Scenes from the Kepler Track...

I had the permits to hike the Kepler Great Walk outside of Te Anau, but I fell prey to the travelers dilemma-poor scheduling on my part. I ended up canceling the trip. Woe is me! That meant three less nights in overcrowded huts! I rallied quickly from this HUGE disappointment. 

So...I decided with my few spare days, to go and see what I missed out on. 

On day one, I went in from one side and went left. On day two, I started from the other side and went right. I did not meet myself in the middle. 

Day one was sort of uneventful with the exception of helping an injured hiker in distress. On my return, I noticed a woman limping as if she had undergone radical knee surgery ten minutes ago. 

"Are you OK?"

"I think I tore ligaments in my knee. It really hurts too." She was teary eyed when she said that.

"Look! I hate seeing people hurt. (That's the truth too!) I'll carry your backpack to the next hut and tell the ranger what's going on." 

She took a sip of water and some snacks and away I went with my new backpack. 

Three miles later, I dropped it off at the hut. I then informed the ranger of the situation.

I hope she's still not out there! 

On Day Two, I decided to get above tree line for the Kepler views. The weather was "fine." (That's Kiwi-speak for anytime there's no White Death, rain or winds that will blow your wife or child away. Kiwis are all about understatement.) 

Well, it was sort of fine, and here's a few photos.

My Milford Great Walk begins manana. The forecast is not fine...

Cheers!

Jeff

For a New Zealand change...

the Rain Gods looked the other way. 

The second most popular Great Walk in New Zealand is the Routeburn Track. It's lies in a region notorious for White Death and lots of Wet Stuff. (There was a blizzard a week before I arrived) The average yearly precipitation at the Mackenzie Hut is the height of an NBA basketball net. (Ten feet). That's taller than a Shaquille O'Neil amount of water. It's safe to say, sunshine and comforting temperatures are as rare as a saguaro cactus in these parts. In other words, not so much.

So what did I and other Happy Campers receive? Three whole days without a drip or drop! Sure, it was colder than the proverbial Witch's breast, but it was a dry cold. Ice coated the mosses, ferns and shallow puddles. Toe numbing frost blanketed the grasses and alpine flowers. The slightest of breezes made my fingers go numb. But it wasn't raining, and I was smiling. 

Sure, I had too-close-encounters with strangers invading my personal space in the huts. So what if a few snored, sneezed and coughed their germy way through the night! I experienced no rain and sunshine! 

Thank you Rain Gods for taking a summer vacation. Would you possibly accept a bribe to do the same on the Milford Track? 

From cool and cloudy, but not raining! Te Anua, NZ.

Cheers!

Jeff

The First Recorded White Guy...

to see New Zealand in 1642 was Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. 

Upon sighting land, he sent crewmen ashore from the good ship Zeehaen to gather fresh water. The local Maoris didn't exactly welcome them with milk and cookies. In fact, they  slaughtered four Gunga Din wannabes. Abel got retribution the following day by killing one local. Final Score: Maoris  4-Dutch 1. 

(My welcome to NZ was an ER visit worthy strain of cold virus, the worst summer in decades and today's speeding ticket. No complaints compared to Abel. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.co.nz/2017/01/the-coldest-winter-i-ever-spent.html )

Abel named the kill zone Murderers' Bay. Now it's been renamed the much more tourist brochure friendly Golden Bay. And near there is where I hiked for three nights and four days in Abel Tasman National Park. Luckily for me, I didn't encounter any unfriendly natives on this journey. However, I did encounter heaps and heaps of humans. They arrived by foot, kayak, sail boat, motorboat, motor vehicles, guided tours and even airplanes. If you have cash or a credit card, there's plenty of options. 

I didn't mind the intrusion of personal space except for the inclement weather day of rain and cold. Guided kayakers took over a tiny shelter in the campground I was staying at. One opinionated boat woman told me (in no uncertain terms) I would be far happier to move along to another shelter. I was getting the bums rush, after paying to be there. OW! 

Other than that, there were no close encounters of the nasty kind. 

It's a pretty place. See for yourself.

From the bright lights, big city of Omarama, NZ

Good night,

Jeff

I had a dream...

or should I say nightmare.

In my subconscious, I was seated at a President Scumbag (AKA Trump) rally. Nearby were a few people I recognized but have not seen in years. One was dressed up comically in a Red, White and Blue harlequin outfit. Unfortunately, that's where the laughs ended. 

