Yoo 439 - NZ...Kepler, Pt 2

Kepler post-climb was perfect. The clouds finally cleared up and we had mostly un-obstructed views of the mountainous landscape surrounding us. And we were on top of it all!

Dozens of waterfalls rushing down all sides of the mountains, some just trailing off into mist. Snow dusting the tops. Green foothills. Deep blue lakes covering valley floors. Sun!

One of my favorite places and favorite vacation days. But we had earned it climbing all day just prior and then hiking thru a blizzard that morning...

^^ hiked to a a summit and just sat there forever. one of my happy places.

^^ if i had a dog, this is what his perspective would be...

Then we started our trek down. We'd been informed it involved 97 switchbacks.

97.

This is how we looked after about 14.

^^ pain

^^ 1 of 97 killer switchbacks...

I'm never leaving my trekking poles at home again. Hiking downhill is killer! I know this but I always forget when it comes to the "trekking poles or no trekking poles?" packing decision.

Answer from now on: ALWAYS pack the trekking poles.

Also, if I ever blaze a trail, I'm just going to install a giant slide down the side of the mountain and hikers for generations will thank me.

^^ what? you didn't have this view while cooking your dinner? :-P

^^ new dinner procedures (and a new pan holder) post spilling-the-noodles-twice incidents

^^ iris burn falls

^^ yet another morning of packing up a wet tent

I don't know how I forgot to take pictures of our hike thru the valley on our last morning? But I did. So just imagine a lush valley with towering mountains on either side, more waterfalls, no wind, and sunshine beginning to peer over the peaks...

^^ nazgul attacks (lord of the rings nerds...)

^^ not pictured: sand. flies.

^^ luv ya too, new zealand

^^ marshes. this is close to where lotr filmed the dead marshes...

^^ sign towards the end of the hike...too little too late

So, this is the Gregtrooper finishing Kepler. All of the crazy climbing and descending had taken quite a toll on his left hip flexor and he was barely managing to walk for the last couple kilometers. But he made it!

I left him at the last car park while I ran 10 kilometers back to our car. It felt so good to run on those trails! New Zealand trail runners are THE most spoiled people in the world, I have decided.

I got back to the car and thought Greg would have taken a shuttle to meet me. He wasn't there. So I climbed behind the wheel for the first time and began my mantra: "keep left, keep left, keep left". There wasn't a map in the car so I just started driving in what I thought was the right direction. Then my road became a dirt road. Suddenly I was fording a small river? HUGE cow at the top of a hill. "Call Me Maybe" came on the radio.

"I am most-decidedly lost" was the conclusion.

I back-tracked to the main highway and eventually found the other car park.

Greg was gone.

I retraced my route back to the original car park.

Meanwhile, Greg had returned on a shuttle to that very same car park and panicked for just a second thinking the car had been stolen.

Then I triumphantly returned, driving on the right side of the car and left side of the road.

(everything is backwards in that car. every time i thought i was hitting the blinker, the windshield wipers would turn on. awkward...)

^^ my one experience behind the wheel in new zealand

Remember how we almost wussed out of hiking Kepler because of weather reports?? That would have been the worst-decision ever.

So grateful for those beautiful few days hiking in that alpine paradise!

Have a great day :-)