Lake Marian Hike

So this is still Monday 17 November...

On the drive out of Fiordland and Milford Sound, I took many pictures (sorry for the delay in uploading, but this computer wont do it...but soon ... might be later this week, or even once i get home, but the photos will come), and I stopped to take a hike up to Lake Marian. Now the expected time to do this hike is 3 - 4 hours, and I stopped at the carpark at 4:30PM. I was just going to go to the "viewing platform" which is part of the trail that is a boardwalk on the side of a stream...or river. The water is falling quickly down the steep valley it has carved, and there is a ton of water. You will be able to see plants growing on giant boulders in the stream, there is that much rainfall in Fiordland. (I think i already mentioned it, but 8 meters of rain a year falls on these mountains.) The edge of the trail is sheer in some places, covered with ferns and mosses, and dripping with water like a decorative fountain (except of course this is all natural).

I, however, was feeling like a good walk, and I saw a sign that said 1 hr 30 minutes, and assuming that was the there and back time, I went for it. So up the first really, really steep 1/2 KM or so, I saw some of the guys from my boat cruise on their way down. I asked them, "how much further?" They replied, "you are much closer to the beginning than the end," so i decided that I better haul ass, since I had to still find me a campsite, make dinner, etc., all hopefully before nightfall/twilight which lingers until 9:30PM or so in the southern hemisphere springtime.

So haul ass I did. Gone is the nice buffed out, wide trail that you have seen in pictures of Queen Charlotte Tramp, etc, replaced by a single track trail very similar to the one down from Mt. Arthur to Flora Hut. Except this one is steeper, and not as slick. It was interesting, the rocks, all covered with moss and such were not slick at all, it is the roots and the mud that is sooo slick. The tree roots are the worst. In some places, it is so steep that one step to the next is a grunt and groan and stretch to get to. I pass about 6 other people from my cruise on the way up, who are on the way down. (I had stayed in Milford for lunch, to book a glow worm cruise for tomorrow in Te Anau, and to give my camera's failing battery another good charge.)

I got to the top in less than an hour, hauling ass like I did. I feel good, my stomach muscles are pumping and my back feels ok, not 100%, but nothing like the Mt Arthur hike. Way to go Dave!

I stay at the top for about 15 minutes, snapped a few pictures, and head down. I knew that going down was going to take me longer than going up, that is just the way it is with my back. To give you an idea of how steep it was, my ears kept popping (both on the way up and on the way down, like i was on an airplane), and there were six separate times that i went backwards on all fours going down. I also caught a good bird song on the digital recorder.... It all came from one tiny little bird, that I think is the bell bird. I also caught a nice picture of the giant, indegenous Pigeon. I surprised myself with how well I felt coming down -- I kept on thinking, tall, steady, strong, as i came down, and the theme song of Superman kept playing in my mind! (Take that Wonder Wad!!) I was down at the car park before 7PM, making my round trip 2 1/2 hours!! All in all the hike to Lake Marian was an enormous success, I was very proud of myself for doing it all so well and quickly. I was pumped and feeling good as I head towards my camp site.

The first camp site, Lake Gunn, was pretty crowded so I went to the next one at the other end of the Lake and camped there. Made dinner, ate, cleaned up, and was in bed and OUT as the late dusk settled in!

Until next time,

Newo Out.