Spirits are high at the trail head, or maybe that's just goofiness from not getting much sleep.
Nathan's journal entry: "We got up and haphazardly threw our stuff in the car and got to the shuttle. We were started on the trail before sunrise, and it was foggy enough that we could not see very far. But the fog added a surreal feeling to the trek and made the rocks stand out in a beautiful way when they normally would not have been that spectacular. Then we also got some excellent views where the light started shining through sections of fog and lighting up peaks and slopes. It was gorgeous."
The fog made the volcanic rock formations look eerie.
We saw a lot more water than expected in the first hour.
The trail wasn't exactly easy-going.
This is our first glimpse of what is to come.
The sun just started peaking over the mountains.
This was somewhere close to the sign saying it was about to get steep. Kristin was proud of our pace until seeing that sign.
Kristin's journal entry: "I got absolutely no sleep and went ahead and got up 10 minutes before the alarm went off at 5:10am. We made it to the bus on time and officially started the hike at 6:06. It was really cool because we were surrounded by fog that made the rock formations look ethereal. We ate Nutella sandwiches while we walked and made pretty good time at first."
The sun is finally starting to light up our side of the mountain.
...the trail behind us...
We had started somewhere way down that valley, and it's still before 8:00am.
Nathan is attempting to mimic Frodo here...he just doesn't have hairy hobbit feet.
Nathan's journal entry: "We made good time getting up the first steep section, and we decided to attempt the Mt. Ngauruhoe side hike. There is no actual trail for that, and they only have poles sparsely scattered up to about one third of the way up. Plus, it is steep, and almost all of the ground is loose gravel and sand-sized volcanic sediment, so 'hiking' up that is more like fighting and crawling up a steep slope slightly faster than you slide back down, all while wondering if there is an easier path. It actually wasn't that bad, but it was a lot of work. Despite that, we made decent time between Kristin's bathroom breaks. But about halfway up, clouds came sweeping in in a matter of a couple minutes. They completely blocked out our view of the trail below, the summit above, and the possible paths to keep moving, so we turned back. Plus, we knew there was a forecast of rain later in the day but didn't know when to expect it."
Odd how every lava flow is on the trail side of the peak. Yep, we decided to attempt that beast.
Nothing picturesque... this sign is just for reference later. We were headed to the Ngauruhoe Summit.
You see where the ground just drops off into clouds? We hiked up that... and that was just the first steep section. Kristin isn't so sure about what we are doing here.
Kristin's journal entry: "It got really steep really fast, but Nathan decided that he felt good enough to try climbing Mt. Doom [Mt. Ngauruhoe]. I wasn't so sure. I was already getting dehydrated despite all the water. There was no trail on Mt. Doom, and it was all loose rock. We slid like crazy with every step, and I'm surprised we didn't fall. We made it about halfway when a cloud rolled in and completely obscured our visibility. We decided it would be best to turn back, but before we did we had to throw our "rings" (yellow Sweet Tarts). Going down was fast, but we had no clue where the trail was. I used the lack of visibility to go to the bathroom for the 3rd time on Mt. Doom (Nathan went, too), and that was only the start of my marking my territory all over Tongariro and even outside Rotorua. I was always on the lookout for the few places where I might be partially obscured. We finally found the main trail because a group of hikers was talking really loud, and we were able to follow their voices."
...and the cloud starts rolling in.
For every two steps forward, we slid about one step backward.
The clouds just started to break over the edge. But hey, they're still below us. We'll be fine!
And about five minutes later, I'm starting to have doubts.
Kristin put me up to the Sweet Tart thing... and somehow, I still look like the goofy one.
Throwing the "ring" into the "fire" of Mt. Doom!
Trying to find the "path" back down was an impossible task.
With the larger rock formations and grass, I was sure we were getting close to the slope base.
Nathan's journal entry: "We got a bit lost on the way back down [Mt. Ngauruhoe], but by then, there were lots of people on the main trail, so we used their voices to guide us back. The main trail is maintained well enough that it was pretty easy to find, though."
Remember this sign? Things have changed a bit.
This is the barren flat on the way to the next steep climb. It doesn't look much like a volcano.
