Day 63 - Nichols Hut - Otaki Froks

I opened my eyes, rolled over, and wiped the fog of condensation off the window to see what was happening outside. I could only see white. The clouds were back. The storm had hit early.

I went through the routine of packing up my gear, brought in some dry wood for the next visitor, and set off on my way. By the time I hit the top of the ridge I was hit hard by wind. My visibility was limited, and I could see the clouds swiftly soaring over the ridges at an incredible speed. I made the choice of pushing for summit, with the possibility of turning back if I felt out of control. These decisions are much easier to make on my own. I felt no failure in turning back if needed, but then again once I set my mind to something I know I can be incredibly stubborn.

I pushed through the wind, keeping my body low to the ground. I followed what was in front me, making sure my feet were always landing in the right place. My walking stick was nearly useless, constantly being blown away from where I wanted to place it. A few points of the hike I took quite slow, having to climb vertical steps. finding hand holds to pull myself above large shelves of rock. The poor visibility, insane wind, and darkness of the morning conjured a spine-chilling environment. I came overtop a ridge and was quickly started when two dark objects both larger than myself made an sharp sprint down the ridge. We must have been 15 feet away before we were both suddenly aware of each others presence. The two deer hide on the side of the ridge as I passed. I managed to grab a few photos and was quite pleased since these were the first wild deer I have seen while hiking Te Araroa. 

When I reached the summit of Crawford I knew I wasn't turning back. The wind screamed in my face, and I felt the only thing to do was scream back. I was so happy to be up there, and the weather that I thought was unlucky was actually incredibly enjoyable. Though I didn't have a great view, I did have a great experience. 

From Crawford summit (1450m) I decended off the ridges and all the way down to 300 metres. It was uncomfortably steep, and by the end of it my knees were shaking with every step. After crossing a incredibly long 1 person bridge I made it to Waitewaewae hut. I took a small break here before making the push to Otaki forks. I was told the the trail to Otaki forks has changed recently due to a landslide, and the new trail was much harder and slow going. My body was quite exhausted, and I was ready for the night in my tent, unfortunately, that did not come easy. After another 4 hours of hard hiking I finished the track and came out the other end at Otaki forks. Rain had started to fall, but the heavy stuff was still an hour away. I quickly set up camp and filled up my water before taking the shelter of my tent to the heavy rain. I am happy to be out of the Tararuas, but they were most definitely one of the highlights of my North Island experience yet.