Day 3 on the Milford Track
The trail from the summit of Mackinnon Pass to Dumpling
Hut, the third and last hut for free hikers, is the most difficult, steepest,
and most tiring of the four sections of the Track. The climb in the morning
to the summit gains 1500' of elevation in three miles. Coming down through
the valley of the Arthur River is quite a bit steeper.
The Maoris, Sutherland, MacKay, Mackinnon, and
other early hikers through this area faced an incredible challenge to descend
or ascend this area. The vegetation is thick, the valley sides are quite
steep, the river flows quite fast, and the rocks in the river are formidable
barriers.
Today's hikers benefit from the efforts of remarkable
trail engineers who build swing bridges and long wooden stairways over what
must have before been a real test of the hiker's skill, balance, strength,
and determination. However, rain makes both wood and rocks slippery and treacherous,
and when the angle of descent is sharp, the pace must necessarily slow and
care taken to avoid slipping, twisting an ankle, or worse.
When I reached the turnoff to Sutherland Falls,
I'd come down the four miles carefully. Since we had no signal for taking
the 2k by-pass to Sutherland Falls, and seeing no sign of anyone, I went on
to Dumpling Hut thinking I'd rest a bit, catch up with the others, and that
we'd all go back to Sutherland Falls before dinner and without packs. However,
when I got to the hut, there were only two others there who decided to skip
the Falls. Judy, Cheryl, and Alan had taken the by pass to the Falls thinking
I would be along. At that point, I thought I'd rely on Judy for great pictures
and a full account. She did a terrific job.
