Week One of WWOOFing

As Liz, Ziggy and myself travel around this fine nation, we decided to add a little work to our play with WWOOFing. WWOOF: Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms is part of a worldwide effort to link visitors with organic farmers, promote an educational exchange and build a global community conscious of ecological farming practices.

According to their website: Visitors, or ‘WWOOFers’, spend about half a day helping out on a host farm, learn about the organic movement and sustainable agriculture, and receive room and board during their visit – with no money exchanged between hosts and WWOOFers. WWOOF is an educational and cultural exchange program. WWOOFing is a way to learn practical farming skills, be part of the organic agriculture movement, and experience the heart of American agrarian culture. Our first WWOOFing experience was with Sylvanaqua Farms in Earlysville VA. Liz sought out this location and the hosts Annie and Chris Newman along with their one year old daughter Marion and two dogs Beebop and Mini opened their home to the roaming gnome team for the last week of April. With positive attitudes, we jumped right into the new environment ready to work and learn. 

Sunday Night: We arrive to the family home around 5pm and meet with the Newmans. One WWOOFer, Jean was already at the house and had been working with the farm for the past two weeks. Jean is a 19 year old young adult from France who is visiting, travelling and working on farms on the east coast starting in Miami and moving up to Boston & RI followed by a month in Canada. He was able to show us the closing operations for the two farms that Sylvanaqua tends to.

-- Adventure Farm is five minutes to the north and is a shared land space from the owners. The Newman team along with their partner Julio tend to small pens of chickens, hens, two goats, three sheep, a dozen ducks, a handful of small pigs (50-70lbs) and about 10 larger pigs (100-150lbs). This lot is mainly used for the above livestock to be fed and raised for processing and sold at markets. At the end of each day, all pens are watered for the night and the birds are enclosed in a chicken wire box for protection. Unfortunately, sometimes the wild animals are able to outwit the farmers. In the past week, the small chick pen had been raided by suspected raccoons with numerous casualties. They encouraged us to bring the dog to the farm so his scent would hopefully deter the chick killers.

-- Buck Mountain Farm is five minutes to the south and owned by a lady by the name of Rose. The farm is mainly used for a small herd of cattle and another pen for Rocky the bull. There are two pens of chickens that Sylvanaqua farms tends to. One pen is an old converted Little Debbie truck. Another is a coup on a trailer. All animals get fed either once or twice a day and water is checked in each container. At the end of each night, all animals are collected into their pens and closed up for the night. Sometimes, its easier said than done and you end up spending 15 minutes chasing hens in the twilight and trying to get everyone to bed.

Monday: Morning chores include feeding and watering everyone. Jean shows us how its done at a near running pace. He was very diligent about his duties on the farm. The broiler chick pen had been raided in the night and three were dead on arrival and two very badly injured. I took it upon myself to give mercy to one of the chicks with my hatchet on hand. 

In the afternoon, Julio came by the house with supplies from the hardware store to build a third brooder hut in the back yard. All wood had been pre-measured and cut which was nice. It was just a matter of putting it all together and screwing it down. Short work for a team of four. Earlier in the day, Chris (host) left to pick up ten piglets from a farm a few hours away. After dinner, we closed up both farms and were exhausted from our first long day. Ziggy decided it would be fun to jump into the sheep enclosure and start herding the three animals in the dark. We only noticed by the blue LED collar zipping around the ring. It took us a good minute to catch and calm him before putting the pooped pooch in the car for a break. Chris returned around 9 with the piggies who slept huddled in the hay lined truck bed.