The speeches were laced with "alternative facts" and a heaping dollop of hate. In other words, a continuation of the Billionaire Con Man's campaign prattle. 

His supporters were getting worked up and frothy. In my dream/nightmare I became scared. The crowd's anger was of the almost tactile variety. I heading for an exit practically shoveling aside the hate. The doors were locked. I was trapped. (That's  a clear violation of fire department's safety code!) 

I woke up in emergency services fast mode. My hair was matted down and icy wet. Definitely a nightmare.

I've been checking into the news from far away New Zealand. I see the reality of President P---y Grabber's regime has been a true nightmare. 

A) So far:  The US will emulate East Germany and its infamous Berlin Wall. (That sure worked). We will build an overpriced physical barrier between predominantly White Folks and Brown Folks. Thus showing the world, we can't get along with our immediate neighbors. Mind you, there was no "Let's get together and see if we can find a workable immigration solution for both Nations." New Zealand's Dominion Newspaper summed it up this way, "Trump's Wall is symbolic of a catastrophic political failure."

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/borderlands-national-park.html

B) Gag orders for employees of Federal Agencies? Isn't that Unconstitutional? First Amendment.

C) Ramping up Military Spending. The US already shells out more $$$$$ than the next six largest Military Nations combined! How many times do we need to blow up the world to make it safe for our way of life? 

D) Executive Order for oil pipeline construction with little regard for environmental effects. 

E) The beginning of the end of Obamacare with no program to replace it. 

F) A ninety day ban on citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries and 120 day ban on all refugees. Faster than one can say Bigot, 130 million people (mostly Muslims)  are now "Persona non grata" from entering the former Land of Religious Freedom. Now, that's Un-American. If you don't see my point, I dare you to substitute your race or religion for the word Muslim in the above note. Now, how do you feel? 

ETC. ETC.

All this unpredictability erupting from a formerly stable World Power has caused an international outlash of protests. The symbolic  "Doomsday Clock" has been bumped up 30 seconds to 2.5 minutes to Midnight/Armageddon. The last time it's been so close to "End of Days" was in 1953. That's something a new President should not be proud of. 

What really irks me about all this is knowing the hate mongers/racists now have a Representative in the White House. I think about all the times I've heard the use of the "N" word in reference to Obama, or a recent call for a "Second Crusade" to deal with the "Muslim Problem," or overheard the unfounded beliefs that  "Jew Bastards " control the World's banks and media. All these misfits are now smiling. I'm not. 

Personally, I believe President Tax Evader is insane. I can prove it too. At Zero-Dark-Thirty am, he should be snuggling next to the ever-enticing First Lady Model. Instead? He's Tweeting out angry texts while wearing an expensive suit with an American flag pinned to his lapel. As a single guy who might be a bit harmlessly crazy, I would call this act insane. 

(Maybe he's ingesting too many of these). 

BTW. I hate writing these blogs. In the past, I might not have fully agreed with the agendas of former Presidents. However, I never considered their programs to be unconstitutional or truly evil. (Maybe stupid, but not demon inspired). America is going down the twisted trail of Nationalism. President Combover's "America First!" (AKA F--k the rest of the World, we are going to do what we want) policies have already alienated our Allies.  I predicted this in my last rant. I just didn't think it would happen so fast. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.co.nz/2016/12/heres-virtual-toast.html

The America I was once proud to be a member of, used to be a guiding light of Democratic Ideals. (All men are created equal...). Now, we are a sputtering candle of intolerance and lowlife concepts. The US Constitution is being severely tested. It's up to the Senators, Congressmen, Supreme Court and We the People to stand up for what's right. 

President Bluster ran a campaign based upon Us vs. Them. It's safe to say I'm a Them. 

Lastly, I'll forward a link to all those who say to me (and others like me) "Get over it! Trump is the President!" I know he's the President, but I don't have to like it or him.

https://www.bustle.com/p/what-to-tell-people-who-say-you-have-to-accept-donald-trumps-presidency-now-31726

From far far away,

Good night,

Jeff

A Windy Place...

For those following along, you know I've mentioned New Zealand is often more than breezy. At times, the President Trump winds (read insane) are both scary and deadly. I've read accounts of huts being blown away (with unhappy campers inside), trains getting pushed off their tracks (passenger trains, not freight) and roofs getting peeled off like an orange rind. That's freaking windy.

