⛰️#49 - 94y.o. Track Workers, Tongariro, Saving Bivs, New Garmin inReach Feature, & More.

And we are back with the 49th NZ Hiking Newsletter, sent every Friday.

This week, I finally get around to some more updates on huts, as well as other bits and pieces from the NZ hiking scene I find interesting.

How good is Peter? I reckon the Garmin inReach tool could be useful too.

Thanks to those who email, message me on Whatsapp (+642041702764), or tell me in person you’re loving the newsletter. Chur.

Alright, let’s get into it.

How good is

🥾 This 94-Year-Old = GOAT = Goals

Peter Winter might be 94 years old, but Peter still gets out and helps with track maintenance on the Mount Somers walking trails. Respect. As a member of the Mount Somers Walkway Society, Peter helps maintain the popular tracks to Woolshed Creek hut.

This read is a real feel-good story. Apparently, he’s never been to the doctor…helping out in nature plays a role in that…I guess. Let’s be more like Peter.

🛖 Backcountry Trust Updates

The BCT has been hard at work with track and hut work. They’ve provided three updates on some big jobs.

Nina Valley Track Cutting, Lewis Pass, Canterbury

Initially, with the goal of only Lewis Pass track cutting, the photo above shows how close the Upper Nina Biv was to falling into the river. After a relatively quick biv relocation (they’ll find a permanent spot in the future), they got to cutting tracks with chainsaws, hand tools and gusto.

Leon Kinvig Hut, Ruahine Forest Park, Manawatu-Whanganui

The photo above is the track to the new Leon Kinvig being cut. That’s some thick leatherwood they’re working through with chainsaws. This was a track that gives you an idea how hard track building is. Hours and hours of work by many people over days, to cut 500 metres of track.

But now you can access the new Leon Kinvig Hut location easier. How good.

South Huxley Biv, Ruataniwha Conservation Park, Canterbury

South Huxley Biv was the test project back in 2014 to see if the Backcountry Trust could become a thing. It did. in 2014 South Huxley Biv was buggered, but now it’s looking fancy. It’s been a lot of work over the years, but the biv is now compliant and has a fancy wood burner from Roaring Meg Fires.

These updates were via the BCT newsletter, but you can find track/hut updates from BCT group members on the BCT Facebook group.

📹 Amazing Video, Hut Building From 1950

They don’t build ‘em like they used to. The first 3 minutes 34 seconds of this video are amazing as the Tararua Tramping Club builds a hut on Totara Flats. The music and commentary = perfect.

Shotgun not carrying the corrugated iron.

🛖 More Huts & Campsites Now Need To Be Booked

This is becoming a regular occurrence with more huts and campsites suddenly needing to be booked in a couple of weeks (media release here). We’ve been lucky to have it so good for so long, but a bit more notice would be idea…especially leading into summer.

There are plenty of people who have locked in their summer plans already, and will arrive at huts/campsites unaware that they should have booked their spot in…awkward.

There’s no shortage of pros and cons (as per these comments) to this trend from DOC, with the Federated Mountain Clubs firmly against this trend.

😹 Hiking Funny

🐀 Hunua Ranges Opens Post 1080 Op

The Hunua ranges (regional park near Auckland) reopened on Thursday, weeks after the last of the 1080 baits were released to control pests. When there are active 1080 operations in some National Parks in the deep south, they often only close the tracks for a few hours while helicopters are releasing baits. I’m guessing they had to err on the side of caution closing the Hunua Ranges due being so close to Auckland (and to hush the anti-1080 - example from 2018).

At least the park is open as we head into summer, summer. Ideally, the 1080 operation means fewer pests and thriving native wildlife in the coming months, with data to show. More details here.

🔥 Quick Tongariro Updates

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing reopened on Monday. So far no one is (confirmed to be) complaining that the surroundings smell like burnt toast. Success. DOC still haven’t mentioned the source of the fire which is suspicious.

You should do the crossing this summer if you can…sure the tracks popularity helps nearby businesses, but they did lose a week or so of revenue from track hikers...possibly more if people are cautious about going to the crossing.

📻 Free Garmin inReach Tool

If you have an inReach and use the Garmin messenger app, you might want to add [email protected] to your contacts.

A reddit user, Tan, built a tool (currently free) that lets you request information from a question you ask.

Example:

Where are best camp spots east of Mt Hood in Oregon?

Topo. Still Creek (4.3*) 31000 E Perry Vickers Rd, Gov't Camp, 9km S; Lost Lake Resort (4.5*) 9000 Lost Lake Rd, Hood River, 17km NW of Mt. Hood.

There are plenty of use cases, such as:

• your plans change mid-adventure

• you see something unexpected…such as smoke from a wildfire…for me it’d be seeing a bear 🐻 and forgetting what I’m supposed to do depending on what kind it is 😺 

This is a new tool, so it’s far from gospel but hopefully it works. Let me know how it goes for you!

Checkout the original post and discussion.

🧔‍♂️ What I've Been Up To...

I haven’t been on an overnight camp or hut adventure yet this ‘summer’ season, but this weekend might be the winner (weather dependent).

Last week I went up to the Ben Lomond Saddle for the first time this summer and returned via one of my favourite ridgelines near Queenstown. On NZ topo maps, you start at point 1049 and follow the obvious track to point 1121 and carry on from there.

It’s an obvious track now, with only one or two spots where you might feel a bit iffy. It goes to a unique viewpoint, labelled Jan’s Peak on Google Maps. I like it.

Have a great week, hike it up.

As always, reply to this email or Whatsapp or Instagram with anything and everything…let’s yarn.

Chur,

Jub

p.s. The Mueller Hut boil water notice from last week’s newsletter has been removed…I wonder if the source of people getting sick was found?

p.p.s. get your friends to subscribe, chur: https://nzhikingnewsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe