4/14
70 miles (1188 miles total)
I began the day cycling through flat terrain bordered by many mountains. I stopped in Harihari for some hot chocolate and bluberry muffin. I enjoyed speaking to a few locals about te ride and the dry weather so far. Little did I know....
I continued the day, eventually climbing over Mount Hercules, slowly making my way to Franz Josef. The road was complete with great views of river flats, mountain peaks all around. Bellbirds broke the silence with their distinct calls. Each saddle came with a spectacular descent through the thick native rainforest.
I came into Franz Glacier, after cycling for a few hours in the rain. It is afterall a rainforest...and the west coast! Compared the the East, the West gets a few meters of rain each year, which is huge considering the East gets around half a meter, if not less. Since I came this far, I decided to see the glacier. My first time seeing a glacier, it really was astounding. Even more, was the marks it left over the last few thousand years. A huge boulder field, with cliffs on every side, cut in by the glacier. The glacier has slowly been receding over the past thousand years from natural and anthropologic forces. Most people think of greenland and antartica when they think of glaciers. Bobbing up and down in the oceans...This glacier is unlike anything I had ever heard. The glacier does not terminate in a rainforest like fox glacier, but it sure comes close!
Compelled to stay at Fox Glacier...I tried out some night riding. With no street lights, you might not think that this is the safest way of travel, but hundred of cycling tourists do this to make better use of their time, avoid traffic, and to avoid the heat. I did this also to avoid the rain. However, in hindsight I still would have stay in Fran Josef. Using my pedallors paradise, I misread the altitudes of the profiles, and thought they were just 100 m hills. Instead, I rode three or four 200- 300 m hills...at night, at times in a cloud. Cycling at night was very exhilarating however. The moon seemed just a bit brighter, the air a bit crisper, and the hills were that much more rewarding. After a few hours of riding, I arrived in Fox Glacier and soon set up camp for the night. It really was one exhausting day!
I just want to note, I do not condone riding at night without lights. Always take the necessary safety precautions. I ride with bright yellow jerseys and panniers, always accompanied by a flashing rear red light and two lights on the front.
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70 miles (1188 miles total)
I began the day cycling through flat terrain bordered by many mountains. I stopped in Harihari for some hot chocolate and bluberry muffin. I enjoyed speaking to a few locals about te ride and the dry weather so far. Little did I know....
I continued the day, eventually climbing over Mount Hercules, slowly making my way to Franz Josef. The road was complete with great views of river flats, mountain peaks all around. Bellbirds broke the silence with their distinct calls. Each saddle came with a spectacular descent through the thick native rainforest.
I came into Franz Glacier, after cycling for a few hours in the rain. It is afterall a rainforest...and the west coast! Compared the the East, the West gets a few meters of rain each year, which is huge considering the East gets around half a meter, if not less. Since I came this far, I decided to see the glacier. My first time seeing a glacier, it really was astounding. Even more, was the marks it left over the last few thousand years. A huge boulder field, with cliffs on every side, cut in by the glacier. The glacier has slowly been receding over the past thousand years from natural and anthropologic forces. Most people think of greenland and antartica when they think of glaciers. Bobbing up and down in the oceans...This glacier is unlike anything I had ever heard. The glacier does not terminate in a rainforest like fox glacier, but it sure comes close!
Compelled to stay at Fox Glacier...I tried out some night riding. With no street lights, you might not think that this is the safest way of travel, but hundred of cycling tourists do this to make better use of their time, avoid traffic, and to avoid the heat. I did this also to avoid the rain. However, in hindsight I still would have stay in Fran Josef. Using my pedallors paradise, I misread the altitudes of the profiles, and thought they were just 100 m hills. Instead, I rode three or four 200- 300 m hills...at night, at times in a cloud. Cycling at night was very exhilarating however. The moon seemed just a bit brighter, the air a bit crisper, and the hills were that much more rewarding. After a few hours of riding, I arrived in Fox Glacier and soon set up camp for the night. It really was one exhausting day!
I just want to note, I do not condone riding at night without lights. Always take the necessary safety precautions. I ride with bright yellow jerseys and panniers, always accompanied by a flashing rear red light and two lights on the front.
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New day!
Think I can get used to this weather
Side shot
Welcome to Glacier country
Glacier view from a distance
Close up of Franz Josef
Dusk
Heading through the night
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