February 6, 2015
Routeburn Track: Routeburn Flats> Lake Mackenzie 13.6 km
I made great time going up, but lost some on the way down. Today the trail was running water, standing water, several inches deep mud, slush, snow, ice. The weather was beautiful or “fine” as they say in New Zealand, but the trail was a mess. There was upwards of 20 cm of snow on this segment, which was also the steepest and rockiest bit, which made for slow going. I was tired and weighed down with a week’s provisions and one misstep would send me over the edge in an instant. I especially likes the views on the Routeburn Falls side of Harris Saddle, but admittedly didn’t take as much note of the view as I maybe should have as I was so focused on my foot placement each step of the way. I was in avalanche terrain and while the DOC did not deem it dangerous enough to close the trail, I was constantly aware of it and there were many natural sloughs around me as the temperature rose, including large chunks that fell into or obstructed the trail. I did not want to be berried alive in one of the 32 avalanche chutes along Harris Saddle, nor did I want to be knocked off balance and sent over the edge by a cinder block sized, wet, heavy, snowball.
I lunched at the summit shelter, having made good time, thinking the rest would be easier. The descent was a never ending side hill that never quite let you drop below snowline and was always exposed and a bit cliffy. This day of hiking was the first on my trip where the terrain made me uncomfortable and nervous for my own safety. It it had been snowless and I had only a daypack, it would have been a whole different ballgame.
A woman jokingly said, “You know if you came back and did this hike in summer it would be a completely different experience.” (It is summer).
I kept hoping I would see Lake Mackenzie (my destination) around the next corner and when I finally did, there was none of the anticipated relief. It was still an hour or more of hiking away and countless vertical feet of challenging descent.
When I finally reached treeline, I actually hugged the first tree I got to and when I made my way out of the woods and stood before the gorgeous lake and my sanctuary, I actually cried.
I quickly made friends at camp and found my old friend “Montana.” We cooked and hung out and listened to an informative, historical, and humorous hut warden talk, but I never quite warmed up from wearing my cold wet boots all day and the freezing winds of the morning and struggled to sleep and regulate my body temperature all night.
Beyond Backpacking CO 