Nov 28 day 89 Comyns Hut to Manuka Hut 6:45-1:30 21 km

I packed as quietly as I could, remembering that Jan from the Czech Republic likes to sleep later than most thru hikers. The trail led out over the hill directly behind the hut to the north branch of Ashburton River which was rushing knee deep and very cold. At least today the sun was shining (when I wasn’t in the shadow of the mountain), but the trail crisis-crossed the river all morning. My toes were numb, and walking felt like I had boards strapped to my feet. Later the trail turned off onto Round Hill Creek which I still had to ford often, but at least it was smaller. Making things even more difficult were the bushes that crowded the bank– they had inch long thorns that made hiking through them impossible. At one time, much of the path probably went through that area, but now it is too overgrown to even try. Still, late morning I sat by the creek, filled my water bottle and just sat there looking at where I was, wondering where I would be a year from now, and completely reveling in the moment. The rest of the morning to early afternoon was spent stumbling along unformed paths, over thick clumps of grass that hid the holes where the streams ran beneath, and there were very happy and healthy clumps of spear grass — what seems a species of yucca that pierces pants and skin. After an up and over a saddle, followed by several scree crossings, I found myself in a completely different landscape (though it still populated by the same difficult plants). The world opened into big flat dessert-like valleys with lakes off in the distance. When I arrived at Manuka Hut, even though it was early, I decided to call it a day. The morning’s pathless hike, coupled with strong wind had pretty well worn me out, and there were no huts or camping opportunities for the next 10 + km. I hope a good night’s sleep will set me up for the big push to the end tomorrow which will also involve trying to hitch a ride down off the mountain and around the next big treacherous river–the Rangitata.

Nov 27 day 88 Glenrock Stream to Comyns Hut 7:15-11:15 16 km

Today I saw the truth of the old adage “red sky in morning, sailors take warning.” I woke at 5:00 and saw out the window a magnificent and ominous red sky accompanied by strong winds. Had coffee with another of the Blue Pub guests–a truck driver regarding the winds with some concern. It was still Thanksgiving back in States, so with the help of some free street-side Spark wifi, I was able to FaceTime briefly with the family who were in NYC. I hated to miss Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, but the trail (and the bus I was to catch to get to the trail) beckoned, and after picking up a meat pie at the Four Square, we were off up a windy and windy road. Had great conversation with the driver who had spent time in the US. At the trailhead the wind was very powerful, and there were some sprinkles, but also much blue sky and the Methven weather had just called for some morning showers, so off I went. The first part was up through some pastures, and I felt at first as if I were back on the North Island except soon the landscape changed dramatically. The steep hills were basically treeless and covered with brown grass. At erosion points, the hills showed their foundations– basically they were huge piles of gravel covered with a thin layer of soil. Still, the trail was well-formed and I made good time the first 10 km to the A-frame hut. By the time I got there, the rain was really starting to come down and I should have gotten out all my heavy weather gear, but after a brief stop I decided to head on to the next hut–Comyns– which was only 6 km away. While in the A-frame I recognized the pack and gear belonging to Jan from the Czech Republic. We had been in a hut together on the north island above Taumaranui and I had been a few days behind him for some weeks now. I didn’t see Jan until after I left and had reached the ridge above the hut. He appeared, walking back and we exchanged waves. In retrospect, I probably should have stayed there as the wind was soon strong enough to make me stagger, and the rain became intense and horizontal. I was only wearing light gear and had some concern about heat loss in those conditions, particularly since I had a number of wet stream crossings. But the trail was good and the wind usually at my back, so I covered the 6 km to Comyns in a little over an hour, arriving very wet and cold. Comyns is an odd old hut, completely made of steel– corrugated steel siding attached to a structural steel frame, all of which rocks and rolls In the wind (even the door is steel). There were plenty of holes for the wind and rain to enter and no firewood for warmth or to dry clothes. Shivering, I peeled off wet layers and put on dry, made soup for lunch, hung my clothes to drip, and crawled into a sleeping bag for warmth, remembering that just yesterday afternoon I was sitting in the sun at the Blue Pub sipping a cold beer, and that back home people were sitting down to a meal that was likely much more than ramen noodles. But no self pity here, I’m still on an amazing trek seeing incredible beauty at every turn. A hard cold wet day is just part of that brutal beauty.

Nov 26 day 87 Hamilton Hut to Methven 6:45-1:30 30 km (then hitched into town)

Today was one of those dilemma days the Te Aroroa sometimes throws at you. From Hamilton Hut, there is a campground at about 15 km distance. The next accommodation is the Lake Coleridge Lodge, an upscale place that really wants early booking (and it is 47 km away). After that initial 15 km, all the walking is on a road, and there is no place to freedom camp as it is all fenced farmland. And to confound matters even more, the reason for going to Lake Coleridge Village to start with is that there is where you are supposed to ford the Rakaia River, except now the TA discourages that route, asking hikers to go around via the road at Rakaia Gorge. My solution to all this was to hike out hard this morning from the hut. It was a brisk and windy day, and the trail down Harper River was a 4 wheel drive track that crossed the river constantly. So I spent the morning with wet feet, wading through some cold snow-melt water. I got to the road late morning and kept pushing until I had done about 30 km. Then a man from Christchurch who works with farmers on livestock ID offered me a ride. It was then I decided to go to Methven instead of Lake Coleridge Village. From here, I have been able to resupply and arrange early morning transportation back to the trail head on the south side of the river. I missed seeing Lake Coleridge village, but ended up with a much more reasoned approach to crossing the Rakaia.

