Wild Camp 3 to Lake Guyon Hut aka Te Araroa LASH Day 20

Sticky and I woke up at the same time. Despite the strong winds last night, Sticky decided to stay and hold down the tent. I thanked Sticky for his service. Our conversation was then interrupted by Robin.

He had appeared for breakfast. On Robin’s menu this morning was the convention of sand flies that inhabited the outside of my tent mesh. The bird spent about thirty minutes eating hundreds of insects while I cheered it on from the comfort of my bed.

So I decided to have breakfast myself. Due to yesterday’s shenanigans I hadn’t prepared my overnight oats. Temukan LSYAkjs di sini. So I had lunch for breakfast and made breakfast for lunch.

After my face was sufficiently stuffed with PB and tortillas, I rose to a sitting position and assessed. My clothes were damp, not soaked, which I was glad for. The weather was rainy and it wasn’t pouring rain, which was also nice. My body had a few scrapes and cuts from falling into the river yesterday, but all the muscles seemed to be responding to the clicking of the synapses. All in all, it seemed to be working.

I packed up and put on my damp, damp clothes. I said goodbye to Sticky and set off.

Nervous Nellies

I wasn’t even five minutes on the road when I ran into my first NOBO of the day. She was extremely nervous about the next pass and I could understand why. The wind even in the valley was decent and conditions seemed similar to yesterday.

The view towards the pass seemed miserable. I did my best to lift the spirits of my fellow hikers and wished them luck for the next day. I met eight other hikers heading north over the next hour, all echoing the first’s concerns: whether the pass would be passable today.

I’m glad I came yesterday. I want to say that it was the ten worst walking days of my life. Still, the weather looked worse today, so a small victory.

The good news for me was that the weather seemed much better to the south.

There were small bursts of rain from time to time and it was windy, but overall it was a pretty pleasant morning. For me, knowing that there were only a couple of days left until the end of my hiking section kept me in a very good mood. I had passed the last major pass and was only a few hills separating me from Hanmer Springs.

After about an hour I saw the next cabin. The wind had really picked up at this point and I was glad to see some woods behind the cabin as that would calm the gusts.

I entered the cabin and checked the log book. Twelve people had registered to stay in or around the cabin. Since it has six bunks, I’m going to assume there were some scattered tents hidden in the trees. After a quick drink, I gratefully plunged into the forest and continued my journey south.

Leaving Te Araroa

The next few hours passed in a blur. It was a flat, steady trail descending through the valley encapsulated by mountains on either side. There were half a dozen bridgeless river crossings that kept my legs cold and the wind picked up speed each time I emerged from a beech forest onto open grasslands.

Around midday I reached the intersection of Te Araroa and the path that would take me to Hanmer. It was a bittersweet moment as I had enjoyed a great adventure along the trail and this marked the beginning of the end of my hike.

I climbed another bridgeless river and pointed my body toward the east.

I didn’t have to walk far because the cabin I was heading to was only a couple of kilometers from this bike path. Big fan of bike paths. It is usually very easy walking and the hills are never too steep. Reaching the top of the hill, very easily, I saw Lake Guyon.

I wandered along the lake shore for another half hour before arriving at the empty cabin. I quickly completed the basic camp tasks necessary to feel comfortable for the afternoon and settled in to relax and unwind.

I had just finished my lunch, which was breakfast, when a couple of horsemen arrived. I spent the next hour chatting with them while they enjoyed a late lunch. When they were getting ready to leave, they fed me. Because? I guess I’m just a magnet for that deal.

The rest of the afternoon passed in delightful peace and solitude and I reflected on the great walk the last few weeks had offered me. There was little chance he could be in Hanmer tomorrow. Although it was still forty kilometers from where I was now, there is a dirt road fifteen kilometers ahead and I might be very lucky with a hitch… it is New Zealand after all.

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