As we were going to bed last night, Billy the Ranger advised us that the chances of moving on today were quite good. There had been a lot of sun early yesterday and then rain later in the day that had started to make inroads into the accumulated snow on MacKinnon Pass.
After breakfast this morning he confirmed that we could move on to Mintaro hut today. There is a palpable sense of excitement running through the huts. As well as individual hikers and small groups of two to four, there is a large school group of twenty pupils that has kept us entertained while we have been held up. I’m glad I am not their teacher and had to keep them occupied for the holdover period.
After breakfast this morning he confirmed that we could move on to Mintaro hut today. There is a palpable sense of excitement running through the huts. As well as individual hikers and small groups of two to four, there is a large school group of twenty pupils that has kept us entertained while we have been held up. I’m glad I am not their teacher and had to keep them occupied for the holdover period.
With the sun out and a fair bit of heat in the forest, we set out with just long-sleeved t-shirts. There was a bit of smirmy rain that would intensify as the morning wore on. We did not complain too much, as we knew it would help to melt whatever snow remained on MacKinnon Pass. Our first five or six miles were over the ground we had walked yesterday, but in the improved weather it was like walking a new path. With the rain and the melting snow there had been a substantial increase in the flow of the Clinton River and, in places, it was a bit of a torrent. There are reports of people being swept away trying to cross the river when it is in ful spate.
Clinton River
From Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut is about 16-17 kilometres, initially along the Clinton Valley floor, rising gently to between 6-700 metres. The printed guide for the walk estimates about five to six hours for the walk, but throw in a few hundred photographs and it can take a bit longer. We will be following the Clinton River up to its source at Lake Mintaro. The river forks just below Hirere Falls where it separates in to the North and West branches and we follow the latter.
As we weave our way up the Clinton Valley, we also have to cross the innumerable streams and creeks that feed in to the river off the mountains. One of the delights of the Milford Track is the many bridges that there are on it; different types of bridges in different situations and a few in quite stunning locations. It seems at times that everywhere you look here the mountains weep, with myriad small waterfalls tumbling lace-like down the very steep sides. There are hundreds of them.
Small Mountain Waterfalls
When we set off initially it was a fine morning, with some mediocre sunshine on our faces. The first part of our route continued through beech forest, with the occasional breakout towards the river offering fine views up and down stream. There were times when the path itself opened up into an occasional clearing that enabled us to see some distance forward up the valley. In the places where the valley narrows, the mountains crowd in and you feel dwarved by their immensity. It had been late when we set off, delayed while we waited for the final okay from the rangers service. As a result we were not walking too long before we all started to think about lunch.
As we emerged from one the trees in to one of the more open sections we passed a flooded forest where the trees actually grow out of the water. An avalance some years ago had blocked the river and created a lake round the trees, which have continued to grow.
A few kilometres after the river forks, the valley starts to narrow and the mountains move in even further. At times you feel you are brushing up against the side of the mountains. Small feathery waterfalls continue to be a feature everywhere you look. We had started off in sunshine but as we progressed up the valley the cloud cover dropped down the steep, granite mountain sides and with it came a heavier rain. This gave Joanna and I an opportunity to use light-weight ponchos my sister had given me when I visited Australia just before the walk. They were ideal for this type of rain, keeping us dry but leaving the hands and arms free.
As you walk the Milford Track there area number of side tracks you can take to different points of interest such as the wetland boardwalk, the Hidden Lake and various waterfalls. We passed the track for the Hidden Lake, where there is also a fine waterfall, in the rain and decided to keep going to reach the shelter at the Prairies where we intended to stop for lunch. The walk continues in beech forest until we reach the prairie, where the land opens out and, if the weather is clear, offers a fine view up the valley towards the MacKinnon Pass. On the day of our approach there was a lot of mist around on the peaks and with the rain the view was slightly limited.
We met up with Manon and Frederick at the prairies and ate lunch with them. French Canadian friends who work together as school teachers, we enjoyed getting to know them better over the few days we were together on the track. Although you may be walking separately, in the course of the days you pass each other on numerous occassions on the path as each stops to take a break. Also at night, in the confines of the accommodation blocks, friendships are forged and experiences shared, as you would expect from groups of people who love the outdoors.
