Jane being the experienced coordinator she is, knew that we would all like to be able to take some non-moving bus pictures so we were allowed a quick stop to fulfill our desires.
All too soon Jane was herding us back on to the bus to continue our journey to the start of the Routeburn track.
After another 45 minutes of more mountain views and paddocks of sheep, we finally get to the beginning of the track. Our first task was to cross a huge wooden swing bride- this one was well supported unlike the other we were told we would encounter later on. Then it was off through a forest entirely covered in Moss, over and down hills with only the roar of the cascading river far below as our companion.
We traveled for over an hour and half before Jane let us take a morning tea break and refill our water bottles from the river. Speaking of which there is nothing better than water fresh from a mountain stream! Our break was short lived thought, and it was back in to the moss forest again. So far we were only able to see the surrounding forest and possibly a few peaks here and there between tree branches. Then Jane lead us off the path and on to a very overgrown, never used, side path that was full of fallen trees and streams we had to cross. Never one to doubt our fearless leader we trudged on, ducking past branches and climbing over trees until we popped out in to a meadow. But not just any meadow, one surrounded by snow-peaked mountains that were perfectly reflected in the tiny stream that flowed through the meadow. So unbelievably gorgeous!
It was a good thing we had the meadow as inspiration because the next part of the track was HARD! Jane's sister kindly told me soon after we got past the meadow that it was only a half hour until we reached our lunch spot. Right, well, she failed to mention that it was entirely uphill, no not a hill, a mountain! Sure you could do it in half an hour-if you ran! A third of the way up my bad knee started aching, halfway up it started shooting pains up and down my leg, and well after that I just tried not to think about it- I did have a mountain to climb after all! After what seemed like an eternity of climbing up and over rocks, trudging up super steep inclines, over streams (one with a broken bridge dangling over our heads, eep!) and across rock slide area, we finally made it to the Falls Hut for lunch. The "30 minute" hike from hell was well worth it. the entire valley was spread out below carefully surrounded by snow peaked mountains. Wow, well it's one way to humble a person!
After a much too short lunch, Jane lead a smaller group of us further up the mountain. "Oh, it's just a 10 minute hike".. Sure Jane, I'm not sure what time schedule you run on, but your 10 minutes is my 45 minutes. But it was the hike of a lifetime. First we saw the waterfalls the Falls hut was named after, then we hiked over a hill to the very edge of the snow line. Which is when my camera filled up. :'( Never fear! Thanks to some quick deletion skills I was back on my way.
We were soon in the snow, slipping, sliding and in some people's cases, swearing as we attempted to keep up with Jane. 10 minutes came and went as we topped a rise to look over at the frozen Harris Lake, and then out on to what has to be one of the most gorgeous views on earth. Crazy, epic, beyond-cool-words, this place is simply amazing.
Sadly, we were out of time and still needed to hike all the way aback to the bus.
On the way back through the snow, I couldn't help but instigate a snowball fight, nor could I leave the top of a mountain without first making a snow angel-which lead two other girls to make them too. I hope future hikers will continue to make them along the trail.
Now please note that none of these pictures will even come close to the feeling you get when you're standing on the top of a mountain. There's just something about looking out over the land that, in the wise words of Jane "It heals the soul."
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