Today's photos: Tree fern growing near the glacier, blue ice on Franz Joseph Glacier, glacial ice and views from the glaciers.
Yay! The day started clear and only got better. I decided to chance the helicopter rode over the glaciers. I paid and we were briefed on safety procedures. I went to the helicopter pad and got a front row seat! Wonderful! It was like flying. Oh wait, I was flying. The contrast between blue ice of the glacier and the new 6" of snow backed up against a blue sky, was spectacular. We flew over both Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers. Amazing!!! We landed on the new snow packed ice as the rotors blew the snow everywhere. The snow was deep, over my sneakers, (after spending all night drying them from yesterday's hike through the water to Fox Glacier)and I ran as fast as I could so I could see the tops of the mountains. It was dazzling and I was happy that I wore sunglasses. We stayed for a few minutes and then boarded up again. This time I wss in the back, so I just enjoyed the view.
When I got back to town, I got a ride with people who were on their way to the glacier to hike to the face. It was about an hour across moraine strewn pebbles with waterfalls and of course the head of the glacier. The blue ice is so dense that it cracks in peaks at the top. Very cool. I spent an hour just marvelling at the views and photographing everything.
Great day, tomorrow I will be heading away from the glaciers and back into the forests.
Catch you then. Keep those comments coming!!
Love,
Kerry
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