By Ruth
Distance: 18 km
Today was a bit of a rollercoaster. Yesterday’s weather forecast had predicted heavy rain all morning, so we were super enthused when we woke up to patches of blue sky and sunshine peeking through. This was excellent for the first part of our day which was up above the trees on an exposed ridge. As we climbed higher and higher above the hut, the views kept opening up; it was incredible. The first three hours of the day were spectacular and just so much fun.
The estimate for how long it would take to get to the next hut, Hunters’ Hut, was five hours. Up to now we have been comfortably beating the estimates by 10-15%, so we thought today would be similar. But about halfway to the hut we realized it was going to take a lot longer than we expected, even a bit longer than the estimate. At that point we were following a river over sandy and rocky terrain that required a lot of concentration to not slip on. When I realized we still had at least an hour before we reached the hut, my mood began to tailspin. Luckily I noticed this happening and deployed my emergency Peanut Slab (a chocolate bar) which worked wonders to prevent a full-blown meltdown.
About fifteen minutes before we reached the hut, we crossed a decent-sized stream. Elliot wanted to swim, but I urgently needed the toilet. So I left him to take a dip while I high-tailed it for the hut and accompanying outhouse. It was disappointing to miss out on a river swim because of a bathroom emergency (which was also not fun by itself). Plus I’ve been dealing with a few similar issues throughout the Richmonds, which has definitely not been great. I’m not sure whether it’s the trail diet, the long and strenuous days my body isn’t used to, or some combination, but I hope whatever it is, my body can adapt eventually.
After a break and some lunch I was feeling better so we set out for the next hut, an estimated four hours away. We were hoping that the next section would return to normal trail in forest, like the previous days. But it was not meant to be. While there was less change in elevation, the terrain was still tricky to navigate, and it was slow going. There was also the added annoyance of lots of big mud puddles. We had believed that the South Island wouldn’t have these kinds of giant mud patches on the trail, so it was very frustrating to encounter them. Luckily there were also plenty of stream crossings where we could rinse our shoes and socks clean.
We reached the final hut for today, Porters Creek Hut, at around 5 pm, making this one of our shorter days in the Richmonds. But it still felt just as long and tiring as the others.
Despite all the trials, the scenery today was stunning, and the weather unexpectedly great. And when Elliot asked me if I still wished I could be cozy at home, drinking tea and knitting, I had to admit that no, today I was exactly where I wanted to be: in the mountains.
