Out and about

Over the past 10 days I've been out around Christchurch. A couple of days spent out sailing, hiking and mountain biking in Akaroa on the volcanic peninsula two hours east of Christchurch and a few days hiking in Arthur's pass which is two hours to the west.

Hiking re-introduced me to rain and for the first couple of hours it was actually fun to be cold and wet. Ramen noodles taste best when cooked on a Coleman stove and eaten with a spork. Arthur's pass is a lot like Smuggler's Notch back in VT with mountains that are taller. I spent the night in a hut with a couple of Ice friends from the power plant and an old Kiwi who has hiked on every mountain I could name in Africa, Asia, and South America. The hike was in the clouds with occasional openings that let me see the west coast. It was cool to wake up and see clouds below me and above me with a clear patch to see the mountains around me in between.

We were somewhat surprised when two people from the Carpenter shop showed up at the hut. Then again there are lots of ice people around.