The title sums it up - we did a very nice ride through rainforests today. Pretty flat with rolling hills, ~65k in all. I felt really good too - legs are rested from the day off yesterday, and my body's used to cycling again so it was all very nice. The rainforests are very pretty. They look pretty similar to the forests Joe and I hiked through in Portland, OR; everything is covered in green - moss and plants grow everywhere, so much so that you don't even really see tree trunks or branches - just a bunch of green.
We're staying at another wilderness lodge tonight. It's owned by the same people as the other lodge (with the sheep farm). Very nice place. Evidently there are eels in the river/lake and we're going to hike out there and feed them a little later. Should be interesting - I guess they can be pretty big (like 5-6ft).
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Day 5: Helicopter ride and Glacier hiking ROCKS!
Today I did a "helihike". They take you up near the top of the glacier in a helicopter, drop you off, and then you go for a hike with a guide. It ROCKED. We hiked through ice caves, up around big ice formations, and so on. It was really neat. Very VERY pretty with the mountains all around. It seems odd to have a glacier here because it butts right up against rainforests. Yes, there is a glacier next to rainforests, but it's because of the weather patterns and such. Makes for very pretty scenery (beginning to feel like I'm a broken record talking about the scenery, but it is very pretty here!)
Man, there's so much to say about things here, but alas, I am TIRED and I just spent an hour setting up this blog when I should be out exploring! :)
Rita, Janet, and probably the guides are cooking dinner together tonight becuase we've got kitchens in our rooms at this resort, so I'm going to join them now.
Man, there's so much to say about things here, but alas, I am TIRED and I just spent an hour setting up this blog when I should be out exploring! :)
Rita, Janet, and probably the guides are cooking dinner together tonight becuase we've got kitchens in our rooms at this resort, so I'm going to join them now.
Day 3: Prior to the bikeride
This post if from an email to Joe and Sarah:
This morning my legs are sore. I would like to cut my ride short today, but the other people on this trip are really tough so I bet I'll end up doing the whole thing. To answer some questions - the food is good, nothing far out at all, just your normal food. Lots of fruit, which is yummy.
The people on the trip are cool. I'm by far the youngest, but holy cow can these people bike!
Michelle and Wayne are Canadian, but they live in London and do work in finance for gold and mineral and gas companies (they make it no secret they do quite well financially). Michelle also used to be a entertainment lawyer. But anyway, with the economy they don't have much work lately so they've just been vacationing all over the world - spent some time at Michelle's vacation home in France, then to Canada, Australia, Spain, and I think they're planning a few more stops before settling back in London. They're both around 50, and because she's had time to train, Michelle is a very strong biker. I think I'm going to bike with Wayne today - he's a little more my pace. But anyway, they're both very interesting.
Rita is from the Netherlands, and she was a insurance company manager until she decided to work for an non-governmental organization (NGO) in Sri Lanka helping people recover from some natural disaster (tsunami I think). She's also a two time Olympian in rowing - dude this woman is strong! (even though she's in her early forties). Very nice lady.
Janet is from London and is a former architect - she's also out in Sri Lanka working for an NGO with Rita. She's got 2 kids in their early and late 20's. She wasn't far behind me in biking - even though she's in her mid-50's. Seriously, these people are my idols - hope I'm as in shape in 20 years!
Art and Kathleen are from North Carolina - he's retired and she has her own labor practice. They're very nice, have been in several bike trips so they're interesting to talk to. Kathleen isn't a strong biker and doesn't like biking int he rain - it's nice to have one person who's not so hard core on the trip. they are such nice, friendly people. They also have 2 kids in their late 20's.
Boyd and Elaine are also from North Carolina. Elaine and Kathleen are sisters. They like to bike slowly and take pictures along the way. Very nice, also have 2 kids our age. She's a vet tech, so we like to talk about our pups. She showed me some pics of them from facebook where her dogs are all dressed up in Christmas gear, it was pretty funny.
That's it for people on the trip, except for the 2 guides who are very nice too. Can't quite figure out the accent here- kind of a cross between Austrailian and English.
