Day 131: Fern Burn Hut to Roses Hut (2609-2625)

Sunday, April 9

I woke up around 7, packed up and got ready to go. I didn't have a crazy amount of kilometers to do today, but there was so much elevation change, it would take longer than most 16-kilometer walks for me.

One of the French girls went back to the carpark and one went on her way to Highland Creek Hut. I said goodbye and talked with Jeremy and one of the guys from the states before finally leaving around 8:30.

There were going to be three big uphills and downhills today. One was before Highland Creek Hut. Jeremy passed me as I was making my way up Jack Hall's Saddle, and I saw him and the French girl when I made it to the hut.

The view from the saddle was gorgeous. Although this trail had crazy changes in elevation, it was worth it for the views. I fell on my butt once on my way down from the saddle, but it was probably more because I was cocky than because of the trail. The trail was nice and well maintained, just steep.

I stopped at the hut for about a half hour, talking to Jeremy and the girl from France and eating some quick snacks. Then I continued up the second hill around 12:30.

Jeremy caught up with me on the first uphill and we saw some tahrs or another type of goat-like animal. They were too far away for me to pick out exactly what they were, but there were two adults and a baby. They moved around on the rocky mountains like it was nothing!

He stopped for lunch on the first high point after the hut, but he caught me again on the next uphill. The trail was still really nice, but my legs were a bit wobbly and tired from all the hills by the time I was on the final downhill. The soil was sometimes loose, but that's not abnormal.

I knew I was within a few kilometers of the hut, so I was getting careless and trying to keep my feet relatively clean. As I noticed a mud puddle in the trail, I hopped over it. As I landed on the other side, I had way too much forward momentum. I was able to keep myself on my feet for a few meters by running forward, but eventually I couldn't keep myself upright. My chest and face hit the ground, but by then I had slowed myself down a bit. At least I avoided the mud and didn't hurt myself.

I got up and dusted myself off, wondering how many points I would have earned for that fall if Sam and Lauren were with me. Now I was less than 2 kilometers from the hut. It was visible from my high vantage point coming down the hill.

The was a small river and road after the downhill and then it was a flat, easy shot to Roses Hut. I got there around 5:30, set up my bed and made tea while talking to Jeremy. Then I made my ramen.

Just after twilight, Jeremy pointed out a morepork (a small owl) on the sign in front of the hut. He saw that Bart had left a note about it in the hut book the night before. It was so neat to see! Bart was really good about finding and knowing birds. He had lots of pictures of them on his camera he had taken throughout the hike.

Reading over the hut book made me really thankful I have good knees. Lots of people said these hills were hard on their knees. The further into the trail I get, the more I enjoy the hut books. I tend to take lots of zero days, so most of the people I know are ahead of me. It's fun to find Alex and Dave from the river trip. Finding Karolina, Nadine, Bart, Magnus and others. People I've never met but just keep seeing in hut books. I'm probably odd for enjoying reading them so much, but that's ok.

By 8 I was in bed. With it getting dark so early I was getting tired earlier. After reading the trail notes and a chapter from my book, I fell asleep.