Tuesday: Another busy day starts with opening, feeding and watering all animals at both farms. Luckily, duties were split and team Jean / Chris opened Buck Mtn in addition to introducing the new piglets to their enclosure at Buck Mtn. Liz and I headed to Adventure farm to meet Julio and help start the day. Julio taught us how to milk the two goat Esperanza (Hope in Spanish) and Lola (Lola in Spanish). The goats know whats up and head to the milking platform without much fuss. They are ready to get the milk out and the feed in. Once they are on the platform, the utters are cleaned with hot soapy water. Then two or three clearing squeezes are done to get any muck out before collection. The milking process takes practice. The index and thumb come together like an OK sign and is placed high on the utter. When OK is contracted, the utter will hold the milk and the remaining three fingers squeeze to press the milk out and into the container. On average, they produce about a quart a day; sometimes more, sometimes less.

Prior to lunch, Chris (host) and myself teamed up to get errands run for the upcoming farmers market in the afternoon. Its the first of the season and it was a mad dash to get a table, info board and all the food ready for sale. We ran over to Buck Mtn where we used a vacuum sealer and scale to weigh and package cuts of broilers that had been processed the past Friday and were in a walk in fridge. Chris showed me the cuts and how they were made; breast, thighs, wings, tenders, and the remnants. He took care of the cuts and doled them out to me for weight, bag and sealing them up. When we got back to the house, Julio helped install the metal roof on the third brooder enclosure. We were now ready for chicks which came shipped to the PO in two cardboard boxes each containing 100 peeping chickies for a total of 200! We got the feed and water together and then introduced the little yellow fuzz balls to the new home.

Liz and Chris hurried off to the farmers market which started at 3pm. This was Jeans last day at the farm and I offered to drive him to the Greyhound station in Charlottesville. While out in town, I tried desperately to find a new rain jacket to buy. I originally got a nice one at Costco for around $15 but have since misplaced it. Costco no longer carries the rain coat and so I tried Kmart, Dicks sporting goods and TJ Maxx all with failed results. Dicks had coats starting at $60! Too rich for the currently unemployed and volunteering crowd. Liz found one at Walmart for $30 and its a breathable light weight cloth called Frogg Toggs. It wicked the water very well and I think I'm a fan. The only issue is the material looks very brittle and any sort of scrape, tear or roughage could make a hole. I also made a stop to Trader Joe's on a hot tip to seek out their 3L box-o-wines for only $12; SOLD! I bought three to stock us up for the next few days/weeks.

Once done with my errands, I joined Liz and Chris at the farmers market along with Annie, Marion and Chris' mother Faith. We continued to sell until 7pm when the market closes. At the end of the day, they made a decent amount of sales especially for the wicked windy and wet weather that fell on the region that afternoon. At night, Liz and I sealed up both farms being sure to get all escapee chicks back in the pens for the night.

Wednesday: Liz and I were up at 6am to meet Julio at Adventure farms. We were moving the broiler hens pen to another grassy spot. The enclosure was deconstructed and the chicks motivated with feed to move to the new spot before setting up the fence once more. All animals, once again, are fed and watered at both farms. Annie made a delicious breakfast of fresh home raised sausage and veggies.

After breakfast, we were asked to pick up 30 ducklings that had arrived at the PO right up the road. Liz had to control her excitement. The 30 little billed fluff balls were set to live with the peeping chicks we got in yesterday.

Later in the morning, we processed more chickens for distribution in the vacuum bags. Two different local restaurants placed orders with the farm. After one more trip to Adventure farm with three bales of hay for the chicken pens and a pickup of the 11 ducks at the farm, it was finally lunch time. After food, we headed back to Buck Mtn with the ducks in a pen in the back. We set up the slaughter rack which basically is a spinable rack of cones above a large plastic basin. THE NEXT DESCRIPTION IS GRAPHIC read at own risk: The ducks are inserted into the cone head first with the belly towards the outside and wings tucked in. The process that the farm uses involves a turning of the ducks head to aim the blade towards the jugular. The avoidance of the windpipe is key to keeping the duck from spoiling or making it harder to process. The cut is made about an inch above the ducks eye with a sharp blade and a quick cut. The bleed-out takes a few minutes (some ducks take longer) and twitching & explosive defecation may occur. Chris showed us the process on the first two, Liz performed the process on 4 ducks and I did 5. Once bled and limp, the ducks are laid out in the walk in freezer to chill before the de-feathering occurs.

