Ted's Hiking World Kepler Track
Fiordland National Park

March 20, 2017 — Day 3

Today's sole mission is to get to the next hut, which involves little more than walking down the valley in a straight line through the dark forest.  That's the price we must pay for seeing all that spectacular stuff yesterday.  The suggested walking time is six hours.

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The two sisters retrieve a frisbee

It looks as if it might rain a bit today, so I affix the orange $30 rain-proof pack cover that was purchased just three days ago.  Dave already has a similar item.

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View toward the falls that we did not visit

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Heading east

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Nature's elegance

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After an hour or so, after feeling a total of about five raindrops, I remove the pack cover.  It simply is not going to rain for real today.

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The rocks turn red when wet, just like granite in the Sierra

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Little falls

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Sunlight at last!

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The Meruliaceae almost look good enough to eat
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Cotton candy, anyone?

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Meat balls and parmesan cheese.  Yum!

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Another shelter in name only.  Flies begone!

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Our first real stream crossing

All the others had bridges.  And I was worried about getting my feet wet on this trip.

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Sunlight in the alcove

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A work of art, or just clearing the path?

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There are those crazy tall plants again.  I like them.

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Our hut must be around here somewhere on Lake Maturau

I really am yearning for some sort of anti-itch salve.  Sand fly bites just don't up and go away, and being this unprepared is — that's right — stupid.

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Artist's Porebracket
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Scarlet Flycap

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Moturau Hut

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Swimming, anyone?  Not I, not today

When fellow tramper John makes an appearance, Dave hands him a red sack containing all of John's food, which he had inexplicably left behind this morning.  Presently another hiker shows up with another sack containing John's cooking equipment, also forgotten.  I guess that John will eat for the next two days after all.

Now Dave discovers that our own memories have not served us so well, either; for the new graduated Nalgene bottle is missing.  One of us left it on a table at the last hut.  Now we're back to guessing on our recipes.

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That man has a coke!  How does he rate?

Actually, the man is a Coast Guard serviceman recently moved to Roseville.  He walked in from town just today from the other direction, which explains why he can have a non-mushy Subway sandwich and a still-fizzing soft drink.


As aforementioned, this day was little more than a long slog through the rainforest.  After Day #2, pretty much all that is left is to make one's way back to the nearest bus stop.

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