Hiking Fox Glacier (Or, The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done)

For the purposes of this story, it doesn't matter what you do or don't believe about climate change and global warming: whatever the reasons, glaciers around the world are receding. These ancient remnants of the planet's last Ice Age are tucked away in the steep valleys of mountain chains or stretching in ice sheets of the polar seas.

In New Zealand, the really cool thing is that the proximity of the Southern Alps mountains to the country's western coast means that a few of its remaining glaciers are no more than 15 miles offshore, and are only 250-300 meters above sea level. This makes them quite possibly the most accessible glaciers in the world... Which means that people who aren't skilled mountain climbers and hikers can visit them. Good thing I fit that bill!

There are two main glaciers in the area that are toured by visitors. Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier are snuggled right along the northwestern side of New Zealand's tallest mountains, descending from those peaks and ending amidst temperate rainforest. That's another unique feature of these glaciers, and it means that visitors are comfortable hiking to the glaciers in shorts and t-shirts.

Which is a good thing, because you're going to get warm hiking to Fox Glacier. Why, you might ask? Well, friends, that's because you're going to have to hike up 800 stairs. EIGHT. HUNDRED. STAIRS.

Quick, stair comparison stats! The Empire State Building has 1576 stairs. So, you know, I did the equivalent of half the climb of arguably the world's most famous flight of stairs.

I believe my previous stair accomplishment was climbing the 320 steps up to the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. I didn't remember this number before I started the Fox Glacier hike. So when I heard "800 steps" I assumed, true to my complete lack of spacial awareness, that it probably wasn't that much different than St. Peter's. And hey, at least walking the stairs to the glacier wouldn't be like a claustrophobic fun house:

Climbing to the St. Peter's Cupola

Besides, here was the fitness/activity level information suggested by the brochure: Moderate fitness and agility is required. Involves steady, well-graded uphill walking for 45 minutes.

Now I'll be the first to admit I'm not in great shape. I don't do a lot of exercising. I could stand to lose some poundage. But still, to my ears, "moderate fitness" means, okay, I don't weigh 300 pounds, I'm not a grandma. (Though as it turned out there was a grandma on our hike and she was in way better shape than me.) But I'm 26. I'm young. I'm on the vacation of my life, and I'm certainly not going to let a little "uphill walking" stop me from the experience of climbing on a glacier. Sign me up! 800 stairs, what is that, like... well, whatever I can do it.

Off we go!


Start of the hike, and hey, we're actually going downhill. Thumbs up for that.


I didn't get many pictures while I was on the stairs, because I was more concerned with not dying/passing out/crying/being laughed at by fit Europeans, but here's one we snapped from nearer to the top.


And one of our awesome guide Cole looking, well, awesome.


There's one section that involves creeping around the edge of a bluff, at which point we were sternly instructed to put our cameras away because it was too dangerous. I did some Google Image searching and found this one that someone took despite the warnings:


Do you see that chain the guy is holding? You have to hold that while you climb the rocks because if you let go and you fall you're going over 100 meters straight down. To your death.

There were times I thought I was not going to make it. I was reciting scripture in my head about the weary renewing their strength and soaring like eagles! And Ben didn't let me give up and somehow by the grace of God I did it! It wasn't fun. But it was rewarding.

This is the face of someone who WORKED for it!

And our reward was walking on a glacier, which has got to go down as one of the ultimate experiences of my life.

Crampons, which are metal spikes you strap to your boots for ice-walking.

Looking down a moulin in the glacier surface where water trickles down to the river some 150 meters below.

So the moral of the story is... for about $100 more a person you can take a scenic helicopter ride and get dropped off on the top of the glacier and then hike around it and there are no stairs involved. I'm just saying.

Driving in Middle Earth

We opted to rent a car and drive our way through New Zealand. This is hands-down what I would recommend for anyone going on a trip here, especially for a first time. The country is compact, so most driving distances between major highlights are easily done in a few hours. Plus, as Ben accurately put it, the scenery you pass is a destination in itself. There was literally not one moment (except if it was dark out) that you couldn't be happy and usually awed just looking out at the countryside flying by. In fact we took a lot of our photos either out the window of the moving vehicle, or by pulling over every five minutes at some insanely gorgeous lookout.

