8am, Shelter Rock Hut
Thin clouds along the jagged ridge… No pretty sunrise this morning. Might have slept thru it anyway, since we didn't get up till 7:15am. Cooked up cereal for breakfast. Some people are already on the trail. All the people in our bunkroom ended up getting up at the same time this morning. The bunks were super creaky last night. I was glad I work earplugs. Whenever anyone rolled over in their bunk it was extremely loud, but I slept well... Wendy has a new natural bug repellent that smells good. She's really happy about it… 4:30pm, Dart Hut We were one of the first groups on the trail today at 8:30am. For 1hr 15min, we hiked along the river, then ascended as we rounded a mountain arm. The sun burns away the clouds, and it gets very hot. We stop in the shade of a giant boulder for a snack (1/2 PBJ), then continue for another 30 min to stop for Wendy to fix her blister.
Looking back as we gain elevation above the river...
The skies cleared quickly as we climbed the valley...
I have Zelda music in my head to today (the dark overworld theme from Zelda 3), as we scamper along the riverside. It's super hot, and the slight breeze at our back creates absolute still air as we move forward. I realize that since sunset is ~6am, and sunset ~9:30pm, the "noon sun" is actually ~1:45pm. Good to be starting early in the relative cool.
A couple of the fast Aussies pass us, but we stay ahead of the rest. The trail climbs steeply up to Rees Pass. I eat another 1/2 PBJ from the bottom to top of the pass. LOTR tunes kick in during the climb.
At the end of the valley, we started the climb up to Rees Pass...
A look down at me, and up at Wendy, as we climbed to the pass...
We reached Rees Saddle at 11:15am...
After a short rest at the scenic pass, we descend into a deep valley. A huge glacier emerges ahead, with a cool river cutting into the bottom of the valley down below. We follow the trail to a swing bridge, as more and more glacier enters into view. I try using my polarizer on the DSL.
Looking back towards Rees Saddle, on the right...
Glacier views ahead were drawing our attention...
Wendy heads towards the glacier...
The trail descended to the river...
Wendy stands on a bridge across the river, and takes a pic up the river, with me a speck on the slope...
I approach the bridge. Wendy takes a pic of me as I cross...
The descent is long, and pretty steep at times, with good views the whole way.
The valley straight ahead, leading to the glacier, would be our destination tomorrow, for our Cascade Saddle side trip...
Looking back up the trail...
Wendy finally spots the hut below, across another swing bridge, and we arrive at 2:30pm.
There's the hut across the swing bridge, just like yesterday...
Being one of the first arrivals at the hut today, we grab some bunks in an empty room. People usually stay at this hut for 2 nights, to make a day hike to Cascade Saddle on the 3rd day, so it can get very crowded. We pushed hard, making sure we arrived early to claim a bunk. The DOC said 70 people stayed at this 32 bunk hut one day (later found out it was due to bad weather). We were told to bring ground pads (to sleep on the hut floor if all the bunks were taken), since the huts are not reservable, and it's first come first served on the Rees-Dart track.
With our bunks claimed, we looked for a path down to the river, as it was extremely hot out today, but we couldn't spot a good access point near the hut. We hiked back up the trail, to find another small stream, and then Wendy suggested following a dry river bed down towards the large creek, and what-do-you-know, we found a sweet side pool with a bit of sand, and total privacy! The water is cold! But we managed to work our way in to wash our clothes, and skinny dip. Wendy goes so far is to lie down with just her head above the chilly water! The water feels good after adjusting to it.
The water was cold, but it was SO hot out, that it still felt great...
When we return to the hut, lots of people have arrived. Turns out there is an easy access point to the river, right in front of the hut that we didn't notice. We have no regrets with our short walk to our private pool though… Wendy feels really clean, and is quite happy about that. She's also happy to hear someone report that the huts on the Routeburn Track (starting next week for us) look like mansions.
A look at the bunk room, and lounge/kitchen...
We were tempted to try to hike up to Cascade Saddle today, given the superb weather, but our (mine in particular) legs were too dead to try for an 8+hr return hike. The weather report for tomorrow is "rain easing in afternoon". We'll see what that means.
People are hanging out in swim trunks on the deck. Some clouds are building, but it's hard to see much sky at the elbow of this rounded, deep valley. There's lots of free time while trekking now, compared to the rest of this trip, when I'm constantly driving, or getting ready/planning for the next activity. Wish I brought my 14er cards. Lots of time to write in my journal… We're surprised how many people brought canned food on the trek. This hut has a compost bin. Could have brought some fruit… At least we can throw away our egg shells. 9:11pm, Dart Hut. Again, ready for bed without needing a headlamp… The bunks are much less creaky here. Tonight there's just 6 people in our 8 bunk room. 2 people in our room were in bed by 8:40pm! For dinner I made my WG mix ("World's Greatest" - refried beans, peppers, onions, tomatoes, salsa, jalapenos, mushrooms… All dehydrated), and it was super good. Even Wendy liked it, and she doesn't like it at all when I make it fresh at home. She had sausage with yams, and pumpkin pie. I had some PB w/ choc too. My entire jar of PB looks like too much, since I added 3.5 PB&J with banana sandwiches at the last minute before we started the hike. Those were really heavy sandwiches, but super sweet and nourishing on the trail.
A look out to someone sun-bathing on a rock at 6:40pm. Wendy massages her back with a ball (heavy to bring on the trek!) after dinner...
We packed our gear for tomorrow's day hike to Cascade Saddle, and I'm optimistic about the weather. While stretching outside, I noticed the clouds were thinning. A guy from Quebec, who made the Cascade Saddle hike today, said the itg was his "favorite hike of all his travels", and that it was very dreamy the entire hike. I just hope we get some clear views tomorrow…
The views outside are very serene, with a glacier covered mountain in the distance, and lots of green vegetation close-by in the hills. 4:45am alarm tomorrow for an early start!