It turns out that there is still a sun up there.
The wet stuff mostly stopped for the day today, and while clouds still partially obscured the views, after four days of rain, when I saw blue sky this morning I was amped up like a puppy ready to go for his walk. With the 20 kilometer Tongariro Alpine Crossing scheduled for tomorrow, I decided to warm up for it with the 18 kilometer Tama Lakes Track today. I haven’t gotten to go hiking in a few days, so while a smarter man might have taken it easier today, I am not such a man.
The hike was a good one. The elevation change wasn’t too bad, it traversed some neat alpine scenery, and it ended up at a high ridge with a view of the two aqua blue lakes. Various volcanic peaks occasionally also partially appeared from the clouds, hinting at some next-level glorious scenery, but the clouds never quite parted enough to get a sense of what it must be like on a perfectly clear day.
Tomorrow it’s off on what is generally regarded to be New Zealand’s best day-hike. It won’t be perfect weather, but I’m excited to be able to at least get out there and do it after such a long stretch of rainy days.
What a walkabout!