So what did I do? 

Go for a hike up to a ridge line where Mount Holdsworth (4,687") resides, on a day when the winds were forecast to be more than refreshing. 

For a change, the trail was in amazing shape. I made great time getting to the altitude of petering out trees. With no green matter to block the gusts, I was exposed to a dramatic wind chill. I quickly donned my trusty Windstopper jacket. That helped. Eventually the only living things up on the ridge were grasses (blown horizontal) and me. The grasses didn't have a choice to be there, I did. After a Mach One gust brought me to my knees (literally). I went into full retreat. 

Later on, I discovered winds were in excess of 75 MPH. According to Summitpost.org : "65-75mph: can barely walk forward, gusts of this type will knock you on your ass! 

75+ Go Home."

'Tis better to retreat at times, to live to see another mountain. 

Another safety tip from the W W Jew,

Cheers!

Jeff

A Hesitant Mountain...

A  few days ago I left New Plymouth for the object of my desires. On the outskirts of town, I saw what I came here for-Mount Egmont/Taranaki. 

Captain Cook bestowed the somewhat dormant volcano with the Anglo name in 1770. 

The British explorer dubbed the peak after a former Lord of the Admiralty. (What a 

suck up!) The Maori name goes back a lot further then 1770. Personally, I prefer the indigenous handle more.

For a change, the sky was bearing more blue than gray. The incessant winds were taking a breather too. The stratovolcano loomed as symmetrical as a child's crayon rendition of a mountain. I liked it! 

I stopped at the Visitor Center for a map and hiking suggestions. I received both. 

I pitched some gear into my pack with no thought of making a summit bid. I headed uphill. 

The trail was fast and user friendly. In a short time, I was at the base of the summit trail. "Well, I'll just go up the mountain a bit. I'll get better pix." The trail started with stairs but quickly degenerated into a pumice scree field. The one slippery step forward, possibly two slippery steps back variety. It was pretty discouraging. Then a descending hiker wiped out right in front of me. She picked herself up, brushed off 

the grit and said, "this is the worse part of the climb. It gets easier once you get on solid rock." Good to know.

I glanced at the sky, felt for any insidious breeze and gave myself approval to continue on. I passed fellow hikers clad only in cotton and tennis shoes. I guess I was more prepared than that. Barely. I hiked in in a stuttering manner. More like a "Should I stay or should I go" mode than with any great determination. I plodded on.

Finally, I curled around a notch only to find a field of White Death below. (Remember, even the locals are bummed about the lack of summer here). I dropped into the bowl and skidded to a stop. Hmmm. The summit was about 100" above me, but through a very angled icy slope. Joy! Joy! I made a half hearted attempt. No Bueno. Five minutes later, I girded myself for one last try. It's not easy punching steps in snow while wearing trail runners! Second time was a charm. I was on top a few minutes later.

Me and many other ill-prepared hikers were fortunate the Maori Gods granted us Pakeha (White Folks) safe passage from the elements on this 8,261" Beauty. 

Was it worth it? Heck yeah! 

However, always remember these words from Mountain Man, Ed Viesturs. "Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory." 

Enjoy the pix!

Cheers!

Jeff

The Good Die...

Young. 

I met Cathy long ago on the Bike Across Kansas  (BAK) Ride. We carpooled out to the middle of a stark windswept landscape, set up our tents and waited for the ride to start on the morrow. The winds kicked up, lying our tents down low. Tornado warning sirens went off sporadically throughout the night. 

It didn't matter, Cathy woke groggily, sporting a toothy grin and joked about the scary weather. "That's Kansas! See why I left?" 

That was the essence of this tiny Powerhouse. Cathy generated smiles, hugs and laughs. She was always handy with a compliment, a favor or a welfare check. She was an incredible friend to me and so many others. 

I nicknamed her, "Legs of Steel." All that running she did gave her frog legs. Lots of power and muscle. She would win or place in the many races she participated in. I kidded her about having to build an addition in her home just to hold her trophies. Of course, she was humble about her accomplishments. "There weren't that many women in my age category!" 

Then the scourge of bone cancer attacked her. She sent out notifications to her friends and family of updates on what was going on. She admonished her fans to go out and play and have a good time. She reminded us that life is too short. She was inspiring right to the end.

Cathy, I'll miss you. The World is now at a loss that such a tiny, bright candle of goodness has been snuffed out.

RIP Legs of Steel.