106 Kilometers Later...
Mike, Ashley, and I set out on a 9 day tramping (hiking) adventure in the mountains, streams, forests, and meadows of the Southern Alps. True to New Zealand form, it rained...a lot. We spent a lot of time cold, wet, and smelly but spirits remained high and we had an incredible time together. Here's a breakdown of the tracks we hiked and all the fun we had:

Caples-Greenstone Track:
Northwest of Queenstown, the Caples-Greenstone Track is two adjoining tracks that make a 66 kilometer loop...here's a map I drew in my journal of the routes complete with a few of the things we experiences along the way.



















Mike looking suave at the fork in the Caples Track before we hiked straight up the steepest grade I've ever climbed.

















Ashley coming up to McKenzie Saddle (940 meters), the top of the steep grade climb that straddles two large mountains.












Mike on a swing bridge after our first night camping in a meadow next to a freezing, clear, glacial river. The sandflies were awful. They are just like mosquitoes but much smaller, more insistent, and their bites itch more. There were swarms of them around us the whole night while we cooked.













Mike and Ashley walking in an alpine meadow. We were surrounded by large foothills in all directions.












Ashley and I looking good on the Greenstone Track, third day out.


















A bare beech forest...we hiked through a lot of beech forests, but each different according to the elevation, type of beech, or amount of rainfall that particular area received.










Just for contrast, here's another beech forest on the Greenstone, covered in moss and ferns.












It snowed the 3rd and 4th days we were on the track.












New Zealand has an extensive system of huts along it's tracks all over the country. We prefer to camp (cheaper!), but freezing rain is about our limit of comfort so we were lucky to get to the backcountry huts in time the 3rd and 4th nights to get spots in the bunks. We were able to dry our boots (we were walking through puddles and mud holes up to our calves all day) and clothes next to the coal stove and read and play cards by candle light at nights while we watched it snow out the windows...perfect!










The last part of the C-G Track goes through Fiordland National Park, the southwestern most national park.












The view from below Key Summit, on our last few k's on the C-G track, before going back to the car to restock on food supplies and rest a bit before heading out again for the Routeburn Track.









Routeburn Track:
The Routeburn Track is one of nine "Great Walks" of New Zealand, named so because they are pretty much guaranteed to blow your mind. After walking in a cloud for the first day and a half, we were skeptical...but the clouds eventually opened up to reveal the most incredible scenery I've ever seen on a hike. "Great", indeed.

Mike and Ashley on the side of a mountain above Lake Harris. The place we camped the first night is in the very back of the lake; it was freezing and rainy the whole day and night after we hiked in a cloud the whole day (that's why there's no pictures). We managed to hike out for day 2 with smiles on our faces though, probably because of the delicious hot cocoa we had every morning.






Again, hiking on a precipice in the clouds. We had no idea how high we were or what was on the other side, but it was steep and menacing.
















After a one hour snowstorm, we were starting to lose hope that we would see anything "great" after all. Just then, the sky opened up and a rainbow appeared, followed soon after by snow capped peaks just beyond our range.









Mike and Ashley hiking up to Harris Saddle, the lowest east-west crossing between the Southern Alps, but still pretty high if you ask me.
















Lake Harris, right at the saddle, surrounded by towering peaks.












The weather cleared at the saddle and we could see ranges and valleys beyond...it was breathtaking. That's Lake Harris in the foreground.
















Mike and Ashley preparing for our hike all the way down into this valley to our campsite.

















Routeburn Falls, a huge multi-tiered waterfall and the trails namesake.

















Still hiking down into the huge valley. We camped in the lower left side of this meadow the second night. It was rainy and cold...again.











Our car, Fanny, was at the other end of the trail, and it was a 6 hour drive to get back to it, so Mike pulled out his man card and decided to hike the whole Routeburn (33 k) in one day to go get the car and Ashley and I would meet him in Queenstown in two days time. He's so dreamy...=) He did the whole thing safely and we all reconvened yesterday at a nice hostel with duvets and a free spa. As a present for being voted "Camp Champ" we got him a 12 pack of beer, some mini chocolate Easter eggs, and a one hour massage from a local spa. La-ti-da!