That night, we did dinner on our own since our hosts were out for Marion's first birthday. The farms were closed down for the night and we called it a day.

Thursday: Thursday was a trying day. The alarm goes off at 5:45 so we can meet Julio at Adventure farm by 6:20. Only ten minutes late, we begin opening operations at the farm. The forecast called for rain and we knew it was coming. As we fed and watered the birds, we could hear it in the distance. A moment later, it began to rain. The rain turned to a driving pour and I hid out in the hen house for protection. Liz was not as lucky and was soaked from head to toe including her LLBean rain coat. She trudged on in the rain and I knew I couldn't wuss out in the hen house. We worked as a team while the rain poured on us. We cautiously trudged in the mud to feed all animals at both farms and at the house. By the time we got to the house, we were cold and wet entirely. A change of clothes and we felt a bit better but with each outing during the day came more wet socks in squishy shoes and heavy clothes fully saturated. This was a tough morning to say the least. 

Fried chicken for breakfast along with some left over cantaloupe gave us a boost of energy but also made us lethargic. We futzed around for a short while before heading back to Adventure around noon. Julio requested our help with a till-free garden bed in the shape of a peace pattern. The native quartz which sat around 3" below the surface gave us a hell of a time removing from the vicinity. By 2pm, we had run out of energy and were ready for lunch. A delicious meal of chick peas in red sauce with spinach over couscous with a fried egg on top. I personally made sure to get my calorie intake. 

After lunch was more animal care at the house. The rain started back up. We took a brief respite before charging back into chores. While Liz held house to help with dinner, I weed whacked the field a bit and made sure all chicks were happy, watered and fed at Adventure. Back at the house, a delicious local free range steak was waiting along with fries and a kale salad. It was quickly cleared from the table by the family. Out once again for the closing duties, we hurried our nightly chores in the pending rain. Both farms closed up before 9pm, we return to the house for much deserved showers and clothing air-out.

Friday: With a few hard days of field work behind us, we requested a break from our chores for the day so we could explore and regain some strength. Chores were completed in the AM and after a brief nap caused by pancake-itis, we headed out to see some sights. We stopped to find a local geocache to get our Virginia badge - Woo. Our journey then led us up the road to Barboursville Winery and Ruins. The ruins attracted our attention first. Preserved as a ruin after its destruction by fire on Christmas Day, 1884, Barboursville was one of the largest and finest residences in the region. The only building in Orange County known to have been designed by Thomas Jefferson, Barboursville was constructed between 1814 and 1822 for Jefferson's friend James Barbour, Governor of Virginia (1812-1814), U.S. Senator, Secretary of War, and Ambassador to the Court of St. James.

After a few snapshots, we headed to the winery where $7 got us a wine tasting glass and up to 20 tastes of their signature and award winning reds, whites and dessert wines. A very good deal and great Friday afternoon activity. After the winery, we packed up and drove into Charlottesville to the downtown pedestrian mall where we stopped in a burger joint for some amazing specialty burgers with fries and fried oreos for dessert. It was a treat-yo-self kind of day. We finished up with some window shopping and then headed back to the host house.

That night, we completed our chores with Chris and he helped round up the broiler birds (57) from Adventure farms for processing tomorrow morning.

Saturday: Morning chores were started a bit later than normal but seemed to go much faster. Maybe we are finally getting the swing of this. After breakfast, Liz and I stop by Walmart to grab 200lbs of ice for the upcoming bird processing. We meet with Chris and Julio and Julio's father (also Julio) at Buck Mtn farm to start the activities. GRAPHIC CONTENT AHEAD -- Julio and Julio take on the slaughtering, blood letting and initial defeathering activities which uses a scalder, which as you can imagine is a large tank of scalding water that the freshly killed birds are dunked into to loosen the feathers. This is then followed by a de-featherer which is a circular tub with rubber prongs on the inside and tumbles the chickens about to thrash the feathers off and into a bucket.

