As the dogs romped along in the snow, effortlessly pulling the sled and chasing skiers we knew we were close to Snow Dog heaven.
It had been a tough week of wild weather, rain and ice. Our four team members were spread across 4 different locations, communications were challenging and the roads were getting muddy and nasty.
And then the idea of going up the “Old Woman Range” came up. Erik Bradshaw’s local knowledge was paying off and we decided to head up the Nevis Road and see what we could find. As the skies cleared and a fresh dusting of snow emerged our spirits rose. The dogs were keen to get out into the snow again and we were ready!
We arrived at Duffer’s saddle and unpacked our gear (we are getting better at taking less) and Erik loaded up his baby buggy that was going to be converted into a dog powered sled. It was about then that Kate’s wee boy Olli threw up. Sadly he was coming down with a bug and it meant that he and Kate would have to go back home. Aghhh – so tough for Kate and her dogs who were so near and yet so far. We took a team photo and Kate managed a grimace… she will be back!
The remaining team set off along the snowy track to the Old Woman Hut, only a few kilometres away.
It was an easy journey compared with the toil we had getting into the Kirtle Burn the previous week. This time Sarah was on skis rather than driving a sled which was probably a relief for dogs and humans (although possibly less entertaining).
As we reached the turn-off to the hut and the DOC sign for the “Old Woman” Conservation Area, it was remarked that “maybe the area would get more visitors if it was called the “Young Woman Range” 🙂
We had a brisk and exciting descent to the hut where the dogs sat happily in the sun and chewed on the frozen salmon we had bought as treats (their food was even better than ours).
That evening in the hut Erik pulled out his maps of the area, and by torch light we began to trace out ideas for the ‘Classic’ Snow Dog Trail. Details are still coming together, but it may be a 10 day epic that we take on next year.
The next day we got organised and headed out for a light-weight trip to the tops. Snow conditions were excellent and the dogs were getting into the exploration groove. We zoomed along the high plateau of snow with the occasional rock outcrop providing direction. This terrain is just perfect for the dogs towing a skier or a sled, and it is conceivable to easily travel 25 kms or more in a day.
Both 2 legged and 4 legged team members grinned with pleasure as we scooted back down to the hut. Snow Dog heaven indeed.
However, the journey back down the road became tricky when we discovered that alot of the snow from the day before had melted, meaning that wheels were easier than sleds. This is something we are going to have to work on in future.
We made it back to the truck and all agreed that it had been an excellent overnight trip. It is relatively easy trip for people to take on with good access (4WD with chains are still recommended – or otherwise it is a longer walk in) and a nice hut close by. The terrain in this area is superb for the dogs – not too steep – and we found good snow conditions. One thing to watch is that the tops are pretty featureless, so if you get bad weather you really need a GPS or good skills to make sure you don’t get lost.
Following on from this trip, Sarah did an interview on Radio NZ which you can listen to by clicking here. Colin had a real epic getting home, which we won’t go into here, suffice to say that roads and cars are far more dangerous than snow and sleds….
We will be updating you with plans for our next expeditions soon. For now, we are taking a break….