Franz Josef Glacier

I thought I had been hiking before, even thought I'd done one or two challenging hikes in my lifetime. I was mistaken. The hike on the track to Alex Knob was a real hike: three hours (round trip) of scrambling over big rocks and roots in dense jungle, or bush as it's called here, the destination being a little ledge (not even at the end of the trail) with this view, of Franz Josef Glacier. I started the hike with my pack on my back and my camera dangling from my wrist, as usual. I even snapped a few photos of the ultra-green canopy and probably at least one of moss or ferns too. Within twenty minutes of setting out, the camera went permanently into my backpack as I needed both hands to be free for negotiating the gnarly, often step, terrain. It was, as Stephen put it, definitely a beaten path. We climbed up and over large irregularly-shaped rocks, passed through narrow trenches bordered by grassy banks, and made our way up steep steps made of tree roots, only to do it all in reverse on the way down.  The path's width varied between one and two feet, generally with a steep drop off on one side. Don't look too far down. Helicopters buzzed overhead, ferrying people to and from the glacier itself, including members of our group who'd paid extra for the experience. By the time I reached the lookout spot, I was smelly and my shirt was nearly drenched with sweat under my pack. What a reward, though, this view! I took it all in: blue glacier sliding down towards the valley, overcast sky above, impossibly green vegetation, tiny helicopters framed against the dark mountain, and the undeniable sensation of being alive.