Liz, Chris (host) and myself were on the processing end of the operations which included sharp knives to cut off the heads and feet first. Then an incision was made to open the bird from the lower abdomen. A hand inside the bird and good grasp is enough to remove the esophagus to anus in a cautious pull. When completed right, the gallbladder is NOT ruptured and all things are peachy. Sometimes, the gallbladder was cut and a florescent green liquid would squirt. Quick hosing operations were taken to make sure it was washed off asap. From the innards, only the heart and liver is retained for freezing and selling; everything else is composted. Once the lungs are removed, the chickens are put on ice to be placed in the fridge for further processing.

Overall, it was a fairly messy process but with five people, we were able to defeather and process 57 broiler hens and 6 ducks in about 3 hours. We took a late lunch, which did not include chicken, and then had a few hours to break with a nap. Night chores were completed and after a quick shower, we went out to see the Grey Brothers. Annie's father plays bass in the psychedelic jam band and a small gathering was held to eat, drink and jam out. It was a rather enjoyable evening aside from getting lost on a dark dirt road getting there.

Sunday: We woke up a bit later than usual and got to the first farm around 7:20. We met Julio at Adventure farm and had to capture/corral three pigs that had escaped. We managed to round them up and put them back in the pen. During the day, we worked to secure a new open air enclosure for them in the field. The stubborn piggies required a netted fence and three levels of electric fencing to keep them contained in the field. Additional hoeing was completed on the no-till planter and the sheep pen was moved (this includes rounding up the escaped sheep during the move). 

Nightly chores were completed almost effortlessly. We are getting much better at this on our last night here. It also helps that it hadn't rained that much today. Only a light drizzle. Of the 200 chicks that were introduced earlier in the week, numerous have passed away from exposure. This includes but is not limited to: exposure to the ~50deg nights we have had with nothing more than a heat lamp; exposure to the rainy weather that has doused Virginia and hopefully made a dent in the Shenandoah fire which burnt more than 10,000 acres; exposure to other chicks in the brutal baby chick battle grounds where mosh pits and body slams are not only acceptable but expected. Our hosts let us know that we are not to blame for their loss and there is no such thing as a 100% success rate.

Monday: Our last day at Sylvanaqua Farms is bittersweet. We perform our morning chores and are finally getting good at them. We have learned volumes in the past week about small scale organic farming including huglebeds, keyhole gardens, animal husbandry and care, poultry processing, goat milking and more. We are ready to move onto the next adventure but will surely miss Annie, Chris and baby Marion along with their dozens of poultry, ducks, sheep, goats and pigs. We move onward to Peppers Salsa farm in Hamilton VA where we hope to learn veggie growing techniques and more. The weather forecast looks wet but we will hopefully keep our spirits dry. Come back and find out more about this adventure. Thanks for reading.

SPECIAL SPOT LIGHT

This weeks special spot light award goes to Ziggy! This week, Ziggy had surpassed our expectations. Our little pitbull has proved that he is growing into a very patient and obedient dog. He has met and played with a half-dozen dozen dogs of various breeds. His play is fast paced and friendly rather than aggressive. Recall has greatly improved and he will wait on the porch with no leash while boots are being put on. His love for exploration and independence is still prevalent but his is always eager to blitzkrieg down the field when we need him to. Numerous opportunities to chase and harass ducks, chickens, goats and hogs have been bypass to sit and watch or wait patiently. The goats are the only instigator and give Zig the run around since they naturally want to be herded and he wants to chase. Once again, no aggression or desire to bite or hurt. He has done wonderfully meeting new people and even a one year old baby with no issues. Good on him and I am sure we will continue to improve his abilities as we move on.