Nov 25 day 86 Cora Lynn Car Park to Hamilton Hut 9:30-3:15 15.5 km

Last night’s Bangers and Mash did not agree with me, so my night was not particularly restful. Started the morning slowly as I wanted to get Eggs Benedict at the cafe before leaving (they are really really good– with us hikers, it’s all about the food). It was still overcast and sprinkling, so I checked at the DoC about how flooded the Harper River would be. They had no real information, but as it turned out, south of Arthur’s Pass the sun came out, so I decided to just hike to Hamilton Hut. If there is no more rain, the river should be down much further tomorrow when I get near the deep part. Fingers crossed. Outside the DoC, I caught a ride with Kelsey, a woman from Walnut Creek California, who was taking a couple day hike and ended up at the same hut. I definitely didn’t have any legs for hiking, so called it early, not trying for any further kms. On the way up the side of Mount Bruce, I could see all across the valley and the Alpine Scenic Train, which really did look, at that distance, like a model train. Definitely will try to sleep well tonight.

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 re-commence my hike tomorrow on the trail to Lake Coleridge. There is a bridge across the river there.

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 the morning’s hike progressed it was clear that there was no way I would be heading down the Mingha/Deception trail which is nothing but river crossings for 27 km. For all my insistence on liking to hike alone, I was exceedingly grateful to spend today with Alex and Courtney, who I’ve hiked near for three days. Two really smart and interesting trampers who are from US and Canada and have spent a good part of the last two years working in NZ given that there were numerous river crossings and decisions about where to hike — much of the trail is unmarked and proceeds down the river valley which is a landscape feature considerably different from North American counterparts. The rivers here braid over wide gravel valleys so at any given moment you may be walking on a fairly smooth gravel bed or right beside a raging torrent. We often had to cross rivers that were high and demanded care in crossing, something that increased in urgency as we descended and the river got deeper and wider. Our last crossing was the Otira toward the road where we could hitchhike to Arthur’s Pass. We had lock arms through pack straps and march across together– very deep, Alex was on downstream end and floated up a bit– but we made it, quite a thrill and a damn amazing experience. Looking forward to a hot shower and a hot meal and some dry clothes. I was picked up by a hunter who dropped me at the hostel where I did all those in-town things laundry, resupply, etc. while the rain poured down unmercifully.

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 water. I was able to get to Locke Stream Hut– a difficult and at times very technical hike–because the first half was upstream toward the headwaters of the Hurunui and the second was down off Harper’s Pass along the headwaters of the Taramakau. It was only below the Locke Stream that the river became impassible (which I discovered by trying to cross only to be almost waist deep is a powerful current and decided discretion was the better part of valor for that day). The prudent choice was to remain at Locke Stream until tomorrow when the flood will presumably have dropped. Will decide tomorrow but will likely take the road down the other valley to Arthur’s Pass as the books all say not to try the Deception/Mingha trail after heavy rains. The hike over the pass was actually pretty fun. Was soaked from the rain and lots of stream crossings, so I ended up splashing through the trail like a kid. There was one moment on the ascent where I rounded a muddy turn and was ready to step on a large rock on the side of the path only to realize just in time that it was not a rock but instead a bloated, hairless, dead cow. Glad I didn’t stab its side with my trekking pole for balance– the smell, whew. Locke Stream is one of the original huts built in the 1930s when they were trying to make the Harper Track a rival to Milford, an ill-considered idea as there is not a lot here that I would call arresting beauty. The hut itself is very cool. It is an isolated place so it was built from hand-hewn native timbers. The framing is all exposed and was clearly riven and the floorboards were adzed smooth. Spent a quiet afternoon getting caught up on my reading, etc.

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 when there was dry open pasture land just down from it. All in all an uninteresting day’s walk. Alex and Courtney also went to this hut, so there was good company. At the hut when I got there were two kiwis and a Londoner who are doing the TA South Island. Hut was a little crowded, but still a pleasant evening. Ho hum.

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 instant coffee, then ventured out to find breakfast. None of the likely cafes were open, so I sat by the Spark free wifi for a while updating my blog and answering email. When it became clear the cafe I had hope to go to was not going to open, I went back to the motel and ate in their restaurant (the only customer they had). The bus back up the mountain was in the pouring rain, but it lightened a bit when we crossed Lewis Pass. Picked up my food at the outdoor center–pack is as heavy as it will ever be– and headed down the road to windy point, the entry area for when the river is too high to ford. A long, uneventful road walk, had lunch in the bus shelter where I met some nice hikers just finishing a week out. They are from the Victoria University tramping club, and I gave them contact info so maybe we can arrange a talk about the TA. Then I plunged into the bush for the next 16 km to Kiwi Hope hut. Very wet and rainy walk, much beside a very rain swollen river. They really get high and wild with enough rain, and the trail went vey close o the torrent often. Arrived at the hut and met Alex and Courtney who I have been trailing for some time now. Very good conversation and stayed up a little late.

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 an endangered bush, was up along with his older friend who had been out hunting deer the night before. A transcript of the first part of our conversation: “mumble mumble bloody mumble bloody bloody mumble mumble.” Apparently a translation of that is that he had killed a deer the night before and the younger man– the DoC ranger– had gone out to bring back the carcass. We ended up having a nice conversation in English before I set off on the day’s walk, a pleasan jaunt first up the main river valley but soon turning to follow the Anne River from its mouth to its headwaters at the Anne Saddle. There the waters parted, and I descended down for the rest of the day along the Boyle River into Boyle Village which was a ghost town. I walked through the Outdoor Education Center which is where I was supposed to stay, and also down the only other street. Not a soul to be found. The sand fleas were outrageous, and a quick check with the TA paperwork showed a shuttle bus to Reefton, a town not far away where I could resupply and sleep without be consumed by sand fleas, so I decided to go to Reefton, the closest town with a grocery store in case I could not get my parcel. Stayed in the Automotel, not the best place, but had a nice meal at the Alfresco Restaurant and got all my stuff together.