Started hiking from the DOC after 11AM and got to the start of the Kepler Track at the Control Gates at just after noon. From there it was 13.8 km to Luxmore Hut and it was a killer hike! Big, big uphill with a full load of food. My feet and legs really felt it. Nice even dirt packed trail though, and more wonderful views at the bushline. Very different scenery than the Milford; that looked like a big patchwork quilt- farmlands, the fiords and then the mountains in the background. The hut was only a 45 minute walk from where the trail levels out at the bushline.
This hut is quite different than those on the Milford. It holds 60 people and the bunk rooms are very cramped with no place to even stand up our packs. I had to take a top bunk because I didn't arrive until 5PM and the place was pretty full. Shari also had a top bunk. It's a pain being in the top bunk when you have to get up in the middle of the night. I have my pack laying on the floor under the bottom bunk. Not very convenient for getting stuff from it.
Shari and I took the 10 minute walk over to Luxmore Caves and went inside it for a bit. We had our headlamps on so we could see the formations of stalactites and stalagmites. It was interesting but caves just give me the creeps. The head warden gave a native talk when we came back, explaining about various kinds of plants and trees up here.
It was another nice day here and it's hard to believe they had about 3 feet of snow here on February 21st, which is the equivalent to August 21st back home. Sometimes they have to helicopter people over the next section of the trail (the ridge just below Mt. Luxmore at 1,472 meters) when an unexpected snow storm occurs.
3/13: Got up around 7:15AM to see the sun rise but nothing much to see - too overcast. Pleasant, relaxed breakfast and started hiking around 9AM. Most of the 6 hour hike (about 4.5 hours of it) was above treeline (or bushline as they call it here). We took the 15 minute side hike up to the top of Mt. Luxmore which we reached about 1 hour into the hike. So much for the 360 degree view. No view - all covered in mist. It started to clear after that and the scenery was lovely. The trail reminded me of the Franconia Ridge Trail in the White Mountains with its ups and downs, but the scenery was very different - bigger mountains, fiords and Lake Ta Drure. I'm sure it would be beautiful in winter, but the huts are not staffed in winter and it is recommended that only very experienced hikers try to hike the Kepler Trail in winter. For anyone who likes hiking above treeline this trail is quite a treat.
Of course, what goes up must come down and it was a long way down with lots of switchbacks. Very nice trail through the woods though - cool and green all around. One woman at the hut said there must have been 100 switchbacks - I know my feet and legs felt it going down. Total of 14.6 km today.
Got to the Iris Burn Hut at 3PM and I like this one better than the Luxmore hut. They have 3 choices of bunkrooms. One that holds 24 people - 3 sections of sleeping areas, 4 across and 2 high - YUK! Too confined. Another room for 8 with 4 bunkbeds, and a third kind of loft room where everyone just sleeps on matresses on the floor. That's where I'm sleeping and it's great. There are 11 people in the room so far and it's very open and spaceous.
Shari and I took the 40 minute round trip hike to see the Iris Burn Waterfall. Very pretty but the bugs are bad here so you can't stop for more than 30 seconds without them being all over you.
I talked to a young woman from Sao Paolo, Brazil who is on her honeymoon. She and her husband spent one week on Figi and are spending three weeks in New Zealand. I told her that Karen (Joshua's girlfriend) was from Florianopolis and she said it was beautiful there. She also gave us some recommendations of things to do when we are in South America next year.
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