Really?
My third night at Karamea Bend Hut of the previous six, and every night so far has been on my lonesome. I have met three people, the two for lunch the day before, and the guy who I spoke with before lunch today, so I’ve not been completely antisocial.
No rain today, the river is right back down, although still with a brown tinge. Not the perfect days on my way to and from Roaring Lion Hut, but pleasant enough.
No racing out of the door as would be required the following morning, as it was just the 3.5 hour stroll back down the valley to Karamea Bend Hut.
Instead, I crashed around some more in the forest behind Crow Hut for a while.
Then caught up with some blogs. I write them each day to capture the moment, with a mechanical pencil in an A5 notebook out in the field, then dictate them, almost verbatim into my computer. If I can’t think of a word, or place, or some specific detail, I leave an underlined space, and when the dictation comes around I can usually fill in the blank fairly easily. It’s a system I’ve been using for 13 years of blogging about my Little Adventures, although in the early days dictation wasn’t used, and my typing speed is pathetic. Images need to be sorted out as well. It’s actually a huge amount of work to maintain a blog.
I spent some time contemplating the big next day. I was planning for Baton Saddle, with a 1000 m climb, speargrass and stinging nettle. Bluffs, etc.
But the real issue is limited daylight. This morning it was still dark at 7 am, and getting that way around 5 30 pm. About 10 hours of decent light, so getting away early is a must, otherwise, I’m back to Salisbury Lodge. No mucking around allowed in the morning.
I woke early enough, in the previous night I was asleep at 7 15 pm, and when I woke at 2 30 am I’d already had seven hours’ sleep. I managed another couple, and listened to the 6 am news.
I wrote this in my sleeping bag, about to have my dinner at 6 30 pm.
Life is different out here, in a cold hut, on my lonesome once again.
A guide to the night’s accommodation: Karamea Bend Hut