Ben used Google Maps when we got back to calculate the total travel distance. Including the ferry ride between islands (which we technically didn't drive) and the trip out to Milford (which we didn't drive ourselves but rode with our kayaking group), we went over 3000 kilometers! This equates to about 1900 miles, or the distance from Los Angeles to St. Louis. Either way you put it, we covered a lot of ground! Here's our trip map:


View Larger Map

Though we had a blast in our cheap little rental cars, a word of warning! Driving in New Zealand is not for the faint of heart... and probably also not for the easily-carsick-ed.

First of all, though major cities Auckland and Wellington have short sections of multi-lane interstates (motorways, as they call 'em) surrounding the urban area, almost all other "major" roads are little more than a two-lane country road. In fact, go but a little further off the beaten path and you'll quickly find yourself on a gravel lane!

Glenorchy

Then there's the driving on the other side of the road (from the other side of the car). This is actually pretty easy on the open road. In towns it just means double checking each time you make a turn! The most annoying part was that the blinkers and windshield wipers were on reverse sides of the steering wheel! Probably every single time I went to make a turn I first turned on the wipers.

But more challenging than the opposite-side stuff is the fact that a LOT of New Zealand is mountainous. So sometimes you're driving on straight roads beside the mountains.

Near Punakaiki, facing the Southern Alps

But a lot of times you're driving on curvy roads through the mountains.

Coromandel Peninsula

Sometimes really REALLY curvy roads.

Road to Queenstown from Wanaka

Also, New Zealand is crazy about the one-lane bridge. They'll put 'em anywhere! And sometimes they are long!


When you encounter a one-way bridge, you get a helpful "give-way" sign. A red arrow means your direction has to wait for oncoming traffic to clear. A black arrow in your direction means you have the right-of-way... or maybe in this country it is the left-of-way?!


Don't forget that New Zealand (like everywhere else except here) is on the metric system. This means you drive in kilometers not miles! On city roads the speed limit is almost always 50, which translates to about 30 mph. On the open road, the speed limit is almost always 100, which translates to about 60 mph. But you try going 100 kph on hairpin turns around the side of the mountain. Actually, don't. It's impossible.

There's lots of road construction so be sure to follow those signs too... like this one, where apparently you can choose your own speed.


So there's some challenges to driving in New Zealand. But it really was an amazing way to see the country. And the very best part? Even a wrong turn ends in reward.

The end of a wrong turn, somewhere in the North Island

New Zealand

I've sat in front of this computer for about 15 minutes, just staring at the Blogger screen and trying to figure out how to sum up my trip. And the only conclusion I've come to is that it won't fit.

It wouldn't fit in our cameras (though we have 3000 photos as evidence that we tried) and it won't fit in my blog. New Zealand is, in comparison with the size of the world, such a small place, but it won't fit in here. The extraordinary creativity of God is bursting from the seams of the place, His glory revealed in lakes vast and mountains ancient, in the carving of a landscape by water, wind, glacier, volcano, earthquake, time. We were rendered spectacularly speechless around every turn.

So rather than try to come up with an eloquent and succinct summary that would end up being overwrought and insufficient, I'll just share some stories, and of course, some pictures! Let's start with this one.

This is a kauri tree. A teenager kauri tree, in terms relative to some that still exist in parts of the North Island. Some of the largest-growing and oldest-living trees in the world, the kauri were almost completely cleared from logging and fires in the 19th century. About 4% of the forests were spared and are now fiercely protected. In the far north, where we didn't have time to go, there is one giant specimen believed to be over 2100 years old: a tree from before the time of Christ. There are records of others, bigger and older, that existed before the massive deforestation, including one that explorers estimated at nearing 4000 years old. There are a few groves left in the Coromandel Peninsula, which we drove through, and thankfully this one and its twin behind it there were right by the road.

Also thankfully for all you fine readers, we'd been kayaking and Ben was still shirtless. Hands off, ladies. Hands off.

Lots more pics and stories to come!

I Should Probably Start Packing.

Just kidding, I've started. I mean, nothing is actually in a bag yet, but, you know, I thought about it. We've got a good 15 hours before we leave for the airport, and who would I be if I wasn't a raging procrastinator? So we'll get it together here soon.

Tomorrow I'll be on a plane to Los Angeles, and tomorrow night we'll be on the plane to Auckland. Toss in a little time travel and we'll be landing down in New Zealand on Tuesday morning. I am excited but at the same time I have that strange surreal feeling I get before any big trip or event, where it just won't seem like it is actually happening until we get on that plane! I am praying for safe travel and that this trip is just really awesome for Ben. He's worked so hard over the past year and so REALLY hard over the past few months that I just can't wait to unleash him on NZ and see him enjoying life.

