Hiking the Red Tarns
Apr. 15th, 2024 11:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
New Zealand Travelog #21
Mt. Cook National Park, NZ - Sun, 14 Apr 2024, 3pm
We tried waiting out the weather this morning before starting our hike on Red Tarns trail at Mt. Cook National Park. The plan worked; the weather got better. At least for a little while....

This photo shows the view out across the valley as we crossed a footbridge to where the trail begins in earnest. Up to this point it's a literal walk in the park: a paved path, flowers on the side, even bunnies in the grass. On the other side of this bridge it's relentless up, up, up the mountain.
Alas while the weather started to look like it might continue clearing up, the sky in the photo above is about the best we saw all day. And after we started the trail the clouds closed back up and even descended lower. Here's some video that shows the story:
By the way, a tarn is a mountain pond. This trail leads up to a pocket basin where there are a few tarns with amazing views— on clear days. You can see what this day offered in the video above. The ponds are named Red Tarns because of a copper colored pondweed that grows there.
Mt. Cook National Park, NZ - Sun, 14 Apr 2024, 3pm
We tried waiting out the weather this morning before starting our hike on Red Tarns trail at Mt. Cook National Park. The plan worked; the weather got better. At least for a little while....

This photo shows the view out across the valley as we crossed a footbridge to where the trail begins in earnest. Up to this point it's a literal walk in the park: a paved path, flowers on the side, even bunnies in the grass. On the other side of this bridge it's relentless up, up, up the mountain.
Alas while the weather started to look like it might continue clearing up, the sky in the photo above is about the best we saw all day. And after we started the trail the clouds closed back up and even descended lower. Here's some video that shows the story:
By the way, a tarn is a mountain pond. This trail leads up to a pocket basin where there are a few tarns with amazing views— on clear days. You can see what this day offered in the video above. The ponds are named Red Tarns because of a copper colored pondweed that grows there.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-16 02:17 pm (UTC)This is so beautiful.