Thoughts mostly about travel and places I have been. While a lot of my travel is into the backcountry backpacking or paddling I do my share of trips to more traditional front-country locations too. From time to time other items of note will appear that definitely fall outside the realm of travel and associated things. It is also worth noting that I am legally blind.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
New Zealand: Waimangu Volcanic Valley
The Waimangu Volcanic Valley features numerous geothermal features. Mount Terawera erupted June 1886 destroying everything in the area and totally reshapedpp q the land. Lake Rotomahana grew 20 times in size and became North Island's deepest lake. The famed pink and white terraces vanished beneath the water or were destroyed. The world's largest hot pool, Fryingpan Lake, was born. Today a fantastic mixture of re-emergent flora and fauna combine with the landscape to create a stunning special place.
Video of the Waimangu Valley with much the same audio but so much more visually compelling you should watch even if you listened to the audio show.
Teaser
Today we tackled the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It's a 12-mile trek with over 2,700 feet of climbing and nearly 4,000 feet long f descending. It is a tough hike. But it does have some exceptional views. I'm not sure it's the world's best alone day hike as some say because the last handful of miles are a real slog with joys hard to find (but no seeming end to the steps) but it is certainly going to be memorable.
Emerald Lake is a bit more than halfway. We are descending loose ground, akin to scree or a sand dune with huge sand grains, to get there. The vast bulk of ascent is done and the vastly greater descent has started. A tough trek indeed.
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