“Not again??!!”
My mate continued, “Haven’t you just had weeks away?”
That was true, but you could look at it another way. In December the weather turned foul, and I wasn’t sure I could cross the Wairau River, even when not in flood. In January I had to return home to sort out some family matters. My March trip ran into Easter with Anzac Day the next weekend, and poor weather predicted. Once again I felt shortchanged, and now additional time seemed the obvious thing to do.
I might not be earning a living in the hills, but then again, I wasn’t spending much either. Particularly when I already had a Backcountry Hut Pass. I dehydrate my own dinners.
I spent some time talking about possibilities on the West Coast, but the reality was I was keen on visiting a few places closer to home. I’m trying to get around the majority of the huts in the Nelson/Tasman region, and that is some incentive.
I’m not obsessive about hutbagging though, and thought I could go and revisit two of my special huts in one of my favourite valleys, the lovely Karamea River.
So yeah, the Karamea again.
I’ve been over there four times already from memory, but this time it’s not the full river track. I wanted to come out via the Baton Saddle, via Flanagans and Ellis Huts, to circle back to the Flora Saddle car park.
The weather forecast was reasonable for the following ten days, with one day of rain I’d probably spend in Venus Hut.
Sounds like a plan.
