Mount Richmond Forest Park

So, the Queen Charlotte Pub free camping gig backfired – big time. I had a great surprise FaceTime call with my friend Matthew and then snuggled into my sleeping bag with my new sci-fi book called “Three Body Problem.” It was about 8:30 PM and the bar was hopping. The jukebox was about three feet from my tent. You know where this is going. Hours passed and the music got louder and the drinking got heavier. I thought for sure that they would shut it down around 10:00 PM. Nope. They kept on going and every so often the bar would empty out for a few minutes for everyone to come outside and blow cigarette smoke towards my tent. I got fed up around 12:30 AM and packed up my tent and started hiking down the road to find a quiet place. I was pissed but it was a beautiful night out and it was fun hiking all alone on the road for a while. I found a sweet little spot next to the marsh and set up my tent and got a few hours of sleep. The ducks and frogs weren’t partying that night and were great camping buddies.

I hiked into Havelock the next day and bought eight days worth of food for the Richmond alpine section. I camped with my buddy Kazu at the Pelorus Bridge campsite and we bucket-washed our clothes and spread them out on the warm grass to dry. We got up early the next day and hiked into the forest. We followed the Pelorus River for about twenty miles. The water in this river is unlike anything I’ve ever seen – it’s super clear, aquamarine and very very cold. It’s also delicious. One of my favorite things about alpine hiking is the incredible water I get to drink. It’s so pure and easy to access. We had a few river crossings that were easy to navigate but several of them had swing bridges and I AM NOT A FAN. I do them because the hike around would take forever but these things scare the crap out of me. As soon as you start crossing, you look down and notice several bolts missing and the side fencing is often loose. The whole situation swings, rocks and makes these terrifying creaking sounds. I have to just focus on my feet and handholds and hope for the best. Deep breaths.

Our original goal was to get to Rocks Hut but I decided to stop there just for dinner and then press on another six miles to Browning Hut. I headed out for the final stretch at my favorite time to hike – the “Golden Hour.” Around 5:30 PM, the light starts to transform the forest. As the sun gets lower, it bathes the trail, trees and mountains in this gorgeous soft yellow and orange light. The birds start singing a little more and the wind starts to pick up just a bit so the trees can add their soft swaying song. I always ask the birds for an encore and sometimes they do. The hard work of the day is behind me and I slow my steps and take more time soaking in the fact that I am deep in the middle of the forest. It took days to get this far from the real world and it is a special place for sure. I love these moments alone on the trail.

The hiking in Richmond is tough. The trail gets progressively more technical and steeper as you work your way deep into the park. After a good nights rest with Kazu at Browning Hut, we got up at 4:00 AM for our biggest day yet on the TA – our Mount Rintoul crossing day. Our goal was to do a seventeen mile day across three high alpine ascents. It was a very aggressive strategy but getting started early was the best way to try to get it all in. The first big climb was four miles of very steep terrain that took us up above the tree line. It’s so awesome when you break through the trees and start the rock climbing portion of high alpine hiking. The wind picks up and then you find yourself hiking on narrow high trails with sweeping 360 degree views with steep drop offs. These places are sacred to me but the stakes are very high in certain sections as the trail took us along some very narrow scree fields. Mistakes were not an option in a few sections and I had to really slow things down to make sure that each foot and hand placement was just right. The descents are especially tricky and I spent portions of them scooting along on my butt and using my poles and feet as brakes.

I was a few hours into my first big climb when I got the news from Bryan through my Garmin InReach that LD took a terrible turn for the worse overnight and Bryan had to make the gut wrenching decision to put him to sleep. I called Bryan from the summit and we cried together – for the loss of our buddy but also for the pain that every fur parent has to go through in making the decision to help an animal leave in peace. We know it is right but it still hurts so badly. The veterinarian was very sweet to Bryan and reassured him that this was the right time. We will miss that bossy, mean, full-of-spirit Little Dude. He was in charge until the end. Bryan was his guy and I’m proud of him for taking such beautiful care of him. I took my pack off and spent a few quiet moments at the top of Rintoul to gather myself, remember LD and send Bryan good thoughts. I had two more big climbs ahead and a long way down to the hut. Time to get up and hike.

