Gazing at Glaciers

Nov. 6, 2017 — From Margaret (Larry has a separate entry for Nov. 7-11)

Franz Josef Glacier, NZ (see #10 on the map)

NZ10

Larry and I enjoy doing lots of activities together. But there are exceptions. Hiking is one. Larry complains that I don’t stop and “smell the roses.” I complain that he’s too slow. While it is true that I probably miss some interesting things along the way, I like the hikes for the sake of physical activity in addition to the scenery. I enjoy moving along and getting to the finish. So Larry wanted to see the Franz Josef Glacier by helicopter. He had a hard time understanding why I did not wish to fly. I just wanted to be on my own two feet. That’s how I enjoy the landscape. True, he really experienced something different from what I experienced, because the hike takes you to 140 meters short of the glacier. The helicopter lands on the glacier. But I got there with my own feet. I loved the hike. It wasn’t really difficult, nor was it long. But I saw steep cliffs, several waterfalls, and rushing rivers. I walked over rocks, gravel, and an occasional stream. The rain forests still seem exotic to me. The sky was sunny and rainy and misty all at once. In addition, I learned that this glacier and the nearby Fox Glacier are extremely unique in the world because their waters run into the surrounding rain forests. Only one or two others in the world do so. I was surprised to learn that there are over 3000 glaciers in New Zealand. What a magical place I am in!

I’ve included some pictures from my early morning run, in addition to glacier photos.

Franz Josef Glacier

I recall the road race up Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, in 1994. Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the northeast, at 6,288 feet. The race, advertised as “just one hill,” is indeed just one hill, 7.6 miles long, with an elevation change of more than 4000 feet. Larry and I, and Keith (a toddler then), enjoyed the cog railroad ride up to the top the day before the race. The scenery was beautiful. But somehow the scenery looked much more spectacular the next day, after I completed the race. There is always something special for me about the effort to get there. It may seem that I’m in a hurry to finish, but I really do enjoy the physical effort of getting there. If I didn’t, it would be hard to have completed the marathons and ultra marathons that I’ve done – mentally, it’s tough if you don’t like the process and effort of getting there. It can be the same with solving math problems – I enjoy the process, and arriving at the solution feels great when I’ve really put in the effort.