The beginning of the big 3 (hikes)! Over 14 miles and 4,000 feet of elevation were on the docket. With our packs full of snacks and water, we started on the Hooker Valley Lake Trail. This was a nice 6 mile, relatively flat, warmup. Each turn led us closer and closer to Mt. Cook – Anna swore each turn had a better view than the one prior – see below for documentation. At the base of Mt. Cook was Hooker Lake, filled with remnants of an old glacier.

Next…up – literally. 2,200 steps to the summit of the Muller Hut Trail. Stairs, stairs, more stairs. Then rocks, scramble, rocks, and more scramble to the top. For anyone doing this hike in the future, the actual Muller Hut is probably another ½ mile from the top. Anna ate the best apple of her life at the top and it gave her immediate fuel. She led the charge back down the mountain. We ran the whole way down – please take us back to the stadium stairs at WashU.

Since we finished the hikes earlier than expected, we ventured back to Lake Pukaki for some ‘ice bath’ and stone skipping. To be honest, the water wasn’t that cold and Brian wasn’t that good at skipping stones. But it was a super relaxing way to end the day with amazing views of Mt. Cook.

Quick heads up for anyone staying near Mt. Cook – the Hermitage hotel is fine, but the motel affiliated with it had just been redone and was actually super nice – and cheaper. If we did it again, we’d stay there both nights (and maybe bring our own food). Best find was the chicken wrap at the cafe – get it grilled. Cafe closes at 4pm FYI.