"Woh, shit! This is, like, the most rain I've ever seen. Those creeks are crazy... why's the water so grey? Are we gonna cross them? Yeah, we are?... Kick Ass!"
Day 2: 25.5km (15.8mi)
...woken up at 9:30 by sasquatch trying to shake down my tent. Thank God I properly guyed out my little tent. Find out later that the winds at the Saddle were 80kmph (~50mph!).
...woken up at 10:30 by torrential rains... sounds like TV static with the volume all the way up. Fall back asleep feeling proud of my little tent.
...woken up at 1:30 by nature's call. Still dumping outside so I pee in a ziplok bag. Not trusting the bag's integrity, I deposit it a hand's length outside the tent. Sleep well the rest of the night.
...cook my muesli and make my coffee in the safe confines of the tent. Don't brave the outside until the boots are laced up and the pack is fully loaded.
...hike 6hrs in the rain and love every minute. The rain and mist give the Dart Valley a depth and moodiness that forces me to risk water damage to my camera.
...ford 5 creeks as I descend the valley... knee deep in raging, opaque, silty run-off.
...spot Daley Flat Hut across a grassy flat, and smile broadly as I notice smoke rising from the hut. Someone's already started the coal burning stove... warmth!
...treated to Cheryl and Ken's company... more great Kiwi's.
PICS: (top to bottom) The Dart Glacier at the top of the Dart Valley, Looking down the rainy Dart Valley, Countless waterfalls pour down the valley walls, A view back up to Cascade Saddle.
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