“On a Mish” #46 Blown Away (Part Two). Muddy Flats – Kea Basin. Mt Aspiring National Park. 28.1.2012. When I first started to go on frequent outings, I had the odd time where I let enthusiasm lead me into the wild before taking care of vital aspects like knowing what the sky above was going to do. Camping in the rain or hiking soaking wet for a few hours gives you time to rethink your outdoor strategy. I now know to look online or in the paper to see what the weather is going to dish out when I venture out. Unfortunately, on the odd occasion, I have still let enthusiasm take over and my check of the weather has been briefer than a frost in Fiji…
As I began my mish I was very thankful that the weather gods had been good to me. I looked online and saw the sun / cloud icon (more importantly not the rain icon) for the three days I’d be out, with the chance of some late rain on the third day. Perfect for what I planned to do, or so I thought.
The hike up the Rees Valley on a sunny day is nothing short of spectacular. Snowcapped peaks line either side of the valley and in the middle are some of the luckiest cows on the planet. Most of the valley is grazing country for the huge Rees Valley Station, however the owners do allow access via the Rees Valley Track which is also part of the popular Rees / Dart Track. I wasn’t planning on going around the Forbes Range like when hiking the Rees / Dart Track, instead I was planning on climbing to the very top of the entire range itself.
As the morning rolled on, I got further up the valley and closer to my first night’s stop at Kea Basin. During my trek I passed the odd happy hiker who was at the very end of their own adventure. I was starting mine while they were at the point where they could taste the victory of completion. For them the scenery had just blown them away and I’m sure they were looking forward to telling people about their days in paradise. However, I was at the on the other end of the mish and the adventure had just begun.
I had found the peace and quiet I crave, and was as happy as could be. The sun was shining above and as far as I knew it would remain that way until I would become one of the happy hikers walking my way towards the end of my mish. While the sun did stay out it was joined by another invisible foe, one that would do its best to blow me away, just like the epic scenery found in the Rees Valley…
