Today I discovered that I can stop myself falling with a single shin without breaking it. I also discovered that this is a really painfull thing to do and would not recommend it.
It was a good day though. I was raining when I got up, but had stopped by the time I started. The river had dropped a lot over night. Just had to get another couple of shots from the bridge to compare with yesterday.
For the most part the day was fairly easy. I felt like I'd made good time to Browning Hut. Having now seen the stream I'm thinking I should have pushed through yesterday. Twenty-twenty hindsight is a useless thing...
I was pushed for time today due to the extra hut I had to skip. I was still wanting to get to Middy Creek hut today. I stopped at Browning hut just long enough to top up water and fill in the log book.
The run to Roebuck hut was where things started to get risky. The trail itself was fine, although the pace I set myself was causing the occasional slip on wet leaves, roots and rocks. The shin thing mentioned earlier happened when I stepped over a mid-shin height root and had the foot slide out and down slope on wet leaves. Add to that the pole failing to get purchase on a rock and I ended up on hands and shin with my weight plus the pack being dumped onto that mid shin hieght root.
Not recommended at all.
This sort of slip became the order of the day. Although none were quite as painful as this one.
Roebuck hut was a few minutes off trail and across a swing bridge. Checking the time until sunset I decided to have a short lunch break before pushing on. When I did get back on the trail I had 4 hours before sunset. The track notes said it should take 4 hours but the DOC signage claimed 4.5 hours. Despite the slips, trips and damage received so far I was feeling pretty good and decided to race the sun. I won. :) Managed to get to Middy Creek hut an hour ten under the estimated track notes.
Middy hut is clean and well stocked. It's similar to all the huts in this area. Having settled in I've noticed 2 things.
- My left shoulder hurts like hell. I suspect bruising from one of the falls.
- It's started to rain again.
I was expecting light rain tomorrow so hopefully this may be it. Here's hoping it works itself out over night.
If all goes to plan I should be in the Pelorus campground tomorrow. Showers, power, hopefully internet.