“On a Mish” #343 Into the Snow we go (Part one) – Jimny Club Day Trip. Lake Lyndon. Torlesse Conservation Area. 31.7.2022. The want, must, need to go into the wild is never a bad thing. However you have to get yourself there first. Hiking, trekking, tramping and walking are the best ways to the outdoors, and to a location that fulfils your wilderness needs. Of course leg power is needed and if that power is unavailable then you need a plan B. When I first hurt my hip my plan B, in the form of my cousin’s little white truck, literally drove up to me and saved the day…
Since our first adventure, the truck and our experience have come a long way, and on a dark rainy morning in July we set off on a journey into the mountains that would up the epicness to a new snowy level. When heavy rain and hail batters your bedroom roof early on a Sunday morning you wouldn’t be questioned if you considered that to be an excuse to have a sleep in. It is the middle of winter and the weather forecast is for snow to low levels in the mountains. Probably best to stay indoors and see out the day from the warmth of your house, right? My cousin Adam and I were both pumped for an adventure while we got our gear ready for a mish as the wild winter weather lashed Christchurch city. My car’s wiper blades were working overtime as I made my way through town to Adam’s house and as we transferred my gear into his truck we both got a good taste of mid winter rain and hail while we rushed around attempting to avoid getting completely soaked before we started our outing. If you really want to enjoy the benefits of heated seats then see how they feel after facing a southerly storm early on a Sunday morning!
It is safe to say my cousin’s Suzuki Jimny is not a vehicle for pottering around town and it doesn’t like driving on the road. To solve this problem Adam puts the Jimny on a purpose built Wilberforce trailer, and this makes the trip to the base of the hills much quicker and way more comfortable. In comfort we drove to Darfield and then clambered into the beast before heading to Springfield to meet up with the rest of the Jimny Club in style. The short, sharp storm had delivered a ton of water in a very short amount of time, and this caused even more flooding to the Canterbury Plains after a rainfall record breaking July. The further west we travelled the better the weather got, and by the time we got to Springfield the rain had stopped and we got our first view of the snow-covered mountains. Our original plan was to drive over Porters Pass on State Highway 73, and then follow the rough Lake Lyndon / Lake Coleridge route through the mountains to fulfil our wilderness cravings. And finally we would head back to the truck in Darfield to make the trip a loop. Porters Pass was closed due to snow so we had to rethink our plan… PART TWO 2/3
