Today I made a snow angel. Perhaps I was snow deprived in my childhood (alas, not so much snow in Alabama) and so I am trying to make up for it as an adult. It is one of those stunning winter days and the cold, sharp air has assaulted my lungs so that I am hyper aware of every breath I take. It is strange, but I somehow feel more alive when I am on a mountain top. I am on the ski slopes of Mount Ruapehu (an active volcano, eek) in Tongariro National Park and I am down right giddy.
Tongariro NP was the first national park in the world created by a bequest of an indigenous people. The Maori leaders wanted to ensure that the sacred mountains were prote cted from development and so agreed to allow the area to be designated a national park. Maori legend has it that seven mountains once clusstered around Lake Taupo, six blusstering warriors and the beautiful Pihanga. The fierce mountains all vied for the affections of Pihanga until their jealosuies literally erupted into a battle that eventually drove the mountains apart. These volcanic giants were thus divided by their rage. Because the of rich cultural signifigance and the geological marvels, Tongariro was designated a dual World Heritage Park.
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