15/04/2018 - First Snow in New Zealand

The sun rose and the car was frosted. Fortunately, the door opened easily. However, we were slightly shocked when we saw the layer of ice that surrounded our car.
We struggled to the bathroom in flip-flops and took a wonderfully warm shower. Only the ventilation in the building made it feel colder inside than outside. For breakfast, we had tea that warmed us from the inside - next door was the fired-up fireplace that warmed us from the outside. After a hearty meal, we had to pack our backpacks because we were going on another hike. Among other things, we packed the couscous we had prepared the day before, as the outing would take a bit longer.
Around 9:30 am, the first warm rays of sun defrosted our windshield, and we were ready to go. 30 minutes later, we arrived at the parking lot in "Mount Cook Village". After another 20 minutes of walking, we reached the start of the trail. The "Sealy Tarns Track" is notorious for its steep ascent - we had to climb more than (estimated) 1,000 steps up the mountain. The seemingly endless staircase was mostly made of wood, sometimes made of stone, and rarely dug into the ground. The sun was mercilessly beating down on us that day, making it difficult to choose the right clothes. After all, the track started at an elevation of almost 850 meters; the outside temperature was in the low positive range. - We were most likely prepared for almost any weather conditions.
The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the view became. The sight of "Mount Cook" behind us quickly made up for the hardships.
But it wasn't just the stairs that gave us a hard time. The vegetation became increasingly, well... wintry!? In the valley, there was only sporadic snow to be seen, but up here we were greeted by a small snowscape. Soon, the stair steps were filled with slush, which made slipping possible.
After exactly 1.5 hours, we reached the first milestone. "Sealy Tarns" greeted us with a frozen water surface. Normally, the small pond reflects the mighty Mount Cook - but there was nothing to be seen of it. We took it with humor. :) We found a seat on a large picnic bench and enjoyed the panorama. These colors, these high mountains, and this incredible landscape completely enthralled us. After a longer break, we decided to continue following the trail for a bit. After all, the track did not end at the aforementioned pond but continued up the mountain to "Mueller Hut".
However, we quickly realized that the trail was pushing us and our equipment to the limit. The path was snowed in and mostly consisted of slippery slush. Only the signposts revealed the rough direction. Again and again, we slipped and only just managed to save ourselves from falling. After struggling uphill for 30 minutes, a bare rock became our salvation. We sat down and discussed the situation. Most of the hikers who passed us were equipped with hiking poles and spikes. When we looked up towards the summit, there was hardly a green patch to be seen. We had to admit to ourselves: We're not equipped enough for this, and it's only marginally fun anymore. Because of that, we abandoned the hike and enjoyed the wonderful view that was already worth it. We took advantage of the break and built a snowman! :) We quickly gathered its three body parts. By the time they were assembled, our hands were already freezing. We attached eyes, a nose, and buttons, and the only things missing were arms and a broom. We didn't have much choice - so creativity was required, and this time there was no broom, but three strands of long grass for hair. So, there he sat next to us - little "Homer - The Snowman". Our little friend was a great subject for photos. After the photoshoot was over and we had said goodbye, we started the journey back. We turned around several times to look for Homer. We watched as other hikers positioned themselves next to him to take a picture as well. So, the little snowman not only brought us joy but apparently also brought joy to others. We hope Homer doesn't melt too quickly. And who knows, maybe we'll find a picture of him on the internet. ;)
The steep descent back to Sealy Tarns was quite an adventure, by the way. Our hiking shoes hardly found any grip, so we slid more than we walked. Nevertheless, we safely reached the large picnic bench and enjoyed our well-deserved couscous on-site.
Once we regained our strength, we descended the endless staircase into the valley. Our thighs and knees quickly started to hurt. With each step, we felt a new, previously unknown muscle. The descent dragged on like chewing gum, no joke... Every turn brought back memories of the ascent and raised hopes of an imminent end. After a total of five hours, we reached the last step of the stairs. Finally!
Back at the campsite, we celebrated a beautiful and yet very exhausting day and relaxed with our legs elevated on our 8th anniversary.

This morning, New Zealand greeted us again with ice and frost. After completing our morning routine and having breakfast with a panoramic view of the mountains, as the sun melted the windows, we visited one last attraction in Mount Cook National Park. One last time, we drove on State Highway 80 towards Mount Cook. After 25 minutes, we reached the parking lot at "Tasman Glacier". Our legs were still slightly cramped. Nevertheless, we wanted to take a closer look at the area. First, we passed by two ponds. However, they were no longer "Blue Pools". Instead, green waters greeted us. According to an information board, the small lakes used to sparkle blue when discovered. In previous years, they were filled with pure glacier water. But since the retreat of the Tasman Glacier, not a drop reaches the Blue Pools anymore. Today, only rain fills the lakes, resulting in a greenish-gray soup.
Next, we visited a viewpoint at "Lake Tasman". From here, we had a good view of the glacier and the resulting lake. We quickly spotted isolated icebergs floating in it - the cold was clearly felt. Surprisingly, the grayish lake only formed in the 1970s. However, it is expected to double in size in 20 years. It is hard to imagine that the entire area once consisted of glaciers!? During the retreat, a dark layer of rocks was exposed, which the glacier had enclosed many years ago. Now it is one of the reasons for its accelerated melting. Today, only a small part can be seen from the lookout. Nevertheless, it has an impressive total length of 29 kilometers.

After getting closer to the glacier lake through another walk, we returned to the parking lot. We still had a long drive ahead of us. In the rearview mirror, we enjoyed the last views of Mount Cook. Just in time for the last curve, before it was no longer visible, it was covered in clouds.
Passing "Lake Pukaki" and "Lake Tekapo", we arrived in "Ashburton" early in the evening. This town is located south of "Christchurch", where we will be heading tomorrow.