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puppetmakerLJ Idol Season 6 Week 2 Topic: Uphill, both ways, barefoot
Behind the cut is my LJ Idol Entry which I cut for the good of my friends list. I tell the tale of our hike up Rangitoto in New Zealand with photos.
It seemed a good idea at the time. We were in Auckland a few days before the Armageddon Expo where my husband was a guest of the convention. We wanted to do something that was close to the city but different. We looked at the ferries that left the docks and we found two that were on our time schedule. One was going to an Island with lots of shopping and food and tourist stuff. The other was an inactive volcano on a nature preserve. We opted for Rangitoto which means Bloody Sky in Maori. We should have taken a clue from that.
(For the Visually Impaired. This is a picture of Rangitoto from the pier. It juts out slightly from the skyline of the Island)
It looked like a hike and the little sign said that it would take about an hour to the summit. We had a deadline of 3:15 to get back since the last ferry leaves at 3:30. So we had about 2 ½ hours to accomplish this feat. To begin with it was a path of lava rock. Not that bad but you could feel every pebble under your feet through your sneakers. I was wishing for my hiking boots pretty early on. Caroline was scrambling up the path like a mountain goat. No hesitation at all. We kept up with her and this is how it was for the first 20 minutes of the hike. I could tell we were going up rather rapidly. The temperature changed and the wind picked up.
(For the Visually Impaired. The beginning of the path which is broken up lava with stones on either side. Caroline is looking up the path. Looks easy at this point)
I should have known better. We turned a corner and the path changed. It was now much narrower with lots of twists and turns. We started to go single file with Peter in front, Caroline in the middle, and me in the back. I was glad that we had solid sneakers because I could feel all the rocks under my feet. The loose lava rock made us slow our pace down because we were concerned about turning an ankle. We walked further and saw a sign that said 15 minutes to the summit. And then the climb got harder and more rocky. We started wondering if this was not our best idea.
(For the Visually Impaired. The path gets much harder and there are many more rocks and it is much more vertical than the previous picture.)
Half an hour later, we reached the crater with a bit of cursing along the way. We were out of breath which had more to do with being at a much higher elevation than our physical condition. Our feet had felt every bump and rough spot on the trail. We had lost count as to how many times we came close to turning our ankles. The crater was a bit of a disappointment. You could see how it was but now it was covered in trees with little bits of lava showing at points. All that hiking for this. Caroline was done with it after looking down once.
(For the Visual Impaired: Looking into the Crater of Rangitoto. Lots of trees and scrub with a little bit of lava showing at random points. Looks like most of the landscape going up to the crater.)
Off to the left were a set of steps leading up to the summit. 50 more steps while our legs were aching from the climb so far. We sucked it up and started up the stairs. It was so worth it. Our entire climb made sense now. We climbed to get a better view. We could see Auckland and other islands in the area. We heard bird song and felt the wind in our hair. Our aches and pains seemed a thing of the past.
(For the Visually Impaired: A view from the Summit 850 feet up (straight up at points) looking out at Auckland.)
On the way down as we avoid turning our ankles on the loose rocks and the jutting stones, Peter mumbled, “Uphill in the snow both ways.” Caroline asked him what he was talking about. He told her the old joke about when he was young he would walk to school up hill, both ways in the snow with no shoes. She said, “You should have worn shoes.” And she skipped down the mountain. Youngesters.
In the end we all agreed that it was worth it even with the blisters and the sore ankles and the next day when we walked in the Shire.
(For the Visually Impaired: A picture of a bunch of Hobbit Holes on the Alexander Sheep Farm)
This is my entry for this weeks LJ Idol. I hope you like it and will vote for me when the time comes
Behind the cut is my LJ Idol Entry which I cut for the good of my friends list. I tell the tale of our hike up Rangitoto in New Zealand with photos.
It seemed a good idea at the time. We were in Auckland a few days before the Armageddon Expo where my husband was a guest of the convention. We wanted to do something that was close to the city but different. We looked at the ferries that left the docks and we found two that were on our time schedule. One was going to an Island with lots of shopping and food and tourist stuff. The other was an inactive volcano on a nature preserve. We opted for Rangitoto which means Bloody Sky in Maori. We should have taken a clue from that.
(For the Visually Impaired. This is a picture of Rangitoto from the pier. It juts out slightly from the skyline of the Island)
It looked like a hike and the little sign said that it would take about an hour to the summit. We had a deadline of 3:15 to get back since the last ferry leaves at 3:30. So we had about 2 ½ hours to accomplish this feat. To begin with it was a path of lava rock. Not that bad but you could feel every pebble under your feet through your sneakers. I was wishing for my hiking boots pretty early on. Caroline was scrambling up the path like a mountain goat. No hesitation at all. We kept up with her and this is how it was for the first 20 minutes of the hike. I could tell we were going up rather rapidly. The temperature changed and the wind picked up.
(For the Visually Impaired. The beginning of the path which is broken up lava with stones on either side. Caroline is looking up the path. Looks easy at this point)
I should have known better. We turned a corner and the path changed. It was now much narrower with lots of twists and turns. We started to go single file with Peter in front, Caroline in the middle, and me in the back. I was glad that we had solid sneakers because I could feel all the rocks under my feet. The loose lava rock made us slow our pace down because we were concerned about turning an ankle. We walked further and saw a sign that said 15 minutes to the summit. And then the climb got harder and more rocky. We started wondering if this was not our best idea.
(For the Visually Impaired. The path gets much harder and there are many more rocks and it is much more vertical than the previous picture.)
Half an hour later, we reached the crater with a bit of cursing along the way. We were out of breath which had more to do with being at a much higher elevation than our physical condition. Our feet had felt every bump and rough spot on the trail. We had lost count as to how many times we came close to turning our ankles. The crater was a bit of a disappointment. You could see how it was but now it was covered in trees with little bits of lava showing at points. All that hiking for this. Caroline was done with it after looking down once.
(For the Visual Impaired: Looking into the Crater of Rangitoto. Lots of trees and scrub with a little bit of lava showing at random points. Looks like most of the landscape going up to the crater.)
Off to the left were a set of steps leading up to the summit. 50 more steps while our legs were aching from the climb so far. We sucked it up and started up the stairs. It was so worth it. Our entire climb made sense now. We climbed to get a better view. We could see Auckland and other islands in the area. We heard bird song and felt the wind in our hair. Our aches and pains seemed a thing of the past.
(For the Visually Impaired: A view from the Summit 850 feet up (straight up at points) looking out at Auckland.)
On the way down as we avoid turning our ankles on the loose rocks and the jutting stones, Peter mumbled, “Uphill in the snow both ways.” Caroline asked him what he was talking about. He told her the old joke about when he was young he would walk to school up hill, both ways in the snow with no shoes. She said, “You should have worn shoes.” And she skipped down the mountain. Youngesters.
In the end we all agreed that it was worth it even with the blisters and the sore ankles and the next day when we walked in the Shire.
(For the Visually Impaired: A picture of a bunch of Hobbit Holes on the Alexander Sheep Farm)
This is my entry for this weeks LJ Idol. I hope you like it and will vote for me when the time comes
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Date: 2009-10-31 12:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 01:59 am (UTC)-Allie.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 02:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 02:49 am (UTC)I've been the Alexander Sheep Farm Hobbit Holes too. I thought it was pretty cool. :D
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 03:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 07:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 10:02 pm (UTC)Should I visit New Zealand, LOTR sites would be on my short list of places to visit.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-02 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-02 03:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-02 09:15 am (UTC)