Milford Track: Day 3

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It's day three and it looks like the weather is going to be fine. According tot he trail guide, this is the hardest day - it's only 14km, but it's supposed to take between 6-7 hours. Peter, Gethin, and I are the early risers, hitting the trail by 6:30. It's grey this early, in part because of the hour and in part because of a mist that gets thicker as we climb. And climb. The first two hours of the day are spent on a series of switchbacks (according to the hut ranger, on average it's a 10% grade) that rise 400 metres to the Mackinnon Pass. The mist killed any views back down the valley, but made the ascent a little cooler.

I waited at the top of the pass for about an hour, hoping the mist would clear enough to provide a view of the Clinton Canyon. I was only partially rewarded, but about twenty minutes farther on, the mist cleared and I had my reward in full. I caught up to Peter and Gethin. While they were resting they were visited by some kea (parrots). One "cheeky little bastard" (according to Gethin), hopped up onto his boot and tried to undo his laces (true - I saw the photo).

It was all downhill from here. Literally. Over the next 8km we descended 970 metres. At first this was along a series of switchbacks that hugged the canyon walls (fairly easy stretch where I was visited by three kaka, but they never got too close), then along a very rocky trail beside Moraine Creek, the several staircases beside some fantastic waterfalls, and then a killer rocky section (the trail guide recommended taking regular five minute breaks to save your knees and ankles). This brought me to a day shelter where I flaked out for close to an hour. Decision time. There's a side trip to Sutherland Falls - at 580 metres they're the second tallest in the southern hemisphere. It's about an hour and a half round trip and then I still have another hour to get to the next hut. I was knackered. I headed to the hut. There was a nice view of the falls a little farther down the trail, but it would have bee great to see them up close. Sigh.

Dumpling hut and lots of sandflies. If you're outside, you keep moving. I headed down to the river for a quick dip, but the water was cold, the river bottom stony, and the sandflies plentiful. Back to the hut. Supper. Ranger talk. Bed.

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Photos

Milford Track
Mackinnon Pass

Milford Track
Kaka

Milford Track
Sutherland Falls