The Pyke, perhaps? Follows a river, prone to flooding, poorly marked (at least it used to be), just lacks the mud other then The Black Swamp.
Nice! Well, I'm fine with the mud on SI, haven't done the Cascade Saddle, and Pyke I'm kinda holding out til I get a packraft; Hollyford/Pyke loop, raft out down the Hollyford River. Booya! :D
Thoughts on the Dusky:
Especially with being right there and with the ability to make another plan for your week off if wx is horrendous, there's a good chance to get in a trip in good conditions. Generally I think there is more excellent weather than absolutely horrendous weather in Fiordland (Though this summer may be an exception!?)
But, be prepared. Carry a shelter such that you can camp on a hillside between two flooded side creeks when it's bucketing down rain and you can hear the boulders bouncing along the bottom of the creeks. Doesn't need to be more than a tent fly, but you need a sensible plan for that situation that doesn't involve pushing the button on the PLB or feeling you 'have' to get across a creek.
Be aware that what gets nasty really quickly almost always goes away quickly as well. Side creeks can go up so quickly that after you've come to one you can't cross, turn around and head back to the last creek you'd already crossed, it's also impassable and you're trapped between the two. However, if they came up so quickly in the rain, they'll go down equally quickly when the rain eases. Main rivers like the Seaforth will rise more slowly but take longer to go down.
As Craigo says above, waiting a day can make all the difference and makes more sense than smashing yourself and needing a rest day to recover or getting yourself in real trouble.
Cheers for that. I also always carry shelter. How rugged it is depends on the terrain/conditions. I'll be taking a tent for the Dusky. ;)
I'm quite adept at reading swift water conditions, and live by the maxim "If in doubt, stay out". ;)
When I did the Dusky, I noticed the ex deer culler with us only got mud up to his ankles, I got mud up to mid-shin and my g/f was doing face plants. I figured there might be a bit of technique involved in this mud walking. At least if it's raining hard, it's not sticky mud.
My sisters at the ages of 6 and 7 tramped from Doubtful Sound track to Dusky Sound way back in 1958 with A.H. Reed amongst others. He would have been 83! I guess the deer made super highways.
This post has been edited by the author on 31 January 2017 at 22:59.
I found most of the mud pits could be skirted and when they couldn't many had bits of wood in them like stepping stones that offered some surprising buoyancy. Not sure if DOC had placed these but they seemed to be in the right place quite often.
I think one of the biggest issues that crop up is when people take on a flooded section, have their pace slowed to a crawl by the deep waters and infrequent markers, and end up benighted in a place with no dry ground.
Dusky for me is going to have to wait until the end of the season (30th April). I'm now working 10 on 4 off. Still plenty of time to get up to mischief, but of course not enough time to do even one arm of Dusky. The bonus is that I'll be able to take my time and do it in it's entirety.
Thanks for all your advice and comments.
An Aussie couple in their mid to late 50s got a ride back across Lake Manapouri the other day. They were exhausted, drenched, and covered in sticks/leaves etc.
They'd just swam the Dusky! :D There'd been a lot of rain, and they said that yep, they'd had to fully swim sections of it.
So they backed up in person what you've all said; it's difficult at the best of times, positively swollen when raining. :)
I'm now working 10 off because of increased opportunity. 7 days on, 7 days off as per usual in Doubtful Sound. Then one day on Lake Manapouri, and 2 days guiding at Aurora Cave (glow worm cave).
Two days ago I did the Hump Ridge Track. At the top I filmed my Australian Survivor application video, and submitted my application yesterday. Here's to hoping!
As for the Hump Ridge Track, glad I did it, but probably won't do it again. WAY too much boardwalk! I understand about keeping the fragile ground protected, but in my opinion it was total overkill in a lot of areas.
I did it in two days; I stayed at Percy Burn Hut with all the bastard mice. I KNEW there was a reason I bought an air pistol! Next time I'm taking it! (Of course, it will DEFINITELY only come out if I'm 100% on my own).
Other than the 'locals' trying to eat all my food, it was a great hut!
Next time I go down there I'll skip the ridge track, and head straight down the South Coast to Big River and Westie's Hut. I want to sleep in a hut that's inside a cave! :D
