{"id":538,"date":"2009-05-27T18:55:58","date_gmt":"2009-05-27T22:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/?p=538"},"modified":"2012-10-10T20:16:56","modified_gmt":"2012-10-11T00:16:56","slug":"restoring-our-honeymoon-blog-day-7-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/?p=538","title":{"rendered":"Our Honeymoon blog: Day 7"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13pt;\"><strong>South Island Day 7 &#8211; Routeburn Hike Day 2<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We didn&#8217;t plan on waking very early.. since we had all day to get to the next hut.. But it was a tough battle to try and sleep through everyone else waking up really early, and rustling around in all their plastic bags!\u00a0 Once they all made their way out, we finally grabbed a bit more sleep, cooked up some breakfast, then headed out..<\/span><span style=\"color: #333333; font-size: 13pt;\"><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou1.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We walked over to Lake Mackenzie to check it out before getting back on the trail.. Apparently in summer, folks are swimming in it, and laying out all along the shore.. It is a great looking lake &#8211; but too cold right now.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We started out the hike, with a steady climb up the mountain on the left.. in fact, within about an hour, here was our view back:<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou3.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">The day was shaping up to be mostly cloudy, but no rain.. so things were looking up weather-wise.. And lots of great scenery to come..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">The hike was steeper then yesterday&#8217;s, but not too bad.. A steady climb which eventually brought us up past the tree line.. At one point, we even had to traverse a bit of a rock face &#8211; a pretty big drop, with little to step on. Probably the only scary point of the trail.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Coming around the turn for the Hollyford Valley, we actually caught up to a group of older Chinese ladies who had stopped for lunch at a nice lookout point. You can see them in the distance below..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou4.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">They were nice enough to take our pic before they headed out in front of us (they were moving much quicker then us)<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou5.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We bumped into one chatty woman coming the other direction as we neared Conical Hill.. She was from Colorado, and was really enjoying the track. She warned us there was a class of kids coming up behind her..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We were well above the tree line now&#8230; With views of snow capped mountains between the clouds..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou6.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">I took a short flick to try and get the feel of how some of the trail was.. Kinda scary, but not too bad: (don&#8217;t mind my dry humour imitating the NZ accent of &#8216;ten&#8217; sounding like &#8216;teen&#8217; ! )<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-3gFH2U5H1k?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Once we got to the Harris Saddle, we had another bite to eat, and gathered some energy for the side trip up conical hill.. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We thought it was a quick side trip, like up to the point of this pic.. Showing the way back (the emergency shelter, with the trail &#8211; to the right is were we came from, and to the left is were we&#8217;d head once we got back from the side track &#8211; the trail heading toward the camera)<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou7.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">The Side track\u00a0brought us up to the peak, with great views after some steep rock climbing. Turned out the view above was only about half way up the side track! It was amazing just to watch the clouds pour over the mountain top we were on.. rolling up the hill in front of us, continue over us, and disappear.. At one point a helicopter went by.. Which was a little weird since we had to look down to see it !<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">The view below is still only about 3 quarters up the sidetrack.. the last quarter was pretty much rock climbing, with the &#8216;trail&#8217; nothing more then some poles drilled into the rock (I guess to help mark the path in the winter)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou8.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Finally at the top, we had a 360 degree view.. One direction saw the valley head out to the sea..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou9.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">And the other saw the path we were going to be following..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou10.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Just below my knee, you can see the path we would be following once we returned back to the shelter, and headed toward the Routeburn hut. The views across the valley were amazing.. I Joined a couple photographers at the peak, waiting for breaks in the clouds to grab a better shot of the snow capped mountains across from us..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou11.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou12.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We headed back down, grabbed our backpacks which we left at the shelter.. And continued along the track. Once we got around the bend, a bit further then you can see along the trail in the photo a couple pics above (the one where the trail is a little below my knee), we took a picture looking back to the peak we just climbed:<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou13.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">The peak in the middle of the photo is the one we just came from\u00a0 (Conical Hill). The trail is on the left.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Continuing on, we were starting to head downhill into the final stretch toward the Routeburn Falls hut.. And we would follow the water there.. As we were walking, along the trail, down a cliff, under a big boulder, we came across a rainbow.. which was still below us! You can make it out around the right-center of this pic:<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou14.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">A short clip of the area as we hiked down along the river..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4wJSmz--ngo?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Once we finally arrived at the Routeburn Falls hut, we immediately saw what it was named after.. The mountain river came to an area of a few waterfalls, which wound it&#8217;s way right around where the hut was. It was one of the best situated places I&#8217;ve slept in my life. The soft thunder of the falls all night.. And the scenery continued to marvel us.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou15.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">After picking our bed (in a much more modern looking hut), we quickly went back out to check out the surroundings.. The hut was literally just over the rock, to the right\u00a0of the pic below..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/100312_2250_Restoringou16.png\" alt=\"\" \/><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Another short clip showing the area in motion.. pardon the Canadian accent \ud83d\ude09<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AA43LpXpVAc?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Routeburn falls hut\u00a0seemed much cleaner and generally better then the Lake Mackenzie hut&#8230; Though it was a bit darker for some.. We happened to take the center bunk, which actually got some light from the transom windows..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">They were building an extension? to the guided tours hut (the guided tours give you clean showers, cooked meals, etc), and so there was a helicopter pad, and some work going on at the time.. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">We were happy to cook up our little meal in the shared kitchen area, where an Irish guy recommended the freeze dried lamb packs to us.. Maybe next time!<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">The hut warden wasn&#8217;t nearly as entertaining.. So we played cards, read a bit, then hit the sack for our final day&#8217;s hike\u00a0out of the track..<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Island Day 7 &#8211; Routeburn Hike Day 2 We didn&#8217;t plan on waking very early.. since we had all day to get to the next hut.. But it was a tough battle to try and sleep through everyone else &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/?p=538\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85,83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-zealand","category-trips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=538"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":776,"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538\/revisions\/776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deridder.ca\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}