Lake Ohau to East Ahuriru river (Days 128-129m 32k)

The section between Lake Ohau starts at the Glen Mary Ski Club, a little shack vacant in the summer and probably bustling with the sound of kids and ski boots all winter. It was one of my favorite days so far with a selection of tracks (roads, trails, freestyle cross country) and terrains (forest, stream, high alpine, rocky slopes, river valley) that well sumarizes everything I've experienced along the Te Araroa.

TeAraroa Trail, easy walking for about 3 meters then a bit tougher. Apparently DoC hasn't been up this track since the last big storm! All in all though the trails on the South Island have been better marked and maintained than the trails on the North Island.

Running parallel to the lake are some mountain bike tracks and DoC has actually installed a new trail head for FreeHold creek just north of the GMS club but the TeAraroa notes said start here so I did.

A big mossy rock for my mom (sorry, I can't bring this one home) and my little MSR Zoid tent in the background.

After a couple k on 4x4 tracks linking the lake road to the base of the mountains, the trail follows Freehold creek all the way up to where there are 4 waterfalls within .5k of one another as streams all converge to become the creek.

It was snowing last night after leaving Lake Ohau and the lodge, again. Pretty chilly in the morning so I made breakfast in bed!

The forest, mostly beech, and the stream with rounded boulders all spilling water into the next pool, moss everywhere, and the filtered light, reminded me more of the forests in the pacific northwest (home) than anything yet.

So the panoramic feature needs some work on my Olympus camera (so does the battery which is totally lame) but you get the picture none the less (no pun intended). Open tussocks above tree line with rocky peaks, rivers and snowy mountains behind.

I got a late start since I hung out at Ohau Lodge for a bit in the morning but was making good progress until the weather went from sunny to snowing in about 20 minutes. Unsure of the climb ahead I took refuge in the forest for the evening. It only snowed for about half an hour then cleared up making for a very cold night.

dbBrad loves the high alpine, especially along the Te Araroa Trail.

However, the next day going up and over a fairly high saddle with spectacular views and then descending to the Ahuriri river, doing a daunting solo crossing and up a bluff I wouldn't have climbed if poles weren't telling me to, to Birchwood car park, was beautiful.

Graffiti or helpful, dbBrad leaves a little TeAraroa marker at an un-marked and un-obvioius junction.

The Birchwood car park is essentially in the middle of farm land accessed by a dirt road. Next to it is a game park of some sort and full of red deer. All males, all at least 10 points, with one scrawny albino.

dbBrad crossing the Ahuriri River at the end of the East Ahuriri Track, part of the Te Araroa Trail.

Hunting season has just opened for what they call the rut, where the females go into heat and the males start bugling and bashing antlers and doing male things.

Ahuriri River valley along the Te Araroa Trail.

I camped at a small stream right next to this reserve and the deer where quite entertaining. Besides their territorial combat sessions, they have a bugle which sounds like a cross between an elk and a cow. I fell asleep with the notion that a huge trophy deer was outside my tent wondering how his antlers would fair against the nylon fly of my tent!

One of the proud deer wondering if I'm friend or foe.