Time to go back and finish this thing,
BUT, yes BUT the weather is starting to play a significant role now that winter is closing in and the daylight hours are getting shorter. This means river levels will start to rise, snow will start falling on the peaks and sunlight hours to walk gets less and less.
I spent most of the day looking at weather history and forecasts, actual river levels, how quickly they rose with the last rain that we had as well as webcams for snow updates in the mountains. It is overwhelming and to be honest, making me extremely anxious. I can search and research and look at data all day, but if I am not in the mountains, I will not be able to walk a single kilometer. I have to go back, and I have to be there, so that I can see the actual weather, feel how deep the rivers are and how fast they are flowing. No use in sitting here in Christchurch, waiting for a nice 5-day break in the weather that might only come round in December. I have made, for the most part, excellent weather decisions on the trail so far, and need to trust that I will continue to do so in the coming weeks.
I spent the rest of my day back on the TA website, reading through trail notes and trying to plan the next 4 weeks of my journey. Yes, if everything goes well, I can actually be at the top of the South Island in 4 weeks. Looking at the picture on the [Te Araroa Website] homepage I realised that I actually missed “the money shot”. I recognise that section of the trail, having completed it just recently. It is Lake Tekapo in the distance, after coming over Stag Saddle.
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43.5323 – 172.5567
12 April 2024
FP-92