Okay, would like to say more but we're taking off for the day.
This morning my legs are sore. I would like to cut my ride short today, but the other people on this trip are really tough so I bet I'll end up doing the whole thing. To answer some questions - the food is good, nothing far out at all, just your normal food. Lots of fruit, which is yummy.
The people on the trip are cool. I'm by far the youngest, but holy cow can these people bike!
Michelle and Wayne are Canadian, but they live in London and do work in finance for gold and mineral and gas companies (they make it no secret they do quite well financially). Michelle also used to be a entertainment lawyer. But anyway, with the economy they don't have much work lately so they've just been vacationing all over the world - spent some time at Michelle's vacation home in France, then to Canada, Australia, Spain, and I think they're planning a few more stops before settling back in London. They're both around 50, and because she's had time to train, Michelle is a very strong biker. I think I'm going to bike with Wayne today - he's a little more my pace. But anyway, they're both very interesting.
Rita is from the Netherlands, and she was a insurance company manager until she decided to work for an non-governmental organization (NGO) in Sri Lanka helping people recover from some natural disaster (tsunami I think). She's also a two time Olympian in rowing - dude this woman is strong! (even though she's in her early forties). Very nice lady.
Janet is from London and is a former architect - she's also out in Sri Lanka working for an NGO with Rita. She's got 2 kids in their early and late 20's. She wasn't far behind me in biking - even though she's in her mid-50's. Seriously, these people are my idols - hope I'm as in shape in 20 years!
Art and Kathleen are from North Carolina - he's retired and she has her own labor practice. They're very nice, have been in several bike trips so they're interesting to talk to. Kathleen isn't a strong biker and doesn't like biking int he rain - it's nice to have one person who's not so hard core on the trip. they are such nice, friendly people. They also have 2 kids in their late 20's.
Boyd and Elaine are also from North Carolina. Elaine and Kathleen are sisters. They like to bike slowly and take pictures along the way. Very nice, also have 2 kids our age. She's a vet tech, so we like to talk about our pups. She showed me some pics of them from facebook where her dogs are all dressed up in Christmas gear, it was pretty funny.
That's it for people on the trip, except for the 2 guides who are very nice too. Can't quite figure out the accent here- kind of a cross between Austrailian and English.
Okay, would like to say more but we're taking off for the day.
Day 4: Great Day of Cycling
Day 4's ride was a relatively flat ride with rolling hills and 1 moderate climb up Mount Hercules. The rain held off, as did the wind, which made it even better. I rode the first 30k myself, and then we all met up for lunch at a little cafe in Harihari. There is a little wood carving shop in Harihari that we all loved. Cathlene and Boyd/Elaine purchased some very nice, elaborate wood carving artwork. I got a small little carving of Tiki - the most powerful of the Maori gods that is supposed to bring luck. Art and I rode the second 30k together. Mount Hercules was really pretty - it has big cliffs cut that must be ~10 stories tall, all covered with ferns and plants. Rainforests are very pretty.
Day 5 is a rest day - I'm excited to have a little break from biking, let my legs recover a bit. Franz Josef is a good place for a rest day too - lots of things to do.
Day 5 is a rest day - I'm excited to have a little break from biking, let my legs recover a bit. Franz Josef is a good place for a rest day too - lots of things to do.
Day 3: 9 cyclists + 2 guides + 2 crashes = 7 cyclists + 1 guide
For Day 3 we rode from Arthur's Pass to Hokitika. The day started out with a steady drizzle (as usual). Rita, Janet, Peter and I did a hike up to see a really pretty waterfall prior to starting the ride. The drizzle had turned into a full out rain by the time we finished the hike, so Janet and I opted to start the ride on the other side of Arthur's pass. Arthur's pass didn't have a terribly difficult climb, but the opposite side had a 5k very steep decent with grades in excess of 16%. These are kind of descents where there are danger signs all over and steep cliffs with no shoulders. Add rain to that. Not my idea of fun. We picked up a couple riders coming down the mountain - it wasn't their idea of fun either. (Well, and they were cold and soaking wet, which didn't help either.)
