poison ivy
Well-known member
(I hope it’s ok to post these non-New England trip reports… if not feel free to delete them!)
My husband & I just got back from a two-week trip to New Zealand, where we did two backpacking trips the Route burn & the Abel Tasman Coastal tracks. Pictures from the hikes can be found here.
Day 1: Tuesday, March 2: After an hour-long bus ride, we hop off at the eastern end of the Routeburn trail and cross a number of swing bridges over the green and foamy Routeburn. The first half of today’s 5.5 mile follows a dirt path through the forest, along the banks of the river, which collects in teal colored pools and zips through rocky sections. At Bridal Veil Falls, Dave stops to watch “canyoneers” who are jumping into the falls and floating down the river. I hike on a bit to wait in the sun near the first views of dark green, tree-covered hills. Dave catches up with me by the time we get to Routeburn Flats -- grassy fields surrounded by views of the snow-capped Humbolt Mountains, where we stop and have lunch. From there, the trail drives steeply uphill for about 3 kilometers, providing us with stunning views from an 1994 avalanche site of the Routeburn snaking through a green valley and the Humbolts. We climb 270 meters over 3 kilometers before reaching the Routeburn Falls hut, our destination for the night. After picking a bunk and getting settled, we hike up to the multi-tiered Routeburn Falls, which is rushing strongly due to all the recent rains.
Day 2: March 3: There are not enough words in my universe to describe today’s hike -- it was just incredible, amazing, spectacular. We head up past the falls once again on a 1 ½ hour morning consititutional walk to the source of the Routeburn-- Lake Harris -- by tramping around the rim of a mossy green valley filled with little waterfalls. Nearly at the crest of a hill, we can see the cobalt blue waters of the Lake and clouds swirling around the peaks of the surrounding mountains. Turning a corner, my breath is literally taken away as we catch our first glimpse of Harris Saddle. The tri-angular Harris Saddle Shelter, is set in a grassy field and is surrounded a line of snow-capped peaks in the Darren Mountain Range. After lunch, we start a two-hour ridge walk on the Hollyford Face. Every twist and turn of the trail brings yet another beautiful mountain into view from across the Hollyford Valley. The skies were so clear we could see all the way into Martin’s Bay at one point by looking behind us. After our ridgewalk, we climb uphill to a small bluff and we can see the emerald waters of Lake Mackenzie and the hut below us. It take a knee-pounding hour to descend to the hut along a series of switchbacks. Dave swims in the glacial lake for about two minutes, I couldn’t get in back my ankles. We spend the rest of the day sunning ourselves on rocks across the lake at views of Emily Peak. An amazing day!
Day 3: March 4: A relaxing day ahead of us, we only have a three-hour hike to Howden Hut today. We leave Lake Mackenzie and hut uphill for about 45 minutes until we reach “the orchard” an area loaded with what look like apple trees, but are actually ribbonwoods. The orchard has a clearing where we can once again see the Darren Mountains, especially Pyramid Peak. Near the orchard, Dave is surprised by an owl that swoops down by his head -- the first we have ever seen in the wild. After taking a few pictures, we quickly make our way to Earland Falls -- a huge waterfall that speeds 80 meters off a cliff face. After heavy rains it rushes so fast that trampers can’t cross in front of it. We get hit by the spray but have no problem crossing. We soon reach Lake Howden and its hut and spend the rest of the day soaking in the sun near a gurgling stream.
Day 4: Up early for a one-hour walk to the Divide, the lowest east-west crossing in the Southern Alps because we have to catch a bus to Milford Sound for a kayaking trip. Leaving at 6:30 a.m., we start our hike by headlamp, keeping our eyes out for the nocturnal kiwi bird, but we don’t manage to see any. It is sprinkling when we leave the hut and head uphill for about 15 minutes. The rest of the trail slopes through the woods in a series of switchbacks. The rain clears up as we reach the Divide and the end of our hiking trip.
My husband & I just got back from a two-week trip to New Zealand, where we did two backpacking trips the Route burn & the Abel Tasman Coastal tracks. Pictures from the hikes can be found here.
Day 1: Tuesday, March 2: After an hour-long bus ride, we hop off at the eastern end of the Routeburn trail and cross a number of swing bridges over the green and foamy Routeburn. The first half of today’s 5.5 mile follows a dirt path through the forest, along the banks of the river, which collects in teal colored pools and zips through rocky sections. At Bridal Veil Falls, Dave stops to watch “canyoneers” who are jumping into the falls and floating down the river. I hike on a bit to wait in the sun near the first views of dark green, tree-covered hills. Dave catches up with me by the time we get to Routeburn Flats -- grassy fields surrounded by views of the snow-capped Humbolt Mountains, where we stop and have lunch. From there, the trail drives steeply uphill for about 3 kilometers, providing us with stunning views from an 1994 avalanche site of the Routeburn snaking through a green valley and the Humbolts. We climb 270 meters over 3 kilometers before reaching the Routeburn Falls hut, our destination for the night. After picking a bunk and getting settled, we hike up to the multi-tiered Routeburn Falls, which is rushing strongly due to all the recent rains.
Day 2: March 3: There are not enough words in my universe to describe today’s hike -- it was just incredible, amazing, spectacular. We head up past the falls once again on a 1 ½ hour morning consititutional walk to the source of the Routeburn-- Lake Harris -- by tramping around the rim of a mossy green valley filled with little waterfalls. Nearly at the crest of a hill, we can see the cobalt blue waters of the Lake and clouds swirling around the peaks of the surrounding mountains. Turning a corner, my breath is literally taken away as we catch our first glimpse of Harris Saddle. The tri-angular Harris Saddle Shelter, is set in a grassy field and is surrounded a line of snow-capped peaks in the Darren Mountain Range. After lunch, we start a two-hour ridge walk on the Hollyford Face. Every twist and turn of the trail brings yet another beautiful mountain into view from across the Hollyford Valley. The skies were so clear we could see all the way into Martin’s Bay at one point by looking behind us. After our ridgewalk, we climb uphill to a small bluff and we can see the emerald waters of Lake Mackenzie and the hut below us. It take a knee-pounding hour to descend to the hut along a series of switchbacks. Dave swims in the glacial lake for about two minutes, I couldn’t get in back my ankles. We spend the rest of the day sunning ourselves on rocks across the lake at views of Emily Peak. An amazing day!
Day 3: March 4: A relaxing day ahead of us, we only have a three-hour hike to Howden Hut today. We leave Lake Mackenzie and hut uphill for about 45 minutes until we reach “the orchard” an area loaded with what look like apple trees, but are actually ribbonwoods. The orchard has a clearing where we can once again see the Darren Mountains, especially Pyramid Peak. Near the orchard, Dave is surprised by an owl that swoops down by his head -- the first we have ever seen in the wild. After taking a few pictures, we quickly make our way to Earland Falls -- a huge waterfall that speeds 80 meters off a cliff face. After heavy rains it rushes so fast that trampers can’t cross in front of it. We get hit by the spray but have no problem crossing. We soon reach Lake Howden and its hut and spend the rest of the day soaking in the sun near a gurgling stream.
Day 4: Up early for a one-hour walk to the Divide, the lowest east-west crossing in the Southern Alps because we have to catch a bus to Milford Sound for a kayaking trip. Leaving at 6:30 a.m., we start our hike by headlamp, keeping our eyes out for the nocturnal kiwi bird, but we don’t manage to see any. It is sprinkling when we leave the hut and head uphill for about 15 minutes. The rest of the trail slopes through the woods in a series of switchbacks. The rain clears up as we reach the Divide and the end of our hiking trip.
