They picked me up at what seemed the middle of the night but was really 5:00 AM. We drove to Palmerston North which is about an hour away. We got the first flight out from Palmerston to Christchurch and then from Christchurch to Queenstown. We then had caught a local shuttle from the airport about 75 km away to the Rees-Dart trailhead in Mt. Aspiring National Park. The first picture is of Lake Wakitapu which is a long lake that runs from Queenstown nearly the whole length of our drive we followed its edge. Both rivers we hiked (the Rees and Dart) feed into the lake. Mt. Ernslaw is the snow-capped peak. After leaving at 5:00 AM, at 1:00 PM we were at the trailhead ready to start. Our packs weighed somewhere between 25-35 lbs because we had to carry five days worth of food, but they were not as heavy as they could have been because we did not have to carry tents or air mattresses as we were staying in huts, or big cabins with bunkbeds that can usually hold 20-30 people.
We hiked up the Rees River Valley in the "heat." Kiwis are funny about heat because their country does not really get that hot so I would say it was only 80 degrees but they thought it was the Sahara. Kiwis rarely complain so they kept most of these comments to themselves. The rivers in the S. Island can change so fast because of the amount of rain it gets. We hopped across on stones without incident. We did hike through some really boggy areas and had to put on gaiters to keep the mud from going over the tops of our boots.
After 7 hours of hiking we reached the Shelter Rock Hut pictured. That is Morris and me the next morning ready to tackle the Rees Saddle. Shelter Rock Hut was pretty nice and we met a nice German couple and a Kiwi couple who were doing the same loop with us so we spent a good part of the next few evenings chatting with them. Christin, the German girl is pictured below hand feeding a kea or mountain parrot. These parrots are quite large and cause a lot of problems because they get bored and decide to rip the windshield wipers off cars and tear off other rubber parts. They can also destroy pitched tents! We were lucky to avoid both of these problems and simply enjoy the bird's company. I am not usually into feeding animals but everyone else was so I at least took a picture. Mike gave him a cracker which he ate, but then he gave him an almond. Mike tried to give him another cracker but the kea wouldn't eat it and said "I want another almond" with his eyes. Hilarious!
One things that is different about hut hiking is that you are not looking to get away from everyone because they will all be there at the hut when you get there. You sort of have to change your mindset, but most people are really friendly and it is actually fun to meet people interested in hiking from all over the world. I learned about some good hikes included the circuit around Mt. Blanc which takes about 12 days and involves walking from hut to hut in the Alps, most of which even have hot showers! Now that is not backpacking, but it could be fun. The huts usually have 15-30 bunk beds and it can get a bit loud with snoring at times. However, my mom left some really great ear plugs that cut down a lot on this noise and I was usually able to sleep pretty well, particularly after downing a benedryl.
We celebrated Mike's 66th birthday by hiking up to saddle that looks down on the Glacier in which I am pictured. It was a a glorious day and Mike seemed thoroughly happy. Morris tried to use his cellphone to receive a text because his daughter was going to be induced but we were unable to get a signal (we later learned that she had a healthy baby boy- Harold Morris!). We saw several memorials to hikers who had died. One was at alpine heights and probably involved a fall or hypothermia, one was labeled that the couple had drowned. We were lucky to hike at a time when neither of these problems were involved as the highest river crossing we did was only up to our knees.
Some pretty fit guys after several days of tramping. One day was nearly 8 hours and involved over 4500 feet of elevation gain with packs. I sure hope to still be as tough as Mike and Morris when I am their age. I packed WAY to much food and probably had enough food for 3 extra days on a 5 day hike. Oh well, carrying it made me stronger... but the minute I start walking with a pack I start thinking about all that I should have left back at home. It is a vicious cycle.
This is me with the Dart Glacier in the background. We could hear and see pieces falling off throughout our hike and were certainly glad to not be hiking near it. It also changed colors the whole day while we were hiking. Just amazing.
We hiked out after 5 days and had a shuttle pick us up and take us back to Queenstown where we rented a car and drove to our next 3-day hike. Look for that post soon!
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