After lunch we were back on the trail going through beech forest again. The track starts to rise gently here, crossing the hillside at a slight angle. Not too far from the prairies stop is another shelter called the The Bus Stop and, when you see it, it looks exactly like that, a bus stop! Located at three hundred and ninety metres, the Bus Stop is a very basic shelter with a dirt floor, tin roof and a bench seat round three sides. As we passed by all the school pupils were huddled in it away from the rain.
A mile or so up the track from the shelter we had our first encounter with the turbulent waters that tumble down off the mountains. Water levels on the Milford Track can rise very quickly and if you are thinking of walking it, you should be prepared to at least get your feet wet. There are actually sections of the path where the water can rise to thigh level and that is directly on the path not a river or creek bed.
The obstacle we faced was that one of the creeks flowing into the Clinton River was in spate and with the force of the water, crossing was difficult. Crossing a river in spate was a whole new skill set for our small group and one with which we were not too familiar. Fortunately, one of the guides for the private walkers had taken up station at the river and was prepared to offer us advice and to support us on the crossing.
The advice was to keep our boots on to assist us in balancing on the uneven and rocky river bottom and to loosen shoulder and waist straps on our packs for the crossing and to support each other. It is a shock when you first enter the water because this is glacial ice melt and it is very cold. The second feature is the power of the water as it tugs at your feet and legs and you do have to lean in to it to stop yourself being swept away. Your inclination is to take boots and socks off but wearing the boots gives you better traction on the stones on the riverbed. with bare feet in this kind of water, you are liable to slip and fall into the water. We all crossed safely and, apart from wet feet for the rest of the day, were relatively unscathed.
The obstacle we faced was that one of the creeks flowing into the Clinton River was in spate and with the force of the water, crossing was difficult. Crossing a river in spate was a whole new skill set for our small group and one with which we were not too familiar. Fortunately, one of the guides for the private walkers had taken up station at the river and was prepared to offer us advice and to support us on the crossing.
The advice was to keep our boots on to assist us in balancing on the uneven and rocky river bottom and to loosen shoulder and waist straps on our packs for the crossing and to support each other. It is a shock when you first enter the water because this is glacial ice melt and it is very cold. The second feature is the power of the water as it tugs at your feet and legs and you do have to lean in to it to stop yourself being swept away. Your inclination is to take boots and socks off but wearing the boots gives you better traction on the stones on the riverbed. with bare feet in this kind of water, you are liable to slip and fall into the water. We all crossed safely and, apart from wet feet for the rest of the day, were relatively unscathed.
From the river crossing the route was more clearly uphill, but rising at a fairly moderate rate. There are three or four other creek crossing, including three or four with bridges, but nothing that tested us like the earlier creek. The waterfalls continued to tumble down the steep mountain sides and, as we moved higher the beech trees thinned out a little and there were more open spaces where the height of the vegetation was lower, at times nothing more than scrub.
Before too long we arrived at Mintaro Hut, hedged in to the front by Mount Balloon (1,847 metres) and by the Castle Mount range (2,122 metres) to the rear. The hut is also surrounded by a number of the tree giants of the podocarp group, vying with the mountains for dominance. Compared to the other huts, Mintaro is tight for space and in the common area, with forty people to accommodate, it can become very crowded. By the time we arrive, last as usual, the area around the single stove in the middle of the common room, is surrounded with boots and clothes drying.
The hut is a two-storey affair and the school group has taken over the top floor, leaving the two rooms on the bottom for the rest of us. We find space in an eight-bunk room, sharing with a family of four from the USA. We are slightly disappointed to find out that the toilet block is a bit away from the accommodation block and if we need to get up during the night we will be faced with a walk outside to reach the loos. Okay if it is dry; not so if the rain is on.
First priority is to get the wet boots, socks and out clothing off and drying. Second is to get a hot drink and a meal inside us. Afterwards we sit around the stove chatting about the day and getting to know even more of the other people who will be walking with us over the next couple of days. Joanna starts to do some yoga exercises and pretty soon other people, including the school group, have joined in.Other kids are playing games. It is a noisy, busy atmosphere but we are all tired and with an early start tomorrow morning and the climb up to and over MacKinnon Pass in mind, nobody is up late.