...starts now. with a preview of the biggest waterfall in the milford region - Sutherland...
After some amazing views and the sheer amount of hiking on day 2 - we were a little slow on departing the hut. weather forecasts had the clouds rolling in and DUMPING a bunch of water mid-morning; the plan was to try and get to the top before it hit...
clothing options on day 3 included - thermals, rain layers, and covers for the back-packs - hopefully, they wouldn't be needed until later...
I always maintain that if I'm wearing my MR GRUMPY shirt - it's because I'm in a HAPPY mood; you know - to confound the masses with my attitude in sharp relief to the juxtaposition of my attire... or something... in reality it's probably a sub-conscious statement about embarking on another uphill journey - this time with a fully-laden backpack into inclement weather.
yes - Danger, don't stop - we get it... now just let me rest my weary feet for a sec
higher up the path
awesome birds at the top
It's all down hill from here...
more moody than yesterday...
it's a view from the loo-with-a-view TM
interesting - they provide a window in the door; but it's too high to look out of if you're... y'know... sitting. And if you're standing, then I kinda hope you're NOT facing the door...
here be dragons... or clouds... I forget.
nope; definitely clouds... and rain, lots of rain. Just in time for the downward part of the journey
my artistic attempts at window-drawing
they get more milo
a sharp descent, in wet conditions, with heavy packs... as much as i'd like to complain - this actually felt good, the challenge was a nice contrast to the early part of the trip.
It was also made easier through the friendly conversations with our fellow trampers. We'd spent the past day or so playing cards and chatting to a family from melbourne. Their preparedness and ease in the outdoors a complete opposite to this little black duck. Something that they playfully wouldn't let me forget... plus, my choices in clothing, equipment and humor, made me an easy target...
There's something primal about walking down a path in a group that allows one to have fairly deep conversations, interspersed with wacky humor - honestly it's one of my most favored things about hiking...
So to Hamish, Jodie, Brodie and Emily; I say thanks. Thanks for making fun of my attire, my meal-kit, and my complete lack of outdoors-y knowledge - it truly made my trip :)
Grant pondering where we came from (or craftily looking at the camera, I can't quite tell)
more bridges covering avalanche passes
what can you say about this stuff - it was wet... and rocky... but certainly pretty
where's wally? wait, who? there's no wally walking with us... are you sure you're ok?
after hitting the bottom of the pass, our party split up. 3/4 of the Farrows headed off to the hut with Grant; while Mark, Brodie and myself headed off to check out the sutherland falls... Mark stands triumphant in the rain.
Brodie and Mark debating which of them won the RUNNING RACE from the pass to the falls. Yup these two were sick of the continuous stream of water falling on our 1+1/2 hr side trip to see even MORE falling water, so they came up with the idea of speeding it up a little. of course I can't do anything half-heartedly, so when they suggested RUNNING, I sped off into the lead... losing interest when my fitness failed and these two easily Jogged past... they can have their little race - but I'll win in the end...mwaaaa hahaha
ok so I may have mis-lead you all by saying that I'd make the milford trip a 3 post-screamer... In reality there're too many good photos, and too many memories to adequately convey in 3 little posts...
So I haven't quite decided if I'm going to finish it all up in one more; or stretch it out, milking the trip for all it's worth...
'till next time,
Ian
oh yeah - I guess I was mean enough to not give any more ski-trip details in the last post...
I'm off to europe.
I'll be gone from the 21st Jan until the 7th of Feb.
there's 6-days of snow-sports in far western Austria.
a few days of travelling.
I'll be taking a few cameras with me (actually - a few too many) so hopefully I'll have some great stuff to share upon my return.
P.P.S
some shots from the latest tailing of a photo-climb
I love it when it's been raining all day - and the clouds disappear for JUST long enough to squeeze in a climb
cars...
...you shouldn't try to remove them from the bridge...
more cars
see - the clouds went away, just enough to get some colour into the sky
...and once the 5 minute sunset window had passed, you can see how much of the colour had drained.
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