4/1/07 What better way to spend a birthday than to hike a glacier. Before committing to a 3/4 day hike of Franz Josef Glacier, we wondered if Jay's 30 year-old bones would hold up, but we decided to chance it. The tour Company we went with suited us up with all the gear we would need, including waterproof overtrousers, boots and spikes, hats, gloves, and jackets (all with the lingering scents of the 100s of previous users). We then walked through the valley to get to the base of the glacier (about an hour). Once at the base, we started our ascent up the steep and icy glacier. Our first few steps of walking on ice were shaky, as we were adjusting to using our spiked boots and our new environment, but we soon got
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