Just pretend this is me and Ben.

We are going to be gone for two weeks (or as I like to count it, two episodes of LOST) and we'll be a bit off the radar in lots of the places we're headed. We will be trying to snag internet from time to time and hope to post some pics and updates from the road.

What do you mean they're missing two weeks of our show?! Don't they know this is the final season?!

Well let's be honest, those bags aren't going to pack themselves. I've done my stalling, and I'm getting on that plane tomorrow whether I'm ready or not. But since I'd prefer to have clean underwear and my glasses (what else does a girl need?) I'm off for now... see ya in a couple weeks kiddos!

Golden Globes 2010 Fashion Round-Up!

The poor little movie stars got rained on all the way down the Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday night. Fortunately for you, dear readers, this will not prevent me from raining on their proverbial fashion parade during this fashion round up. Let's get to it!


RANK THE RUFFLES
Ruffles were all over everything last night, with varying degrees of success. Here is how I felt about them.

Chloe SevingyCall me crazy, but I don't actually hate this dress. It is weird, to be sure, but it certainly caught my attention and when she walked the fluttering movement of the fabric was very lovely. I don't like the color, which I would describe as... not a color. But I will give these ruffles a B for unique placement and visual interest.

Anna Kendrick

It doesn't look it so much in this picture, but on TV the ruffles on Anna's dress were overwhelming to her tiny-ness. The ruffle plus the print, delicate as it is, were just too much for such a small person. I love that she respected the classiness of the event, but I also think she's young enough that she could afford a little more fun. For the Oscars, I expect improvement! C- for a disadvantageous ruffle-to-person ratio.

Christina HendricksFellas (do any guys read my blog? Ben?) might want to scroll on down, because I'm going to talk about boobs here, and how to manage them, in a strictly utilitarian sense. Christina, who plays the sassy Joan on Mad Men, is a gorgeous voluptuous lady. She has a true hourglass figure with curves up top and on bottom and a relatively little waist in between. Homegirl has some boobs and hips. The problem with wearing a strapless dress when you are so endowed is that the mechanics of the undergarments are so structured that they only serve to make your boobs look even bigger. A fascinating study in defying gravity, but yikes that is a lot of chest just baaaaarely hanging onto that dress. As if that weren't enough, the designer is going to throw some gigantic shiny ruffles over one hip? I don't think that was necessary, Christian Siriano from Project Runway Season 4. On a positive note, I kind of love this color on her; just the right side of peach to make her skin look amazing. I also love her hair, which some wise stylist kept simple and soft.


SPARKLY FOR THE WIN
Like a magpie or a raccoon, I'm quite fond of sparkly things. Plus I love when ladies get sparkly for awards shows, because I feel like it conveys that they're there to have fun and not get too serious about things. You can't be too serious in head-to-toe sequins and rhinestones and sparkles.

Toni Collette
I was making notes as I watched so I could keep track of my initial reactions to the dresses. What I wrote for Toni was: "Sparkly! Fun! Love it!" I think all of that still stands. Flattering shape, added interest from the lines and geometric bodice, and wisely accessorized with just a few simple touches. My overall favorite from the night.

Olivia WildeThank goodness she redeemed herself from the figure-skating lace debacle of the Emmys. I love the slick look of the gunmetal-colored sequins. This low neckline can still look classy on someone like Olivia because she isn't trying to squeeze some DDs in there. I'm looking at you, Mariah Carey. We were ALL looking at you.

Anna Paquin
I still haven't seen a picture of Anna's dress close-up enough to tell what exactly her dress was made of (are those giant sequins? shiny scales?) but, in a nutshell, I LOVE IT. I have maybe three times in my life said that about an article of clothing that involved shoulder pads. She looked happy, fresh-faced, fun, and most importantly, sparkly.


REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE THAT BRIDESMAID DRESS
We started off with some looks I loved. Now let's look at some... others. I really hate when celebrities wear dresses that look like glorified bridesmaid dresses. Whether it be color, style, or worst of all both, people with thousands of dollars and teams of stylists at their disposal should do better than something out of a wedding album. However nice a wedding it might have been.

