to the lunch spot -- Forge Flat, named because a smith used to operate a forge there. Forge Flat is a lovely rocky beach along the Routeburn River.

The forest here is not as Lord of the Rings-y, in that it's not as lush with moss, lichen and ferns as along the Greenstone Track. Most of the trees are red beech. Because the roots of these trees typically lace together, they are subject to avalanches during heavy rainfall. This actually occurred above the Routeburn Flats hut, creating a whole section of "slip" (slide) in January 1994.

On the walk from Forge Flat to road end, we saw a group of Green Hooded Orchids, which have a "trap door" to snag insects. We actually coaxed the "tongue" to open and close.

The bus picked us up and drove us to Glenorchy, where we had beer, wedgies, fries and 2 group photos. Then about a 45 minute drive along the lake back to Queenstown, for a celebration dinner at the Novitel Hotel.

Salmon and pavlova for dinner. Walked around the lake front, listening to a DJ and a band. Drinks at Monty's with Kath, Bridie, James and Sadow, then fireworks at midnight with JC, John, Claudia, Michael, Thomas and Mandy. A renegade fireworks seared a handful of hair off of Claudia's head. Lots of partying after fireworks (by those in Queenstown, not by us!)