Although the conditions were the best, the scenery going down Arthur's pass was beautiful I hopped out of the van when Bill and Peter were loading up the riders. Big ravines and gully's, covered in lush green rainforests.
At any rate, my ride was good, despite the rain and then headwind that picked up just before Jackson's where we had lunch. At lunch the day took a different turn because of 2 bike crashes.
Both Bill and Wayne crashed on the railroad tracks - the tracks can get slippery in the rain, and these particular tracks were at a big slant so you couldn't cross them head on. Bill's ok, just bruises and scrapes, and he can't cycle or do any heavy lifting for a week or so, but Wayne's crash was quite a bit worse. His bike is trashed and he got a big pretty big gash on his elbow and broke a rib. He thought he could stay for the rest of the trip, but the next morning he was having trouble breathing so he and Michelle decided it was best to end their trip. We were all sad to see them go, but you could tell Wayne was just not doing well. He could hardly get in and out of the van because of the pain. They were going to stop in Sidney to get medical attention but we haven't heard anything yet - hopefully no news is good news.
While Bill and Wayne were recuperating that afternoon/evening, I did a bunch of exploring. Hokitika is a cute little town. Several of us went to a little cafe for a snack and got supplies at a bike shop. I went to the West Coast museum and went for a walk on the beach (Hokitika is on the coast). The beach is pretty - black sand with lots of pretty stones and driftwood.
Although the conditions were the best, the scenery going down Arthur's pass was beautiful I hopped out of the van when Bill and Peter were loading up the riders. Big ravines and gully's, covered in lush green rainforests.
At any rate, my ride was good, despite the rain and then headwind that picked up just before Jackson's where we had lunch. At lunch the day took a different turn because of 2 bike crashes.
Both Bill and Wayne crashed on the railroad tracks - the tracks can get slippery in the rain, and these particular tracks were at a big slant so you couldn't cross them head on. Bill's ok, just bruises and scrapes, and he can't cycle or do any heavy lifting for a week or so, but Wayne's crash was quite a bit worse. His bike is trashed and he got a big pretty big gash on his elbow and broke a rib. He thought he could stay for the rest of the trip, but the next morning he was having trouble breathing so he and Michelle decided it was best to end their trip. We were all sad to see them go, but you could tell Wayne was just not doing well. He could hardly get in and out of the van because of the pain. They were going to stop in Sidney to get medical attention but we haven't heard anything yet - hopefully no news is good news.
While Bill and Wayne were recuperating that afternoon/evening, I did a bunch of exploring. Hokitika is a cute little town. Several of us went to a little cafe for a snack and got supplies at a bike shop. I went to the West Coast museum and went for a walk on the beach (Hokitika is on the coast). The beach is pretty - black sand with lots of pretty stones and driftwood.
Day 2: When the tour guides say the climb is equivalent to those in the Tour de France, they mean it!
Pre-ride email:
Post ride email:
So today KICKED MY ASS. Holy shit, when the guides say this is a hard ride, they mean it. I walked up not only the big climb of the day, but every big hill (i.e. mountainside) after that. My legs are toast. And then about 1/2 way through a big old headwind picked up. It was grrrrreat. And did I mention it rained a solid 3/4 of the day? Good thing the scenery made up for all that. I was about the 3rd quickest, but I'm a solid 15-20 years younger than everyone on the trip so I sorta feel like a big wimp. Seriously, by the time I got done I was going about 6 miles an hour - so very slow. Tomorrow we have a choice of 3 distances - I'm thinking about doing the shortest one to give my legs a break.
I just got back from a little tour of the sheep farm (this place is an ecolodge of sorts - it's a really nice lodge AND also a sheep farm). Sheep are SO cute. Makes me want to have a hobby farm someday with little sheepies! SHEEPIES!
