Day 85
Nov 24 day 85 Arthur’s Pass 0 km Still pouring rain which makes the next part of the Te Araroa impassable (and I’m glad I got through yesterday as it would have been impossible today). So I’m spending the day here — a nice village to rest a bit waiting for slightly better weather. Will […]
Day 84
Nov 23 day 84 Locke Stream Hut to Arthur’s Pass 6:50- 12:20 23 km Woke several times in the night to rain on the hut roof, prompting anxiety that I would not be able to make it out of the river valley to the next section of the TA or to Arthur’s Pass village. As […]
Day 83
Nov 22 day 83 Hurunui Hut # 3 to Locke Stream Hut 7:00-12:00 13 km It rained off and on most of the night and was raining when I left Hurunui Hut. I hoped to at least get to Kiwi Hut if not out to the road to Arthur’s Pass, but high water is high […]
Day 82
Nov 21 day 82 Kiwi Hope Hut to Hurunui Hut # 3 8:15-4:30 27 km A cloudy drizzly day past a lake and up some river valleys. A couple of wet stream crossings, but rivers all had swinging bridges. Often the trail would go up into the woods for some serious mud and root hiking […]
Day 81
Nov 20 day 81 Boyle Village (Reefton) to Kiwi Hope Hut 10:45-5:30 25 km In the middle of the night the rain started–I could hear it on the motel’s metal roof. I woke at six, but the bus to Boyle Village did not leave until 9:00. I watched the news and drank all the complementary […]
Day 80
Nov 19 day 80 Anne Hut to Boyle Village (Reefton) 6:45-2:30 29 km Once again I was a walker of rivers. Set off fairly early from the hut. All the other hikers were still in their sleeping bags, but the DoC ranger, who I had met the other day while he was gathering seedlings of […]
Day 79
Nov 18 day 79 Waiau Forks to Anne Hut 7:45-4:30 34 km After yesterday’s exertions and the cold temperatures, it was hard to crawl out of the old bag this morning. Still, it was bright and beautiful in the woods, and I could see my jet boil on top of a stump so I could […]
Day 78
Nov 17 day 78 Upper Travers Hut to Waiau Forks freedom camp 7:00-6:00 23 km Woke up to Grant, the hike leader, stoking the fire in the wood stove, and before too long the crew started rustling about. I packed up, made oatmeal and coffee (can have all I want now that Grant gave me […]
Day 77
Nov 16 day 77 St Arnaud to Upper Travers Hut 9:00-5:30 30 km Water. The most beautiful story Hemingway wrote was “Big Two-Hearted River” where Nick Adams, the protagonist, is recovering from the metal anguish of World War I, so he goes fishing in Northern Michigan. At one point he leans over a bridge rail […]
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, […]