FergieIt is really, really, really hard to wear a periwinkle dress that doesn't look bridesmaidsy. The style doesn't help, which I would also describe as... bridesmaidsy. In other news, I don't know WHY someone can't help Fergie part her hair to the side and get some matte powder. EVERY. TIME.

Lauren Graham
This is so, so pink. And I LIKE pink. But it's also so, so shiny. And strapless, shiny, pink ballgown... well my friends, that's by definition a bridesmaids dress.


OH, THAT'S... INTERESTING... I HAVE COMMENTS.
I have some things to say about these ladies. Mostly just about their clothes.

Diane Kruger
This girl is a knockout who is dating adorable wonderful Pacey (who insists on going by his actual name, Joshua Jackson, as opposed to his Dawson's Creek character from the 90s). She has been known to take some risks on the red carpet, and I'm all for that. When the results are awesome. Supermodel looks and the body to accompany it mean you can get away with wearing a lot of crazy stuff. I don't think this is one of those times. I read reports that at varying angles this dress was awesome, artsy, whatever, but I can't get on board. The ombre on the neckline looks like when I mixed two colors of Play-Doh as a child. That plus the fussy draping, the random white bow, the frumpy column skirt... And the pink, the pink, everywhere the pink.

Penelope Cruz
I like the bottom of Penelope's dress. I really like the middle of Penelope's dress. I don't really care for the top part of Penelope's dress. But what I really think, and what the girl on the right of this photo is also clearly thinking, is that none of the three parts go together at all. The bottom is from a romantic lace gown, the middle is like a sexy modern dress, and the top is, well, the top is still weird. But what I was also thinking, as was that girl in the photo, is that Penelope is still really pretty and we covet her shiny hair.

Kate Hudson
This whole look was very very weird. My friend Heather rightly commented that Kate looked like a wedding cake - the front of the dress is so smooth and structured that it could be made of fondant. It was a little bit costumey, which is fine, I guess, but... still seemed a departure from Kate's usual "California Girl" cool.

Julianna Margulies
I don't dislike this dress. But then again, I love Star Trek.

Marion Cotillard
I definitely thought this was black when I saw it on TV. I don't mind that it is actually deep blue-green. But the little peek-a-boo slip is a weird little detail that makes the dress seem campy. I would've just gone with the high slit. Go big or go home, Marion. Jennifer Aniston did it.


WTH (What the Headband)
I think this category is self-explanatory. And there's really only one offender.

January JonesI feel bad for January Jones, because after her horrendous hosting appearance on Saturday Night Live, there was lots of speculation that her drawn, cold, dead-eyed portrayal of Betty Draper on Mad Men was just actually her personality. I can understand that in real life she wants to distance herself fashion-wise from Betty's 60s style. I just don't know why that has to involve ill-placed headbands and ugly baggy dresses.


LET'S FIX THIS
There were plenty of fashions that had lots of potential and just needed a tiny bit of tweaking to get to awesome. I've got some suggestions.

Drew Barrymore
I thought Drew Barrymore looked really gorgeous. At the Emmys I chastised her for doing the "all-one-color" look but this neutral shade is just right. I love the delicate fabric and burst of beading. Her hair and make-up were lovely and I think she's continuing this phase of looking the healthiest and happiest she's looked in her life.

There's something else I wanted to say about this dress. I just can't remember what it was. But I have a strong urge to clean my dusters. And research coral formations. And rip those hideous growths off of Drew's dress. Oh yes, that was it.

Maggie GyllenhaalCan we just agree that peach/nude shades are very, very tricky? I think they are done wrong more often that right. I do think brunettes have more success than blondes, and I think Maggie is quite close to the right shade for her. I love the shape of this dress on her long, lean figure, and the fabric is very unique. You can tell a bit in this closer picture, but it is a sort of pebbled effect. You can also see in that photo her hair, which I loved - it showed off her long neck and was simple but not stiff. The only thing is... doesn't that front piece kind of look like a seatbelt? Wouldn't it be better as just strapless? Me thinks yes.

Tina Fey
Oh, Tina-na-na. I think I'll try to trick my mind into incorrectly remembering this dress as full-length and we can all go about our day feeling a lot better about things.

