you say it's your birthday

you say it's your birthday
it's my birthday too - yeah
they say it's your birthday
we're gonna have a good time
i'm glad it's your birthday
happy birthday to you

yes we're going to a party party
yes we're going to a party party
yes we're going to a party party

i would like you to dance - birthday
take a cha-cha-cha-chance - birthday
i would like you to dance - birthday
dance

you say it's your birthday
well it's my birthday too - yeah
you say it's your birthday
we're gonna have a good time
i'm glad it's your birthday
happy birthday to you


[i can't help singing the above song to myself on my brithday. it's a family tradition. and it might be a few days later, but i'm posting pictures from my birthday, thus the bursting into song]

as mentioned, a group of us threw together a trip to the two thumbs range (you'll see the "two thumbs" theme in a lot of pictures) four hours before we left. it was the only spot that we were guaranteed it would not rain - tussock covered mountains, all off track, through a station's grounds, so we got permission to stay.

we arrived late friday night and set up our fly. as soon as we got underneath and into our sleeping bags, it began to rain. and continued to for the rest of the night, into the morning. we decided to give it a go anyways, and right as we set out the rain lifted, revealing snow covered peaks rising above golden, tussock covered mountains.





we started across the valley and then up into the hills.



[tussock covered hills]




[mountains over lake tekapo]


after stopping for lunch near a stream so we could refill our water bottles (yup, thats right, you can drink the water straight out of the streams here), we climbed up onto a ridge that we followed up into the snow and over stag saddle.



[stag saddle]


[dave and i along the ridge]




and then down the other side of the range through a valley to royal hut.





royal hut was fantastic. it's pretty small, only eight bunks, but had a stove we could use and the owner even had wood for us all chopped up, toilet paper, and some milk in a tube (ugh). it had such character and personality, something a lot of the bigger huts lack. the hut system here is pretty amazing - not only are their huts along all the great walks and those maintained by doc (department of conservation), some people even maintain them on their own land and allow you to tramp over it (like this one).

anyways, as soon as we got there, it started to snow outside. as we started to get settled in, rich starts pulling out stuff for my birthday: balloons, a "happy birthday" tablecloth, party hats, a 3L box of wine (which must have been effing heavy in his pack), and a homemade marbe birthday cake complete with candles.

i was in shock. completely surprised. and touched.

it was a really really nice thing for him to do.

so we threw a party:







[don't ask. we were amused. and this picture is just too funny to not post.]


drank wine, ate cake and 2 liters worth of instant pudding in addition to dinner, sat around talking and laughing.

it couldn't have been a better way to celebrate my birthday in new zealand - in a hut, tramping, with snow falling outside.

when we woke up sunday morning, it was to white out conditions, but as the morning went on and we prepared to leave, the sun came out and the clouds disappeared. total, we probably had about four inches of snow, but off we went anyways.



[royal hut amidst white out conditions]


[the sun reappearing]


the goal was to get back to the van without retracing our steps, se we set off up a different mountain. it was excellent. tramping through the snow is great, great fun. it was also deep enough to cover the tussock, a relief, since tussock is such a pain to walk through. especially when you're going straight up.







i spent a lot of time walking with dave, a kiwi guy, because he and i were usually a bit ahead of the others. he led while we were climbing upwards and reached the peak a minute before i did. and i heard the "whoop" from above me. and i got up to the top and turned around and understood his exclamation immediately.





it is ... exhilirating to be at the top of a mountain and look down and be able to trace your path all the way down and into the valley. to look down and watch the people behind you also reach the top and then it is only seven people, in seemingly the entire world, on top of this peak, with the wind trying its damnedest to knock you off its domain, off this height, and the entire world seems to be spread below you.

i can't describe the feeling; it simultaneously humbles and exhalts you.

it is magic.

once we were on the top, we looked down the other side to see a straight drop off, probably 300 m or so straight down. we figured it was just snow covering scree, and so ran down it.





[brief break]




nothing quite like struggling for a few hours up to 2000 m to just turn and run down a great number of those in fifteen minutes.

and then it was back into the lake tekapo valley and out of the snow.



[oh goodness]




[through a field of hay stacks. that's the tramping club president on that bale]


[the deer of a deer farm. yes, deer farm]


it was fabulous. an absolutely fantastic, wonderful trip. i managed to hobble my way through the soreness yesterday, and can't wait to get back out again.