Who needs coffee when you have a 3,000 foot saddle to climb in the morning. We broke camp and began the climb which followed an old avalanche path. The terrain was steep and full of loose rock, but with the trees missing, the views were amazing. Close to the top we met 14 people coming down. The Travers-Sabine Loop is a popular hike and this time of year is when the North Islanders in their golden years come down to hike.
Mt. Travers towered over us as we crested the saddle. It looked like a giant rotten tooth. About 1 1/2 k's on the other side was a hut perfect for lunch. Like most in the area, it was in good condition and slept 28 hikers. This afternoon we were ambushed by 5 fantail birds. They chirped and swooped around us like aerobatic planes landing on nearby branch fanning their tails to intimidate us.
I don't know if I mentioned it, but we are in Nelson Lakes National Park. A true highlight of our trip so far. Great views, big huts, and actual trails to follow.
We decided to push past our hut for the night and camp to put us closer to St. Arnaud tomorrow for resupply. Once again the sandflies were so bad that we ate inside the tent. The beech forest near by smells of sweet from the Honeydew fungus. Our dinner entertainment was watching the wasps (yellow jackets) eat the sandflies on our tent.
Avalanche route
View from the top.
Shadow versus the mountain.
Upper Travers Hut
Back side of Mt. Travers.
Camp for the night.
Country Mouse and Shadow
1 comment:
Trek on guys! I'm really enjoying the stories, photos and videos. Awesome!
Dodger
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