I have hiking adventure pictures for you today, so let's get on with it.
This is the road to Mt. Cook in Aoraki National Park. The way the mountains majestically vault from the valley floor so reminds me of Grand Teton National park in Wyoming. I can understand why this area is referred to as the Southern Alps. The mountains establish their presence, daring mere mortals to tackle them. Sir Edmund Hillary did, preparing himself to climb the planet's highest peaks.
I had no delusions of grandeur. The idea of hiking a few hours on a moderate to difficult trail would be enough to feel like I'd connected.
I popped into the visitors center and told the ranger what hike criteria and time window I was looking for. He offered some sublime routes, but I wanted more. That's when he suggested Mueller's Hut. Distance and elevation checked all the right boxes, and I took off for adventure.
Thsi sign should have been my first warning that I'd bitten off more than I could chew. The math should have been my second. The average incline angle was over 20 degrees! Do the math, Bobby, do the math.
The stairs began after a short riverbed stretch. Small groups of 4 to 8. Tra la, tra la. Then, this. I wasn't sure if this was a barrier or a trail, but what the heck? I slogged on.
MY reality check came around the next bend, where a woman was going up the next set of stairs by GRABBING THE ONE'S IN FRONT OF HER! This was clearly not an aberration. This was looking like a workout.
And that's when a couple passed me coming down. The looked like they'd just finished a workout.
"Taking on the Stairmaster?" they asked me. "It's 2200 steps to the hut. Enjoy!"
Yeah, no.
Down I went to hike in the sublime. Which was quite beautiful. Great views, lovely foot bridges and streams, and no more crazy stairs.
Which leaves me with this critter. Stoats were introduced by the British to control rabbits, as if introducing a foreign species to control another foreign species is a great idea. Odd critter. About the size of a house cat and looks like a mouse.