Day 92. Another Glorious Day.  February 2, 2016

21 km
Comyns Hut km 2258 to Manuka Hut km 2279

This magazine was in the hut last night and has a great article about the TA. Thanks to Dean, here is the link: http://www.listener.co.nz/current-affairs/social-trends/treasure-trail/

I loved most of today. The first part reminded me of the Gila River section on the CDT. I was constantly crossing the river and sometimes just walked up the river.

Early on Yoel from Israel passed me. He had a horrible day hitching from Methven. I saw him hitching when I was in my first car (there was room for Yoel but the driver didn’t think so) and he didn’t get to the trailhead until 5:30pm.

Then I climbed up to the saddle and had great views in both directions. I ate lunch there.

I met Janet, a kiwi sobo section hiker from the North Island.  She was excited that she had been able to cross the Rangitata River and showed me on a map where she crossed. She took this photo of me….

The landscape doesn’t look like the New Zealand I expected. It looks like a desert. But even here there are lots of boggy areas to get my feet wet. There are also sharp plants. At one point I was in the middle of thorn hell. Gorse and spear grass (a yucca like plant with very sharp spikes/spears on the ends of each leaf.) Ouch!

I am sharing Manuka Hut with Pauline from France who is hiking the TA nobo. She told me a couple of her favorite huts coming up.