Forever Hopeful

Machine-read text (unproofread)

Read from the scans by software, so it contains mistakes. Typing it up properly would help blind readers: use Suggest an edit.

FOREVER HOPEFUL Lyndsay Fletcher Lifting the loaded packs onto our backs the next morning made US regret that move. Wel had spent the night in a bus shelter with just enough room on the floor for the three of US. Luckily it faced ther right directiont to stop US getting wet as the heavens opened up, along with thunder and lightning. This is located lat Windy Point alongside StateHighway7, at the beginning of the track up the Hope River. I had stored my car at the Maruia Springs Hotel and hitched back the previous afternoon. The plan was to head north via the Hope, Doubtful, and Nina Rivers, crossing over the snowcovered tops in between to the Lewis Pass Road. The weather was clearingas wel headedup the Hope. This track is used as one of the routes to Lake Sumner and has plenty of huts. It also has two hot springs, which made Harryjumpforjoy whenhesowthemmarkedonthemop. The track passed through magnificent beechforest between theparkboundary and The Poplars Station. Halfway Hut provided a convenient lunchs stop and gaveu US aview down the valley. The sun came out at this stage Crossing the Boyle River Lyndsay Fletcher and started drying up the surrounding area. The first hot spring was half a kilometre further on. We had trouble finding it but it was soon discovered alongside the track. Harry was Hopeful that the weather was going to I had brought my maps of the Lewis determined to have a soak but soon be finel Harry. Smith, Robert Cross, andl Pass area andt these weret then studied, changed his mind as it was just luke planned a five day tramp in thel Hokitika as the long-term forecast for that area warm and the soaking pool required River area of the Southern Alps. While sounded better. some work. A swingbridge took US sitting out bad weather in Arthur's Pass from the true left to the true right. westudiedi themaps thatHarryhadjust Oncemorelwast to visit thelake Sumner recently bought. Isuggestedt ther route, Forest Park. Last Anniversary Weekend The excitement of the crossing must aslhad visitedi the areal before, andthe Ihad led a trip for the Club in this area. have been too much for Harry. As I others agreed. The Doubfful River was visited during caughtu uptol him alongthe tracklheard that trip, adding more red-line for me. adogbarking. Muchto Robert'sandmy This timel Iwanted to add even more SO amusement it was not a dog at all, but heweekp passed during our stayin I suggested we visited the next river Harry having a severe dose of hiccups. the Christchurch Tramping Club south oft fthe Doubtful, the Hope. Again Rather than have the normally long first LodgelocatedinArthursPasst township. the others agreed, as it was all new to day on long trips, we decided that St The weather maps in the Christchurch them. Mondaysawusbuyingfoodand Jacobs Hutsuitedusfor rournight'sstay. Pressshowedapatternthat didnotl look maps in Christchurch. We ended up The heavy packs might have helped hopeful On the Sunday at the end of with too much good food rather than make that decision but this was one of our stay, we listened to the long term concentratingonlightweightmeals. We two huts in the area that positioned US mountain forecast on the National all said "What the heck. We can for the next day's trip over the Doubtful programme. Our hopes were dashed. manage". Weekend habits die hard Range. Thus, by 3:30 pm Robert had General westerlies and rain, turning and at least we were not going to be the woodburner crankedup and we sat southwesterly later in the week. Luckily malnourished. down to read the old magazines. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING

