“On a Mish” #124 A Good Mistake (Part Three). Mistake Creek (U-Pass Basin). Fiordland National Park. 2.5.2015. U-Pass and its magnificent upper basin is a place that any Fiordland fanatic really should visit. Access isn’t any easy wander; however, the rewards make the journey up either Hut Creek or in our case Mistake Creek well worth your while. The valley must be one of the best mistakes ever! Does that mean it is a good mistake?
After overcoming the barrier of the waterfall, we explored the upper reaches of the same remote basin and knew it was only going to be a matter of time before we had a go at the full U-Pass Circuit. The visual appeal is so good one trip is no were near enough! Unfortunately, what goes up must eventually come down, and the way down wasn’t exactly an easy stroll. We did our best to follow the way we had come up with a few sections where a fall would be bad and maybe the end of your breathing career. The exposed descent back down to camp was a good way to feel ALIVE!
After getting back to camp we started cooking dinner and preparing ourselves for the inevitable retreat to the warmth of our sleeping bags. Above us was another clear evening, and throughout our trip the sky had remained the same. We were very lucky to get three days of Fiordland sunshine in a row. Best mistake ever!
Early-ish the next day I was up admiring the scenery while a heavy frost took hold of the area. Along with the sprinkle of white we had an impressive sunrise accompanied us while we enjoyed breakfast in an ice-covered environment. A hot drink on a morning like this in the wilderness is true bliss and breakfast was just as good. Leaving a place like Mistake Creek is always difficult and on a day like the one we had, and it was almost like torture to leave the sights and sounds of the Earl Mountain Range which we had got so used to.
We did ponder heading up and over the pass but in the end, we decided to return the way we had come. So, after packing down and loading up it was back alongside Mistake Creek, this time heading with the flow through the meadows and boggy areas towards the Milford Road. It was during this section where I heard a shout / scream and looked back to see my girlfriend waist deep in a hidden bog hole / trap. It is safe to say she wasn’t happy about her legs being painted a very dark brown! We got back to the bubbling of the Mistake Creek river-crossing, and this helped wash off some of the bog mud we had collected on our clothes.
After a few hours of solid hiking, we arrived back at the three wire-bridge over the Eglinton River, and after crossing we started hearing life, civilisation and the reality we have to share this world with other human beings in the form of traffic on the Milford Road. This was the classic sign that our adventure was almost over, and it was nearly time to take boots off and reflect on what was an incredible adventure up the best mistake ever. The remote valley really impressed us, so much so that it wouldn’t be long before we were both back for more when we returned tackle the ups and downs of U-Pass, and to visit what tunes out to be a good mistake!
