FranzJosef

Hey everybody! O.K. Here's the latest of my great adventures.
I am now in the area of the South Island referred to as Westland. Franz Josef is a very small little town named aptly because it sits at the foot of the Franz Josef glacier. (Some randomly cool info that I've managed to soak up during my time here...) The South Westland coast of New Zealand lies in the "roaring forties" - the wind blows all the time - and blows in moisture-laden winds from the southern oceans. Slightly inland from the coast, two of the earth's major plates (anyone remember plate tectonics from my geography class?) are presently grinding together and meet at the New Zealand Alpine Fault which cuts diagonally through the South Island. (Check it out on the map, you'll totally see it!) The Southern Alps here are moving upward at a rate of 10mm per year! Anyway, the windflow of the roaring forties is directed upward over the Alps and dumps huge amounts of rain and snow on these mountains.
Hence, you have glaciers. (Can you tell I used to teach Geography? I love this stuff!)

    The two most famous glaciers in New Zealand are the Franz Josef and the Fox glaciers, called twin glaciers because, guess what?, they look a lot alike. Normally, glaciers move very slowly, but because of the massive snowfalls, the Franz Josef moves as fast as 2.5m per day! In glacier speed, this is hauling ass! Since it moves so rapidly, it also lends to its unique, craggy appearance. And, this is what I went hiking on! So, here's the good part...
     I flew back in with 5 other people in a helicopter, which was pretty cool in itself seeing as I'd never been in one before, and the landing was exciting because a. you land on ice and b. the pilot didn't like the heli-pad so we hovered in the air for about 5 minutes while the guides hacked away a flatter surface for us to set down on. Very exciting!
     We promptly get out, meet our guide, Craig, and try to adjust to walking on the ice. We are equipped with special boots with crampons and a pick-axe (which I was highly suspicious of... Is this thing my friend or my foe? Knowing me, I'm going to impale myself...) Anyway, some tips on how to walk, what to do to keep from killing yourself and those around you and we're off for a grand little hike. I'm expecting a nice, smooth surface to cruise around on but the reality of it was sharp, steep crevasses that you have to hack into with your pick and haul yourself up on the side! Very challenging but quite fun! The adrenalin definitely gets pumping, that's for sure!
     Anyway, all went smoothly enough until the last 5 minutes or so when we're heading back to the heli-pad and, in her usual graceful fashion, Kodie slips and wipes out monumentally. Now, this was not your small stumble and drop to one knee..., this was your full-on, massive, limb-flailing wipe-out with me winding up a crumpled, bloody heap on the ice at the bottom of the hill. Take my word on this, guys..., ice is as sharp as a razor, especially when you hit it with great force. At any rate, I wasn't really hurt, just really bloody and I think I might have deterred several people back at the launch pad when I stepped out of the heli. Pretty hilarious looks on their faces! But hey, you know what those kiwis say...Go hard or go home, right?! I went hard, believe me...