Nov05 Franz-Josef Glacier

Awoke to hail, rain, sunny… on repeat. In addition to the a.m. french pressed coffee, today we also breakfasted on spicy “tomato sauce” (closest thing to ketchup) on hash browns, toasted nicely in our 230 volt toaster. Weird and a bit scary to use high voltage stuff, but it really juices up the end result. Water boils in the kettle, the microwave nukes stuff, the toaster toasts SO much quicker.
The sun won the fight for a little while, we walked to the main street. In the less than 30 minutes, dark clouds again rolled over the snow capped peaks above, heading toward town. No chopper flights today.
Awaited the official phone call from the weather station to the rental spot, then simply got back in the van and drove to the trails leading up the valley.
Parking, we layered up, as the hail rain/cycle had continued without the sun. Walked to the riverbed fed by the glacial melt - closed. Apparently the river had recently shifted course and the trail rendered unstable for general use.

Disappointed, we took some pics and walked back, where we discovered an offshoot trail that I thought led to a nice waterfall. Walking it, the snow started in earnest…

The water fall was pretty , but the route led past the cascade….

And back to the gravel bed. This time much closer to the glacier, I could see posts hammered into the ground marking the way, and there were multiple escape routes in case a flash flood from a serac collapse caused the river to overflow. Discussed continuing closer, we decided to go for it, until one of us felt uncomfortable.
There were people on the glacier…

And the path was beaten down fairly well, meaning it’d been there for some time. Onward. Used stepping stoned crossings to skip across small streams crisscrossing the sharp stones. Found a path leading through the scrub 20 feet above the gravel, we scrambled up and across multiple little streams, creeping closer.
Got as close as I felt comfortable without gear,

Waterfalls everywhere…

Those cracks are impressively blue…

Passed by a returning guided tour group as we looked at the wall. The “guides” took them right along the base along the river, even walked them downstream of a large loop of river. I definitely wouldn’t have felt very safe on that tour.
A bit of schist, stood on end and sandpapered by multiple glacial advances/retreats…

Loving the gore-tex. Glad we brought the jackets and hiking boots, our damp lower legs were the only spots of discomfort. Got back to the van, finally feeling the cold beginning to permeate after a day in the cold rain/hail.
Drove back to campsite, utilized the showers and their seemingly inexhaustible hot water supply (in late afternoon with few other users) to soak in the heat. Back in the van, we used the bungee cords that normally secure the bikes inside to string up the wet gear, the a.c on heat and the little electric heater making short work of drying clothes.
Continued to be overcast with occasionally heavy rain showers all day. Apparently this is a marijuana mecca as it’s remote and has ideal growing conditions. Tourism, weed, and whitebait fishing. That’s all.
Enjoyed our beer/wine stash, despite not having a connection I was busy writing and editing photos for all you people, as service is spotty, so we’re always a few days behind. (In fact, I’m typing this as we steam toward the north island on the ferry.)
Decided to go eat at the on premise bar/grill…

Where I proved my clumsiness by upsetting two full glasses of beer at once. We’d finished eating, and were seated near the pool table. I’d just gotten beers at the bar ( circulating waitresses are a rarity - usually you order your food and drinks at the counter and pay there as well), when the cue ball came rolling toward me on the floor. Thinking I’d be cool and swoop down to return it, I leaned over, balancing by extending a foot outwards. My foot kicked the bottom of the small tippy table, sending both beers directly into Denises’ lap.
Oops. Not the intended consequence. We left, Denise wearing wet clothes for the second time that day.
Back to the van, where the heater was again put into clothes-drying service. They were good beers, too.
Goodnight.