At the summit of the final climb of the day, I ran into four hikers that were enjoying the sunset. They decided to spend the night up there (without any water!) but I was anxious to make the use of the remaining daylight for the sketchy descent and to meet Kazu at Rintoul hut. As I was making the final steep descent down a scree field I saw a hiker sitting along the trail about fifty yards away. He or she was still as a rock and just staring straight ahead. I could make out the sun hat, pack and bedroll but as I got closer I realized it was just the gear and no hiker! That got me a little nervous and I called out a few times. No answer. I got a little closer and damn it – my mind was playing tricks on me. It was a cairn! Am I hallucinating? I need to get to the hut, like now. I got in around 6:00 PM and we were both exhausted. We made a quick dinner, chatted with a charming Dutch couple (Martin and Marie) and then climbed into our bunks. That was one hell of a day. I was so tired, sad for LD and Bryan. There was a beautiful sunrise from the hut the next morning and I let everyone leave ahead of me so I could have some time alone. I cleaned the hut really well and decided that I was going to hike softly today. Spend some more time resting, swimming in the rivers and just letting my busy and sad mind work through our family loss.

This next section was a bit easier in the morning. I stopped for a snack and surprised two wild goats. They stayed in the field near me and we had a nice long talk together. Yup, I must be going crazy but I genuinely think they enjoyed the company as much as I did. I met Martin and Marie at the Mid Wairoa hut for lunch and a dip in the freezing river water. There was a beautiful crystal clear deep pool to sit in and wash the hiker slime off. I emerged back into the bright sun and we had a leisurely lunch together and great conversation. We had just four miles left to the Top Wairoa hut but it was along the river the whole way and that means just one thing – a long and slow slog over what I call the “New Zealand River Scramble.” Instead of building a trail, the Department of Conservation will route you along, in and across the river. And when I say across, I mean like a dozen or so back and forth slippery crossings over the same river and then long, technical and slow crawling across rocks, mud and roots along the steep banks. It took me nearly five hours to cover the four miles and I collapsed with Kazu at the hut. We were so tired we couldn’t even spend time planning the next day. We knew what lay ahead – a chance to get to the town of St. Arnaud if we could get through the last thirty miles in one day. The best part about this hut was the long drop toilet. It had the most amazing views and you had to announce yourself as you approached because hikers would lazily sit on the toilet and contemplate their day while looking out over the mountain range. I might have been one of those hikers.

The hut was packed so we tipped-toed out at 4:30 AM and did all of our loud packing and gear rustling outside on the picnic table in the starlight so everyone could sleep. I hit the trail and steep climb up to the next summit with a headlamp at 5:00 AM for a spectacular sunrise. The climb was intense and the views at the top were amazing with the wind whipping hard. I packed my food and snacks so I could have easy access to everything and make it easier for a hard, non-stop hiking day. I paused quickly when I needed to refill my water bottle from the rivers but otherwise hiked straight through until I got to Red Hills hut. On the climbs, I counted out loud from 1-10 over and over to help me keep cadence and I hustled down the descents. Maybe a little too much hustling because I took a hard fall and slammed my left thigh and IT band into a sharp rock. It bruised up immediately and I was bleeding but nothing was broken. As long as I kept moving it felt okay. I finally arrived at Red Hills hut around 4:00 PM and it felt amazing to drop my pack off of my shoulders after eleven hours of continuous hiking. I made a quick sandwich and then discovered that there was a shortcut to the road that goes into St. Arnaud. Yes, Please!

I took the dirt road down to the main paved road and caught two hitches into St. Arnaud. I treated myself to a private room at the Alpine Lodge, a huge dinner with an ice cream sundae and my big beautiful bed even had a built in heating pad. It was heaven after a long hot shower and a chance to do my laundry. We ended up doing Richmond in four days – eighty seven of some of the hardest but most beautiful miles I’ve ever done. I probably should have taken it easier but it was a lot of fun to test myself. The hallucinations and talking with goats aside, I think it went pretty well. The trail guide recommended taking seven days to do this section but Kazu and I were up for a challenge. We got one! I’m taking a zero today while the rain comes down. I will read, nap and get my gear organized. There are rabbits and ducks grazing outside of my hotel room and my leg is healing up quickly. I have some beautiful days ahead in the Nelson Lakes area but that starts tomorrow. Today is rest.