Steele Creek Track / Hut

Anyone been through there recently? Tramping.net.nz makes it sound good: http://www.tramping.net.nz/huts-routeburn-greenstone-caples/steele-creek-hut-greenstone-track-greenstone-conservation-area HoweverJMilne describes it as: "not recommended for anything but emergency shelter" http://www.jmilne.org/nz/sc.htm Not sure of the dates of either of these two descriptions. (OK, Tramping.net.nz says renovated 2010, JMilne seems 2010-2013) Thanks

I was there last spring and the hut was tidy. Not exactly draughtproof ... but certainly usable and in good conditon. I do recall that there was absolutely no way to light the fire without dying of smoke inhillation, however.

Thanks, I have a couple of days off later the coming week, am tossing up between going into Steele Creek, possibly over the pass to the Caples, or going over Sugarloaf and into Theatre Flat for a night. Might be a brass monkeys fly camp at Theatre Flat, though a big fire and an overhanging rock could be quite cosy.

theres snow supposed to fall to low level from tuesday

Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on it, it's getting colder, but I think any precipitation will only be a few snow flurries in that area. Harris Saddle is showing no precipitation in the next couple of days on the Metservice Fiordland forecast. 5 Day precipitation / isobar forecast shows high coming to mid Tasman pushing cold southwesterly onto the lower South Island, but pressure quite high at 1028 mB on Thursday and Friday so unlikely to dump much snow.

the forecast windchill looks interesting..

Hmm. Would like to introduce Mr Milne to sone real rough huts. And I bet by the time we got there he'd appreciate them as much as i do! Not recommended this time of year but theres a wonderful route over the tops to Steele from Home Hills Hut via the head of Slip Stream. Walked it in spring in falling snow: magic. And cold!

I did Steele Creek about 3 years ago. Good trip. The hut had been done up with new bunks and some draft stopping. I didn't try to light the fire. In winter it would probably be better to come up from the Greenstone side. That way at least you would reach the hut if you cant get over the saddle. The saddle is over 1300m so will certainly be in the snow. I found the track in the upper valley well marked through the scrub but overgrown. I lost the track in the bush between the bush line and Steele Creek West branch. It's not on the true left as some maps indicates. I see on topomap.co.nz the track is shown on the true right. The boulder at Theater Flat has virtually no overhang. It would protect you from a down valley wind but anything falling straight down or from the east will certainly get you. There was a swing tied to a tree at the down valley end of the clump of trees with good looking camping in the trees there when I went through last December, looked like a fun way to pass the time :)

Thanks Yarmoss. "There was a swing tied to a tree at the down valley end of the clump of trees with good looking camping in the trees there" The down valley end of the biggest clump of trees in the middle of Theatre Flat? http://www.backpackingmatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Theatre-Flat.jpg As I understand it, the big rock is at the northwestern side of the biggest clump of trees in this picture. Yes, I was thinking a fly camp in the trees would be preferable to being out in the open in the frost this time of year... Madpom, yes, Steele Creek hut didn't look too rough in the pictures. I'd rate Kay Creek hut at the rougher end of the spectrum, though you'd be glad to be in there if it was raining or snowing hard. http://nzgunsandhunting.co.nz/image/data/Articles/Hunting/Hunting%20the%20Caples/Hunting-Caples-5.jpg

Hmmm I cant remember which clump of trees the boulder and swing were under. In that photo above I want to say the boulder is at the right hand clump of trees, out of sight behind that finger of bush... but I'm not 100%. The swing + camp site was at the left side of that left hand clump of trees... I think! The only photo I have handy doesn't have a good perspective. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7747/26733477023_26a540e154_b.jpg Kay Creek hut has been done up by the Otago Uni phys ed school. Looks like new bunks, new floor, an actual functioning door, and a drainage ditch to keep the rain out. Should be a big improvement over what it used to be like! http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/379042/hut-made-sound-overnight-use-again