Here, we've started the next climb. This is looking back down into the flat. For perspective, some of those dots near the cloud are hikers.
Finally, the sky starts to clear and we get a glimpse of the valley.
The rocks and sand were vibrantly colored in several places.
The clouds over Ngauruhoe are starting to break.
Nathan's journal entry: "The rest of the hike was less eventful with the exception of Kristin's bathroom breaks when the trail was somewhat crowded, there was no vegetation, and the largest rocks to hide behind were barely more than knee high. But that is a beautiful hike with the Red Crater, Blue Lake, and Emerald Lake. Words can't describe it adequately, so see the pictures."
Red Crater...it really was red!
Yay! We made it to the top!
Kristin's journal entry: "The climb up to the Red Crater took just about every ounce of physical skill that I had, but the view really was amazing. The wind blew like crazy up there and you could see the lakes and smell lots of sulfur. It was quite incredible."
Here you can see Blue Lake (the round, crater lake) and the Emerald Lakes (right). They were steaming with noxious gasses, and the air smelled strongly of sulfur.
Looking back at an odd fissure in the Red Crater.
The Blue Lake looked incredibly surreal as we approached from a distance.
You can really get a sense of perspective when you look at the hikers on the trail (to the left). This was the steepest slope and therefore one of the most dangerous parts of the hike. Most of the time, we simply slid down the gravel slope.
Try going to the bathroom out here...haha...that was an adventure.
Ngauruhoe looks small behind Red Crater, but that's just the angle. The trail goes up over the peak on the right. It's hard to believe we had just climbed over that!
Kristin walking around the Blue Lake.
I think the black area is a recent lava flow.
Kristin was excited to touch snow.
We started to see more foliage as we got closer to the end of the hike, although we still had several kilometers to go.
A combination of toxic steam and and clouds decorate the slope down.
We caught a glimpse of Lake Taupo in the background and Lake Rotoaira in the foreground.
It took hours to hike down from that pass, and we still have no clue how far we have left to go.
We've just had lunch and are getting ready to start on the last stretch (still over 2 hours). Our spirits are a bit brighter.
Nathan's journal entry: "Then the hike back down takes a really long time. There are still some great views (even of Lake Taupo on clear days), but it gets old after a kilometer or so, and then you still have about six more to go. We both got sore on the long downhill portion, but the hike ends with a stretch that follows a beautiful stream through the forest. That was a soothing way to end the journey. With our side trip, numerous bathroom breaks, and a stop for lunch, we made it in 8 hours 15 minutes."
We followed this beautiful stream through the forest. It was a wonderful way to end such a long hike.
We made it! (We weren't nearly as chipper as we looked.)
Kristin's journal entry: "Going downhill was almost as hard as going uphill. One stretch in particular was over loose gravel. The rest was just hard on the toes. We made it to the last hut before eating lunch, and I enjoyed actually getting to use a toilet there. The last few hours of the hike were through a gorgeous forest. I was so happy to be almost done that I hugged a tree. We finished the hike at 2:15 - it took us over 8 hours. We came out with sore muscles, several blisters, a jammed toenail, and bladder pain...oh, and lots of pictures."
Mt. Doom (Ngauruhoe) with our former lodging in the foreground. Looking back on it after the hike, it seemed so peaceful.
Kristin's journal entry: "We drove to a gas station and Nathan bought me a bag of potato chips, Powerade, and a chocolate bar. I was a bit happier about life then."
The trail goes up through the pass, with Ngauruhoe on the right. From that pass, we made it about halfway up the slope before turning back.
Nathan's journal entry: "After that, we drove to Rotorua for some relaxation. The hotel room looked fantastic! The bed even had a cushioned headboard. And the guy that checked us in, Darynn, was great fun. We ate out at a nice little place where I had lamb cutlets on a salad, and then we lounged at the hotel."
Kristin's journal entry: "We drove up to Rotorua and checked into our black and white hotel room. It was nice! The owner Darynn was really friendly. We ate at Lewishams and then spent the rest of the evening lounging. I got the best night's sleep ever!"
Our awesome luxury hotel room.
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