Gnome Getting Psycadelic

For some time now, Liz and I have been holding onto our whites. We went to Ikea and bought a white duvet cover and pillow cases and we also got some dish towels/bar rags. Moving back to Harrisburg with the Fulton fam, we uncovered a stash of Tie Dye materials from Kathryn. With her permission and guidance, we went through the process of making some colorful art out of these blank slates.

Prior to starting, Liz watched numerous YouTube videos of hippies in their basements showing how to fold and band the desired patterns. We decided to try a mandala pattern on the duvet cover and go for whatever felt right for the rest of the items. Before applying bands, we bucket washed the whites in a mixture of water and Soda Ash which can be bough in bulk in the pool supplies of most department or pool stores. The ratio for the mix we used was ~1 cup soda ash to ~1 gallon of water. We really soaked them for a good half hour (or how ever long we played Halo Reach for). 

After we squeezed out the water, it was time to fold our patterns and apply bands. I went gung-ho in my own special patterns while Liz attempted more traditional styles. The duvet was so large, we called it our baby Alli-guitar.

Dye was applied following the process of ROYGBIV being sure to avoid running colors together in a mega mess; not to say some areas came out a little wonky. After dye was applied, each item was placed in its own plastic bag for the dye to set for the next 24 hours.

Fast forward to the next day and we are stoked to see our artwork. We started with the smallest rags first. The process of cleaning them is fairly straight forward.

1. Turn on cold tap
2. Place cloth under water
3. Wring out 10,000,000 times.
4. Let sit for 20 mins
5. Wring out another dozen times.

As you can imagine, this took some time to do all the towels giving us a new appreciation to those stalls that have hundreds of tapestries for sale. It was a near painful process which took about two hours of rinsing to complete. Once they were all rinsed, they took a cold spin in the washing machine followed by a dry session.

And without further ado, here's the outcome.

And the Duvet

New Experiences in New Zealand - Part 4

Sopping wet, we loaded our gear into the awaiting Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. We had arranged for a company (2 guys) to perform the transport of the vehicle from the Routeburn Shelter (our Start) to the Divide (our end) of the track. This option was way more cost effective and time efficient since we didnt have to ride the bus back 4hrs to the start to retrieve the car. We could also continue our journey to the next destination; Gunns Camp which was plotted about 7km down a dirt/gravel road.

The history of Gunn's Camp is fascinating. The Gunn family has resided in desolate Hollyford Valley for nearly a century. The collection of tools, images, maps and machinery in the on-site museum depict the struggles of the main through-fare that was built through the dense forest to provide road access from Te Anau to the South and Milford Sound to the West. Prior to the installation of the road and Homer Tunnel, Milford Sound was only accessible via a lengthy boat ride. The quirky cartoons and phrases posted around the camp showed that creativity and comedy are needed to survive in this remote area of the island.

Our cabin, number 6, was right along the Hollyford River and was a very simple, two bedroom cabin with entrance to the dining room. Within the dining room was a wood/coal burning stove which was quickly fired up to warm our cold/wet bones and dry out some of our gear. The rest of the afternoon was a wash and with literally nothing else in the area, we decided to recuperate from the hike and spend the night by the fire. Seeing as how we were all pretty smelly after three days of hiking, everyone took the time to grab a shower from the camp facilities which were heated by a central wood burning heater. They had a very unique and independent setup which also included generator power from 6-10pm. After that, lights out.

In the morning, we pack up gear and headed out of camp relatively early. The next destination was Milford Sound which was approximately one hour to the West. As soon as we neared the Sound via the Homer Tunnel, the traffic began to build up. We ended up having to park in an overflow lot and take the shuttle over to the docks. We had a short wait in the terminal before our RealJourneys trip started. The boat pulled up and passengers began to load up. The boat was maybe 30% full which was nice for moving around and not having an overcrowded and noisy ride. Rain continued intermittently throughout the cruise but according to the captain, the falls were far less impressive a few days prior when the rain had yet to come. The increase in rain fall provided our tour that day with a beautiful hazy ride around the Sound to see the hundreds of falls cascading off the cliffs.

