Proximity
Proximity Perhaps the most frequent but often unvoiced question that walking gives rise to is “how far?” or “am I near?” Walking is primordially an engagement with near/far. But near and far are relational terms. A far person can be many miles from another, whereas a chess piece can be far from another on a […]
Day 76
Nov 15 day 76 Porters Creek Hut to St Arnaud 6:45-2:00 28 km Today was a classic version of the horse smelling the barn. I was ready for regular food, a hot shower, and a cold beer, so all effort was bent to that end. Got a good brisk start on a fine cliff-edge trail, […]
Day 75
Nov 14 day 75 Mid Wairoa Hut to Porters Creek Hut 7:15-5:15 24 km One of my “pointless” essays is about “surfaces,” something that insistently called my attention all day. It started with a very sharp up, which then dropped me back down on the banks of the left branch of the Wairoa River. Just […]
Day 74
Nov 13 day 74 Slaty Hut to Mid Wairoa Hut 28 km 6:45-5:30 Not to be hyperbolic, but without doubt this morning’s hike was the most beautiful of the entire trip. The sun was bright, air frozen crystal with little wind. Darek and I left early, the gravel crunching beneath our feet and sprouting long […]
Day 73
Nov 12 day 73 Slaty Hut 0 km (a snow day) So last night it started raining a bit, something the weather report had warned about. I was not too concerned because it was supposed to finish before morning, and the trails here are very dry, so a little rain would not have any impact. […]
Day 72
Nov 11 day 72 Rocks Hut to Slaty Hut 25 km 6:45-4:00 All business today, not that it wasn’t a pretty walk. It was, with varied surface– a little mud, a lot of stream crossings, some high elevation scree to slip and slide on, and even some rock climbing. Mostly it was a lot of […]
Day 71
Nov 10 day 71 Pelorus River Bridge to Rocks Hut 32 km 6:45-3:45 There is a hiking adage that says “take what the trail gives you,” which generally means take advantage of easy parts of the day to make some time. Often after a long climb, a trail will suddenly flatten out and present a […]
Day 70
Nov 9 day 70 Havelock to Pelorus River Bridge Campground 21 km 9:30-1:30 A leisure day before a long week up in mountains. Spent early part of morning packing, organizing gear/food, and watching the NFL Red Zone tv show. First American football I’ve been to see for any length of time. Packing out today with […]