Mount Taranaki 2014

Mt. Taranaki is New Zealand's tallest, and, some would say, most beautiful volcano. It's a largely symmetrical cone, about 8,000 feet, I would guess. It looks like, and is, I suppose, a walk-up, and every year some hundreds or thousands climb it. Because of its frequent weather changes, however, it is also a bit of a killer: sixty or more have died on its slopes, far more than Mt. Cook, which no one would say is a walk-up. I'd had enough of volcanoes for a while and just wanted to see Taranaki--it is most often shrouded in clouds--so we drove toward it and got lucky and then hiked a few hours on its lower slopes.

And there it is

Up closer

From the lower slopes, looking down toward the sea

South side of mountain

A bit higher, a refuge?

On the trail, in the bush; called "Goblins' Forest," although
we didn't see any

Just the usual vegetable frolic

Streams and pools

Waterfalls

Weird trees

But no more volcano! We were near Taranaki that and the
next two days, but never saw it again...nothing but clouds