After the cruise, we drove down to Te Anau which was a bit of a haul and left the group really hangry. The town center offered many options for food but we decided to get our mutton on with some personal pot pies from Miles Better Pies. They were delicious. Our accommodations had us staying at the Fiordlands Great Views Holiday Park. The well kept grounds hosted a varied garden of roses and other exotic plants. The reception however wasnt as nice. The woman tending desk was very short with us and felt it wasnt her job to tell people how the internet worked or about the extra charges for gate key and every other little thing on the lot. Oh, you want to use the laundry (cha-ching), how about the sauna room (cha-ching), the grill? (cha-ching), the kitchen (cha-ching) everything came with its cost here. The main miff was when we paid the 2NZ to use the propane grill. The chicken was half way done when a small grease fire came up. The woman from reception came out, she was obviously watching from afar, and told us she had to shut the grill down because of the small fire. We cooled the chicken for as long as the grill stayed warm but she turned off the gas and ferociously locked it down. Very uncalled for and unprofessional. Thank god we only had one night to spend here.

Our next leg of the journey took us east through Queenstown once more and on to Mt. Cook, the highest peak in NZ. Most of this day was spent driving with small breaks for photo ops and eating. By mid afternoon, the team had reached the youth hostel and unloaded the car once more. We checked into our 8 person bedroom and was able to claim the beds of our linking since we were one of the firsts in. Dinner was whipped up and just before we ate, a beautiful rainbow was cast over the mountains from all the rain that day.

In the evening, we opted to go to the local museum which pays homage to Sir Edmund Hillary. They also had a theater which played multiple movies throughout the day; we watched the one about the strange and unique birds of New Zealand and their ancestral links to Australia. Back at the hostel, we spent time getting caught up on web surfing since we now had UNLIMITED ACCESS!!! All prior places gave out paper cards which provided the user with a code to redeem a small-nominal amount of internet for the day. I wish we had more time to spend here since we really didn't get to do any of the hiking due to inclement weather once again. Maybe next time. We did however have a break in the weather to visit a Lavender field which was on the long road to Mt. Cook

The trip from Mt. Cook to our accommodations in Akaroa was another long drive split between the group; at the end of the day though, everyone voted yours truly as driver superior on the twisty and tight NZ roads. That afternoon and evening, we explored the small French town of Akaroa. As a sort-of engagement dinner, our fathers decided to treat us to some fancy cuisine at The Trading Rooms in town. The menu appealed to most and even though the service was polite and well intention, the speed of service was horrible. The wine took 45 minutes from bar to table and the food, another hour and a half. In total, it was way too long for a meal and left me sour about the experience.The next day, we did a fish and chips for four people and included sausage, chicken, shrimp, fish and all you can eat fries all served hot in 5 minutes.

While in Akaroa, plans were loose and everyone was on board to try and go kyacking but by the time we reached the vendor, everyone backed out due to wind and cost per hour. Instead, we walked to the lighthouse up the road which was relocated from its original construction on the coast. Then, we followed a walk through the local park and found some really old trees. The road took us back to town where dinner materials were procured at the local butcher and foursquare. That night was bittersweet because it marked the last night in NZ for the Glasers. Our bags were packed and we were all ready to hit the road back the Christchurch and then the airport.

On the morning of February 20th, the Fulton family was dropped off at their accommodations for the night (oddly enough, the same Old Country Backpackers from Part 1) and Glaser crew drove to the airport. Bags checked in for the first flight. Then on to the second much longer flight (12hr AUK to LAX) and finally a short skip to Phoenix to see my brother and Dylan for an evening. While in Phoenix, we met with my mother who was staying with brother. She flew with us the next morning back to Newark NJ where the weather was cold and sleeting. I already missed New Zealand and wish I could have stayed longer.