I have a few minutes before we leave for our ride today - we're doing 'porters pass' which has a little more than 3000ft of climbing in about 10 miles (then we'll continue on for another 30 miles). The guides say the climb is equivalent to those in the Tour (de France) - although not the biggest or hardest of the Tour climbs.
I hope my out of shape butt can make it to the top!!! If not I'm going to have to get picked up to ride in the sag wagon (van) and will feel like a HUGE wuss!
Everything is all decked out for Christmas here. Yesterday I went to mass at the cathedral here in Christchurch. They sure don't have churches like this in WI. There was a boys and mens choir that was very pretty.
Post ride email:
So today KICKED MY ASS. Holy shit, when the guides say this is a hard ride, they mean it. I walked up not only the big climb of the day, but every big hill (i.e. mountainside) after that. My legs are toast. And then about 1/2 way through a big old headwind picked up. It was grrrrreat. And did I mention it rained a solid 3/4 of the day? Good thing the scenery made up for all that. I was about the 3rd quickest, but I'm a solid 15-20 years younger than everyone on the trip so I sorta feel like a big wimp. Seriously, by the time I got done I was going about 6 miles an hour - so very slow. Tomorrow we have a choice of 3 distances - I'm thinking about doing the shortest one to give my legs a break.
I just got back from a little tour of the sheep farm (this place is an ecolodge of sorts - it's a really nice lodge AND also a sheep farm). Sheep are SO cute. Makes me want to have a hobby farm someday with little sheepies! SHEEPIES!
What's the deal with this trip?
Trip website: http://www.pedaltours.co.nz/index.cfm/PageID/16/ViewPage/Southern+Alps+10+days
The trip is on the South island; we started in Christchurch and we'll end in Queenstown.
Terrain:
We cover anywhere between 20-120k per day. Biking is a bit different here - hills are steeper and longer than in WI, there are sometimes strong headwinds, and since it's a tropical climate we get rain every day. Makes for some interesting biking! Breathtaking scenery though; just gorgeous!
Bikes:
The bikes are nice and are in excellent condition. I've got a Trek 1.2 (touring road bike) with Shimano tiagra components. Not the highest grade of components, but it doesn't matter since they maintain the bikes well.
Typical day:
We have breakfast together between 7:30 and 8:30am. Depending on the ride, we either get shuttled to the start of the bike ride or we start from the hotel. We've got 2 tour guides (Peter and Bill), one rides (sweeper), and the other takes the van that carries our luggage, bike gear, and food/drink. You can bike as much or as little as you like - they'll pick you up in the van whenever you like. We meet up for lunch at a certain point, and then we continue cycling after lunch. After cycling we usually have a couple hours at the hotel/resort to explore, hike, etc. Before dinner we have a briefing on the next day's ride - get maps and information on the terrain, make a plan for the day, etc. To end the day we have a drink and dinner together. By then it's time to hit the sack and get some rest!
The trip is on the South island; we started in Christchurch and we'll end in Queenstown.
Terrain:
We cover anywhere between 20-120k per day. Biking is a bit different here - hills are steeper and longer than in WI, there are sometimes strong headwinds, and since it's a tropical climate we get rain every day. Makes for some interesting biking! Breathtaking scenery though; just gorgeous!
Bikes:
The bikes are nice and are in excellent condition. I've got a Trek 1.2 (touring road bike) with Shimano tiagra components. Not the highest grade of components, but it doesn't matter since they maintain the bikes well.
Typical day:
We have breakfast together between 7:30 and 8:30am. Depending on the ride, we either get shuttled to the start of the bike ride or we start from the hotel. We've got 2 tour guides (Peter and Bill), one rides (sweeper), and the other takes the van that carries our luggage, bike gear, and food/drink. You can bike as much or as little as you like - they'll pick you up in the van whenever you like. We meet up for lunch at a certain point, and then we continue cycling after lunch. After cycling we usually have a couple hours at the hotel/resort to explore, hike, etc. Before dinner we have a briefing on the next day's ride - get maps and information on the terrain, make a plan for the day, etc. To end the day we have a drink and dinner together. By then it's time to hit the sack and get some rest!
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