location: Routeburn Falls Hut to Mackenzie Hut
distance: 11 km
elevation change: gain of about 600ft, loss of about 1000 ft, net loss about 400ft
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| Harris Lake, north side of the saddle |
description: the trek from Routeburn Falls to Lake Mackenzie was much easier than the previous day. the elevation gain was all at the start of the day, and the views over the mountain valley, back down over the falls were more than enough to make up for the effort.
as habituated by our previous hiking treks, we were some of the first up and moving in the DOC hut, and some of the very first out on the track that day. we could tell because it had snowed the night previous and the single perplexing track was accompanied by bike tracks ... something that isn't allowed on the trail. the early start made for slightly treacherous track near the Harris Saddle/Tarahaka Whakatipu - it snowed the previous night and it certainly hadn't warmed up enough by 9am
to have melted.
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| south side of the saddle |
through the saddle, it was a bit remarkable how much the landscape changed. compared to the previous day of climbing steadily through dense forest, making the occasional bridge crossing, the hike from the Falls to Lake Mackenzie was almost entirely above the treeline - with
stunning views of the Hollyford valley and mountains beyond. the bulk of the tramping was relatively level, with moderate descents and climbs until just above Lake Mackenzie. the early start meant we encountered few people for most of the day; it wasn't until we began descending towards the lake that we ran into a guided group just finishing their climb from the catered hut below. most were a bit winded, or taking their time to make it up the climb (which was nothing to sneeze at). one delightful older (possibly 70s) gent said to us as we passed him, "It's a long way to Tipperary" with a great big grin on his face. I think we both hope to have that kind of energy when we reach that age!
the descent to Lake Mackenzie was longer than it looked, as it often is in the last stretch of the day. we passed a spot where two young people were killed in a sudden storm several decades ago, when the track washed out. for all the track's beauty, it was a reminder that conditions could change quickly and prove deadly, particularly in the exposed areas. not much farther on we stepped into what felt like a prehistoric forest - reminiscent of Fangorn in the ongoing LOTR comparison.
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| view of Lake Mackenzie to the north |
we were the first to the hut by hours - which meant pick of the bunks above the main room! the Mackenzie Hut was much more cabinlike and heaps warmer for it. no mutinous rumblings about raiding the catered guided-hike building this night! the warden had been staffing that hut for decades - spending the better part of the afternoon on structure projects/improvements - and had delightful anecdotes to share in the evening's hut talk. if I had my druthers, I might just hike in to Lake Mackenzie to camp and then hike back out the next day!
