Saturday, March 21st, we wake up after not so much sleep. A tight bunkroom of 24 smelly trampers isn't really conducive to restful sleep. The weather was perfect - a crisp, early Fall day.
Dan showing off some muscles on the hut porch. These huts are incredible (other than being crowded); gas & cookers are provided, running water, flush toilets - much better than camping.
The start of the second day climbs steadily, following the Route Burn to its outlet from Lake Harris. Here I am pointing to where we came last night in the dark beyond the far hills in the picture to the hut right below me. I still cannot believe we came so far in the dark - it makes regular day hiking seem so easy.
The second day is gorgeous. The track skirts along side of Lake Harris. A lot of steep inclines today - I am so glad we brought our new hiking poles.
Here the track leads to the Harris Saddle. In the distance you can see other trampers on the track. Sub-alpine herbs and cushion plants are a feature of the vegetation.
Here I am at the Harris Saddle leaving Mt Aspiring National Park and entering Fiordland National Park. Those dark snow-peaked mountains are the Darran Range.
From the saddle the track drops steeply down a gully and traverses along the exposed Hollyford face. This side of the track was much colder with a strong cold wind keeping us moving.
We stopped for a quick lunch at a sunny spot overlooking the Darran Mountains and the Hollyford River below.
After lunch, the track follows a bush descent onto a series of zig-zags to Lake Mackenzie. This took much longer to get down to the lake than it looks. You know it's steep when Kiwis build a track with switch-backs. Usually tracks here are just straight up and down.
Almost to the lake, the track finally gets down past the tree-line and into a mossy beech forest.
Ahhh...Lake Mackenzie. It was about a 5 hour hike from Routeburn Falls hut to the Lake Mackenzie hut, and it felt great to get to the hut while it was still light. We took advantage of the ice-cold clear mountain lake to wash off the day's grime. Photos censored.
Dan cooking up some noodles for dinner at the Lake Mackenzie hut. Check out these facilities! You don't even have to bring your stove or fuel. And there was a coal burning stove to heat the common room in the evening. Our apartment doesn't even have heating but this hut does.
A view of the hut from the lake where we lazed about in the sun watching the other trampers strip down and jump into the freezing lake.
Dan showing off some muscles on the hut porch. These huts are incredible (other than being crowded); gas & cookers are provided, running water, flush toilets - much better than camping.
The start of the second day climbs steadily, following the Route Burn to its outlet from Lake Harris. Here I am pointing to where we came last night in the dark beyond the far hills in the picture to the hut right below me. I still cannot believe we came so far in the dark - it makes regular day hiking seem so easy.
The second day is gorgeous. The track skirts along side of Lake Harris. A lot of steep inclines today - I am so glad we brought our new hiking poles.
Here the track leads to the Harris Saddle. In the distance you can see other trampers on the track. Sub-alpine herbs and cushion plants are a feature of the vegetation.
Here I am at the Harris Saddle leaving Mt Aspiring National Park and entering Fiordland National Park. Those dark snow-peaked mountains are the Darran Range.
From the saddle the track drops steeply down a gully and traverses along the exposed Hollyford face. This side of the track was much colder with a strong cold wind keeping us moving.
We stopped for a quick lunch at a sunny spot overlooking the Darran Mountains and the Hollyford River below.
After lunch, the track follows a bush descent onto a series of zig-zags to Lake Mackenzie. This took much longer to get down to the lake than it looks. You know it's steep when Kiwis build a track with switch-backs. Usually tracks here are just straight up and down.
Almost to the lake, the track finally gets down past the tree-line and into a mossy beech forest.
Ahhh...Lake Mackenzie. It was about a 5 hour hike from Routeburn Falls hut to the Lake Mackenzie hut, and it felt great to get to the hut while it was still light. We took advantage of the ice-cold clear mountain lake to wash off the day's grime. Photos censored.
Dan cooking up some noodles for dinner at the Lake Mackenzie hut. Check out these facilities! You don't even have to bring your stove or fuel. And there was a coal burning stove to heat the common room in the evening. Our apartment doesn't even have heating but this hut does.
A view of the hut from the lake where we lazed about in the sun watching the other trampers strip down and jump into the freezing lake. 
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