The Arctic's Warmer Twin

The only thing I can say about today was epic. After a few days of traveling on bus, ferry, and train to get to the South Island, we finally arrived in Franz Josef where it was time to hike Fox Glacier. I am always excited for a challenge, but I was nervous about it being too cold. However, the temperature was a cool but comfortable 65, making me a very happy (and warm) girl. The glacier runs for about 8 miles, so we only hiked about a quarter of it. However, being in the middle of something so immense and icy was a different experience for the girl from Florida, where there is no mountains or snow. We put on these special hiking shoes with crampons attached on the bottom so we could get a right footing in the ice as we climbed up the glacier. The view was amazing and the pictures don't do it justice. After our long hike, we hit the hot pools down the road from our hostel, where we could rejuvenate our aching legs.

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