Any who, that's about the jist of it. We had a wonderful time with no major issues to speak of. The plans were flimsy at the start but by and by, we pulled the trip together and had a grand ol time doing it. It was very fun and will obviously be a trip to never forget! Thanks for reading and keep on following our journey as we embark on a cross country US trip starting very soon!

New Experiences in New Zealand - Part 3

We just entered Queenstown via an extremely steep and hairpin road withother. We were to spend the next three days in this city with loose plans of relaxation and fun. On the night of our arrival, Liz and I broke loose from the family fathers for dinner. We ended up in town at a well know and delicious pizzeria called Winnie's. We had a table for two on an open air veranda up the second floor. We had a few beers and some pizza and just watched the masses flow through the shopping center as the sun set over the city. After the meal, we walked the streets to explore the gift shops and other local establishments. By 10:30, the air had chilled and a strong wind picked up so we headed back to the HippoLodge, our hostel accommodation for the stay. The four of us had our own room next to a bathroom at the minimal frills establishment.

On the second day, we got a recommendation from Micky at the front desk for a winery nearby called Gibbston Valley Winery. We headed out of town to the winery and explored their Cheesery which had samples of cheese, spreads, and honeys. We also paid the 15$ for the cave tour which included the recent history of the winery and pinot gris vine culture in the region. It also came with a couple tastings which were amazing. After the tour, we sat down to lunch at their outdoor eating area which had a lovely patio in the shade. The food came out the kitchen and our senses were treated to one of the more amazing meals eaten. Each dish was simplistic yet the flavors were elating and when paired with their suggested wine per meal, the choice was right.The rest of the night was spent back at the hostel. During our dinner at the barbie outside, we heard a rustling in the bushes. Liz checked and found a big ol brown European hedgehog! He was not pleased to be found out even though his foraging was making quite some noise. Liz left him alone so he could find the rest of his nightly meal.

On our third day in town, we decided to ride the gondola up to the top of the mountain which over looks the city of Queenstown. It was quite impressive to see such a beautiful vista.



We also hiked a short yet steep path to the top of a hill where we located a geocache. While up there, we met an older couple from New Caledonia who said that my grandfather on the Glaser side was a figure in their history and even had a road named after him. Cool! We had two more activities to do while atop the hill. The first was a downhill luge for which we purchased 3 rides. The sloping and curving paths were fun for all and the rides were a blast! Unfortunately, we opted not to buy the ride photos. Finally, we were treated to a show of the Maori Haka; a series of ritual dances including chest slapping, foot stomping and chanting. The dances were performed for all types of ceremonies including greetings, weddings and celebrations. Little did we know that the male viewers were to be trained as performers on stage. Some of my fellow men on stage were way off beat and their tongue skills lacking.

Post dinner, we started preparing for our big day tomorrow. Food had to be planned, purchased and packed; gear had to be located, locked and set and bodies had to be well rested for the Routeburn Track which was to come in the AM.

We woke up the next morning bright and early. Bags were packed and the car was loaded. We checked out of the Hippolodge hostel which had been our home for the past three nights. The day prior, Liz and I grabbed our prepaid Hut and Camping tickets from the DOC at the local storefront in Queenstown. We had set the arrangements for these tickets in September and even with that much advance, there was still alot of competition for the passes. The cost was fairly minimal and helps pay for park Wardens to care for and clean the stops/facilities and also for improvements to swing bridges and pathways. On our way out of town, we stopped to get a meal and headed on our way to Glenochy which is a small town north of Queenstown and the starting point for our trek.

