But the ocean is right there.

Being home has meant I personally and both of us together have had lots of outdoor adventures. I am always hatching some plan to be somewhere or go do something. And being surrounded by mountains and ocean there is no shortage.

 

Even this past weekend we hiked up a mountain that literally rises straight up out of the ocean to over 3500ft really quickly in a short distance. Its basically a marine environment but because this peak rises so quickly it soon becomes an alpine environment and yet the ocean is right there. Quite strange to be near the ocean yet high up. This peak is in the Marlborough Sounds where I guide a lot. Often looking up at Mt. Stokes thinking… gotta go there soon.

 

The summit of Mt Stokes is above the tree line and has snow on it right now. Its very exposed to wind from the Tasman Sea and big southerly storms coming out of the southern ocean. And of course we went up there on a really crappy day. But very magical at the same time. Of course as we cleared the tree-line the gale force winds hit us and the temps plummeted. And its was white-out conditions up there.

 

We were looking for a hiking hut to stay in, which isn’t on a map, because its unofficial and not open to the public. I heard about it through some friends as the Park Service (Dept. of Conservation here in NZ), made a few phone calls and I suddenly have a key to get in. Unfortunately we couldn’t find it. We were wandering around the summit which is quite flat for about an hour before I called it an said we are going back down. In some ways we were happy as it was really cold and the hut had no fire in it. What a miserable night it would have been.

 

But never a dull moment for Robin and I. And big ups to her for the places I take her. Robin can certainly hold her own in the outdoors.