“On a Mish” #424 Should Have Used a Helicopter (Part Two). Helicopter Hill, Craigieburn Forest Park. 27.10.2024. Some of my most enjoyable adventures have involved hours of plugging steps in deep snow. My love for a winter environment has keep my feet moving and my camera clicking. There is something so special about snow in New Zealand, as it doesn’t happen very often. But on the odd occasion while trudging through the white stuff I have pondered that using a chopper would make the mish MUCH EASIER…
After saddling up and hitting the Mistletoe Track (the way to Helicopter Hill) the rain eased and then stopped. By this stage little Flora was soaked to the bone and struggling with the snow which was deeper than her little legs. Luckily for her and unlucky for Jeremy (my father) a migraine struck, and Jeremy was forced to head back to the car to let the migraine subside. This left Julie (my mother), Georgie (the legendary hound), and myself on a quest to climb Helicopter Hill.
We push on as the snow on the beech forest canopy began to drop bombs on us. Every now and then a huge chunk of snow would side off the branches and if you were under it, you would definitely know about it! With constant thuds all around us we carried on up the track hoping that we would fall victim to a snow bomb. It was hiking that kept you on the edge of your seat
The further we hiked the higher we got, and the higher we got the deeper the snow. The crunch of snow under our feet was music to my ears and although it was tough going for my hip and back, I was having a great time! I also knew / hoped that when we finally got near the summit of Helicopter Hill we would get above the treeline and great some excellent views of the Castle Hill Basin. At the top of the Mistletoe Track is a saddle with tracks leading down into the Craigieburn Valley and up to Helicopter Hill.
After a quick break we turned east and began the final climb to the top of the hill. It was here that I went on autopilot and getting to the summit was the priority setting. It was also here that the going got very tough. I would have flashbacks to my days climbing big peaks where encountering snow was just part of the mish. Between recollecting I would return to reality and realise how much pain I was feeling. Luckily (for the mish) summit fever was taking over, and we were going to get to the top no matter what!