We ended up sharing the 8 bunk hut tofollowthe oldmarked withthree Christchurchvarsity students. sidle route. So we took They were heading in the same a direct linet through the direction. Hopefulthatthec clearweather snowcovered scrub. At wouldhold, westudiedtheroutemarked least it was downhill. on the map that went upl Pussy Stream, over past Lakel Man Bivouac, and down Roberttooke offhist boots totheDoubfful River. Thetripuptheriver and socks to allow his to the junction off Pussy Stream the next frozen feet to recover. morning only took 3/4 of an hour. The There was a marked weather, however, was cominginfrom track heading down to the west with strong winds and cold theDoubfulValleyfrom rain, come sleet. Looking up at the thebivy. This discovery exposedsnowcoveredtopswe decided waswell-receivedaswe that the shelter of Top Hope Hut was were not looking better for US. It was only another 3/4 of forward to either bush an hour further up the valley. bashing (to stay away from the snowcovered Sure enough the weather got worse as tops) or ploughing the day wore on. Harry couldnot make throughthedeep: snow. uphis mindforacoupler ofhoursbuthe A couple of hours later decidedtogooutintothecoldtovisithe we were on the valley otherl hot spring, 2-3kms upt thev valley floor heading upriver to in Hot Spring Stream. Robert and I Doubtless Hut Back to stayedindoorsandkeptthewoodburner familiar territory for going. Harry'sreturnwasnoficedwhen Robert and me. That wesawaherdofcattlecomethundering night was spent sitting down the riverbed. Soon after, he in front of a huge, very - a oppeareddressedinhisfavourttecolour, warm open fire. Harry red. The cattle provided the anditooklongexposure entertainment for the rest of the photos of Robert sitting afternoon. They had got themselves int front ofit. Harry even cornered, with the river cutting off their tried arty shots that down valley route and the fear that would have two of me Harry was still coming down from sitting on the stool side Heading for the tops Lyndsay Fletcher upriver. TheyhadnotnoticedthatHarry by side. We hoped for had cut in onto the flats upriver and goodweatherforthenexd day. Thep plan stream a two hour bush bash, deep enteredthehut. Eventuallyjust on dark, was to go downriver, up Devilskin snow, and overcast weather. Harry took pity and went out and Stream, andover DevilskinSaddledown spooked them back up the river. We to the Nina River. So it came to be that we wandered out hoped that the next day we would be down thel Doubtful River to meet up with able to go over the pass. No such luck. The skies were overcast Statel Highway 7 and then the lovely hot withlightrainandacoldsoutherlywind pools at Maruia Springs. Leaving Harry The rain had cleared so we travelled up We wandered down the valley to lyinginhis sleepingbagunderamanuka Pussy Stream. Without at track we were DoubtfulHut. Harry was not feeling the tree, managedi to hitch back to pickup forced to cross numerous times. You best. Upon arriving at the hut we sat my car. We decided to stay the night at can imagine what the water was like. down and had a big think tank about thehotelintheirbudget accommodation Soon we were ascending a spur up to Harry's condition It: seemed that he too (forl Harry's sake, of course). Harry was the snow line. The maps showed this hadt fallen victim to the Arthur's Pass flu out to it for the whole afternoon and as a route but it is actually a marked virus (5 out of the total 71 from that week night. Robert and I soaked for hours, track, complete with snow poles. had gone down with this virus). Harry had a Japanese style wash and spa, a stopped att the bush edge and changed insisted that Robert and I go over the bar meal, and drinks. For those of you into my wetsuit booties. Robert had saddle while he would sit it out and go whoknowHarrywell, you will know that forgottenhissoheandHarrypersevered out to the road the following day. We this must have been agonising for him with wet socks and boots. The snow both said "No", and suggested that we Still, he didfeel al little betterthe next day varied from a hard surface through to all walk outt todayto theroadandcutthe and managed a short soak before he soft wet slush. The view was limited to trip short (for Harry's sake, of course). became too dizzy with the heat. We the surrounding area as a combination Harry was adamant that we go on for bundled into my trusty Ford (along with of cloud and snow flurries persisted. the good off fthet trip and not worry about all our toys) and headed for Picton, We decided to drop down to the bivvy him, but we stood our ground. Robert arriving 15 minutes before sailing time; for lunch. This was fun as we had and I had done the same route on they weren't booked but they got on cimbedhigherthanthes saddle(andthe Anniversary Weekend land we were not Thenlheadedto hopetullysunny/Nelsqn poled route) because we had decided missing out on much. Except for a cold for my third week of R & R. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING