More 'Hut Hopping'

   While I was out tramping and drawing huts I managed to strain my knee and doing lots of walking on it made it no better. So we came home early as it was getting too sore to walk on anymore. I've been hoping that it will get better soon so that we can start 'hut hopping' again this month, but it is not going away in a hurry. It dose not hurt if I am not working it and just doing every day walking but once I'm walking for an hour or so up and down hills that's when it begins to agonize me. But I'm hoping for the best and planning to hitch down with Thomas around the 12th to join Caleb in Hawkes Bay and start drawing huts in the Kawekas. I rode an hour on the bike today to go and feed my horse Lady, (she is doing well and the stitches should come out in a few days), and it didn't hurt then which is a good sign

   But if my knee is still too sore by then to walk on, well, I just wont be able to do it... Sad thought indeed. I'm missing hut life. I'd like to live like that some more. I didn't have to think about anything but doing what I love doing most, drawing. It was nice to be away from the busy world and too be doing what I'd thought about and planned for so long. There is something addictive about long tramps in the bush and getting to huts and staying there a day before having another adventure getting to the next hut. I always thought that people who always go on long bush walks were crazy to keep wanting to go back for more punishment. I couldn't understand why people seem to love it so much, especially as I was walking up and down some pretty steep walks drop dead tired. But now I can't wait to get back out there. I never thought that the actual walking could be so enjoyable. But it is; through beautiful places, one foot after the other, lots of time to think about lots of things or nothing at all. Enjoying good company and having interesting conversations on the way, or concentrating hard on the footwork when the path got steep and tricky.

   I've just had a taste of it, but I've got myself hooked! I like tramping. I've become a hut bagger now, you can see all the huts I've been to here. Not many yet, but the list will grow considerably in the next few years.

   This was one of the hardest walks we did; to Motutapere Hut. Mostly because we were tired and it was a sweltering day. From where the photo is taken from we walked all the way in and up to the bush through the forestry which was incredibly warm! The bush was a cool relief and we walked along a nice path until we got to the top of the ridge and then to our dismay the path went steeply up and steeply down over and over again in quick succession. The path went over all those little peaks at the right of the photo. There were ten in all until we got to the hut. I never felt more glad to see a hut!

Motutapere Hut, 25 November, 2013. Charcoal on Strathmore toned paper.