Kristen BellSpeaking of people who need instructions in dress length, when I saw Kristen step onto the red carpet on TV, I immediately said, "Oh, the Fug Girls are going to have a field day with that." (If you don't know, Go Fug Yourself is the ultimate fashion website and the girls who blog there are the funniest, snarkiest commentators out there. I purposefully don't look at their site when I'm writing these blogs because I'd totally just want to copy and paste everything they say.) For years they've been berating Kristen for "stumpefying" herself with dresses that are short but not short enough. It's true, and this is no exception. I normally wouldn't offer this advice to anyone, but hike that skirt up a few inches girl! In other news, this looks like a shiny bedsheet.


BAD COLOR
I said this before, but I think neutral colors like nude, peach, taupe, and anything in the yellow family are really tough. The right shade is going to make your skin glow and your hair shine and your eyes sparkle. The wrong shade is more frequent, and here are a few examples.

Jennifer GarnerI don't know if I would like this dress a LOT more if it were a different color, but I would like it a LITTLE more for sure. This color, I would call... dishwater. I hate her hair. I want her arms. That about wraps it up for Mrs. Affleck.


Jennifer MorrisonThis is so, so, so ugly. So ugly. I forgot how ugly I thought it was on TV until I went and found this picture. She's fallen into the dangerous pit that blondes must avoid: hair, skin, dress, all one color. Maybe if she had her brown hair back, or maybe if this was a different color, or maybe if the dress was less ugly, that would help.

Nicole Kidman
This is so, so, so ugly. So ugly. I forgot how ugly I thought it was on TV until I went and found this picture. (So handy, I was just able to copy and paste that comment from Jennifer's dress and use it here for Nicole.) I don't mind if Nicole wants to wear this color because it suits her skin and hair. But WHY IS IT SO SHINY? This is even more shiny than normal shiny satin. Nicole Kidman is a gorgeous, tall woman, and someone stuck here in this sad shiny overwrought lopsided ugly sack. Criminal!

PS. If you just stare at that dress, it keeps getting worse and worse. Avert your eyes!


GOOD COLOR
Let's cleanse our palette and wrap things up by checking out a bevy of beauties who knocked it out of the park in the color department. It doesn't have to be bright but it has to be right!

Zoe Saldana
I still don't know exactly what is going on with Zoe's dress, but this gorgeous color covers a multitude of sins, even if those sins may be a skirt covered in tassels. She's beautiful and this crimson only enhances that. Soft and romantic, her whole look was a win.

Sofia VergaraThis was a WHOLE lotta dress, but it was the first one we saw on the red carpet coverage we watched, and it was really special on camera. It actually seemed more grey than the blueish tint it has in this photo. That plus the pop of burgandy was very unique.

Sandra Bullock
I didn't really love all the aspects of this dress, but I loved the color on Sandra. The skirt is just barely see-through, which I think is kind of perfectly cheeky. I was waffling on whether the fabric seemed cheap, but again, the purple is so great and fun that I'm feeling forgiving. Also isn't this picture of her hubby holding the umbrella just adorable?

Emily Blunt
I could not find a picture that did Emily's dress justice, so just take my word for it. Plus this picture has her fiance John Krasinski in it, so we all win, don't we? Her hair looked bedraggled but the dress was divine, like a delicious whipped pink cloud. This is another color that works better on a tan brunette.

Jane LynchJane's olive gown was awesome and suited her personality. I'm a sucker for pockets on a dress! Isn't this a good color for her?

Mo'Nique
Mo'Nique was glowing all night, and this dress only amplified that. The shape was SO flattering for her, the vertical pleating of the skirt had beautiful movement, and the color was magic with her skin. I loved that she didn't even have accessories, except her smile and, after her win, her shiny award. Flawless.

Thanks so much for reading! Awards season has only just begun so I am sure we'll have more celebrities to study in the near future! What did YOU think of the Golden Globes fashions and who was YOUR best and worst of the night? Tell me in the comments!

Oh, hello 2010.

Goodness me, can you believe it? A new year has begun. I am excited to think about what is in store for 2010. This year has some special milestones for me, including five years of being married to Ben and TEN years of being together. Wow. Realizing that I'm old enough to be celebrating the tenth anniversary of anything is pretty wild.

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions but there are some things I'd like to do and see in 2010... here are a few! In no particular order.

I want to go to here:

Working on a BIG trip to here:


Read this more:


And do a lot more of this:


Have one of these:


Or at least one of these:


See the number keep dropping on this:


Do more cooking and try some new:


Be a cheerful wife.

And a compassionate friend.

And run fearlessly after God.