Thread: First Decent Walk for Some Time

Greetings all,
Don't get excited, this is not some epic tale of multi day treks in the Kawekas but merely a note on some old codgers morning walk.
I've posted before about my walks up Kuripapango Hill in my attempt to regain some level of fitness and perhaps do some more hunting. All was going pretty well until the start of last year when a cascade of unfortunate events pretty well put paid to any progress.
That was then and this is now so armed with a stout breakfast and a large cup of tea I found myself in the Lakes Road Carpark. Last week my dearly beloved and I set out for a wander up the very same track and in spite of it being a first decent walk on her new hip I got smoked. A humbling but useful experience. So today and solo the target was what I call the beech patch, a left over stand of trees from early attempts of farming now surrounded by Contorta. It involves a climb of a little over 300 metres. There was a bit of sign on the track and recent browse on some of the palatable species. It took about 2 hours. On the way up I was trying out my new cell phone with the GPS and mapping software. It worked well in the semi open country so a few off track grandpa hunts may be in the future.
The picture is the Beech Patch in the distance a real haven on a hot sunny day.

Regards Grandpamac.

Good.
Just look at those damn contorta seeds.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Good.
Just look at those damn contorta seeds.

They have really taken off. 30 to 40 years ago it was quite open. DoC has sprayed some of it with little effect. There has been some contorta control round toward Castle Camp. NZFS seeded the Kawekas with Pinus contorta and Pinus nigra years back to "control erosion". Someone who was involved proudly told me this at the time that it was going to happen. It sounded like a crap idea to me.
GPM.

Good stuff Grandpamac, I was wondering how you were getting on with your Makino progress

Originally Posted by Sika 8

Good stuff Grandpamac, I was wondering how you were getting on with your Makino progress

Thanks @Sika 8,
Pretty well crashed and burned last year. We had some work done on the house installing a new bathroom which kept me close to home for about 6 weeks. That was finished on a Wednesday and the rain started the following Monday and it was 6 months until you could get to the road end. Just started doing some more bush walks so perhaps the last weekend in March. I won't be far short of my 75th birthday.
Regards Grandpamac.

Well done Grandpamac! I met you on the track a couple of years ago and we had a good ole chat about everything and reloading. That beech patch is a fair hike so well done! I hope to be over there soon for another wander through those bloody pines and into the beech. Keep up the wandering and hopefully will meet on the track again.
Regards Ruger7mm