A long gravel road brought us to the trail head and we double checked our packs before hitting the track. The weather the first day was gorgeous. The winding forested trail had numerous small bridges traversing streams and rivers. Ascent in elevation was fairly minimal and it didnt take too much of a toll on us to hike the 3-hr course to our first stopping point; the Flats Hut, situated in a meadow which over looks a stream and the mountains. We met folks from all over the world who were staying in this cabin on the trail. Some of these hikers would be travelling the same path as us while others were just finishing their remaining portion we had completed that day. During dinner at the hut, we met a few people who would prove to be friendly faces. They were Heinrich and Nina: German newly weds on their honeymoon to NZ before starting their marriage and Roy: a retired Limnologist and overall science buff from Maine who was hiking the trail at his own speed. Prior to bedtime, we pinged people about what to expect the next day on our estimated 8 hour hike. Most talked about how long of a day it was going to be but totally worth the efforts to continue on. At this point, there was no turning back.

The morning of the second day, my alarm went off at 6:30. Numerous hut dwellers had already been up for some time and were packing or on their way out the door prior to the sun even peaking through the valley. Since members of our party were still unfamiliar with the packing process, it took about 45 minutes for the gang to rise and be ready to begin the long haul. As soon as we hit the trail, we were faced with a length of switchbacks that brought our elevation out of the flats and to the Falls Hut. This immediately demanding stretch challenged some of our team but we took our time and watched our step on the loose gravel parts. When we reached the Falls Hut, the Warden was updating the weather forecast for the upcoming days. The second day was all clear but by nightfall and the next few days, the area was to experience a cold front with windy rain and unpleasant hiking conditions. JOY!

 The hike continued onward into the Harris Saddle which was an area of huge weathered boulders sliced from the mountains on either side. A stream meandered through the low portion of the saddle forming small oxbow lakes before leading to the Falls. The main portion of this hike was above the tree line in the low scrub region which provided amazing 360' views of the region. After hiking for 4 hours, we reached a shelter at the midway point. This area also led to a short but steep path to the top of Conical Hill which was the stage for the next part of our story.

The group of four worked our way up the narrow rocky path to the summit of Conical Hill which overlooked the whole Harris Saddle to the east and the Hollyford Valley to the west. The weather at summit had changed to a cloudy grey atmosphere very near the cloud line and very windy. As the gang took pictures from the vista, I planned my next steps. I gave my father the good camera and told him to be ready. Then, in that moment I pulled Liz aside. I got down on one knee and confessed my love for her. The words were nothing memorable but the sentiment was there at summit on Valentines Day. She Said Yes! The ring fit was a tad tight but the Swiss blue topaz looked stellar on the silver band adorned with hand crafted leaves.

We descended the hill and had a small meal of salami, cheese and pita bread before getting our packs back on to resume the trail. The hike continued to travel above the trees with amazing visibility to the mountains and valleys below. After another three hours, we finally saw Lake Mackenzie below. The trail took us down into a dense lush green forest with moss from every tangible spot; rocks, trees, branches, dirt, if it stayed there longer than a week, it was bound to be covered in moss. We reached the campsite at nearly the 8 hour hiking mark. We dropped packs and began to set up camp on the small campsite provided. Before long, the tents were set and we were surprised by a visit from Nina, Heinrich and Roy  who were staying up the path in the huts that night.They had overheard from by large mouthed father that we had gotten engaged during the day and they wanted to congratulate us on the great news. It was a very heartfelt gesture of them coming to see us and the ring; especially after the tiring hike that day.

We settled into our sleeping bags quite early that night in anticipation of the wet morning to come. Luckily during the night, it only drizzled a little and the wind kept it down to a heavy breeze at times. The rain was intermittent and during one break, the team made full efforts to take down camp and get ready for the 4 hour hike remaining. Leaving camp was bitter sweet but we moved on and once again were faced with more switchbacks to raise above the tree line, something that's not all too fun in a downpour with a 45lb pack on your back. We kept a steady pace and finished on the 4 hour mark. The SUV was retrieved from the parking lot and we quickly loaded the gear to GTFO for the next adventure in the fjord lands and Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in the country.

Thanks for following along and be sure to come back in a few to read the conclusionary fourth part of the epic NZ trip.

All photos are credited to Liz Fulton.