Atop the Mountain High: Day 4, final and last day of the North Island Hippie Tour

This is a picture of a topographic map showing Mt. Ruapehu aka Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings. Cut off at the top is yet another volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe. The two lakes you see are the Upper and Lower Tama Lakes which is where we hiked our way to heaven. It was about a 16 km hike which is close to 10 miles and was calculated to take around 8 hours to accomplish. The dotted yellow line to the left is the trail we took. Absolutely worth it!!

   

The waterfall below is viewed from a bridge which crosses above. Crazy Max seemed convinced that he could jump and not get hurt. He felt it in his gut that he wouldn't hit any rocks. Well guess what, he didn't die. As soon as I headed up the trail, Max jumps off the rail and plunges into the water below, only to find himself climbing his way back up to finish the hike.  

 

This gorgeous alpine hike tangled us through river bottoms, up and through canyons, over several wooden bridges, and led us by a spectacular waterfall where you could view the entire valley which lay between the two famous volcanos.

        

The lakes were beautiful-      breath taking.

What more can I say, my photos are only a porthole, the lakes, volcanos, and alpine have a spirit and they speak for themselves.

The two guys closest are from Israel, they have taken a year off to travel before beginning a new career, and have already visited 5 countries in 4 months. I've met some incredible people in New Zealand. Many foreigners and Kiwi with different stories and so very much to tell.

On the rim between the Tama lakes I was on top of the world, a place where your soul finds heaven. Somewhere so phenomenal it cannot be described with words but rather demands your essence where your soul becomes free of your body. As the wind battled my legs atop this mountain high, I held a wide grin upon my face as I shouted out Queen's "We are the Champions" as I sang proudly and wildly to my audience all around, the souls of the mountains, lakes, and skies all around. My spirit has never been more free. This moment atop my mountain high will live within me beyond the day I die.