Plains to mountains to beach and back again

No plans for the weekend. An itch to get to the mountains. (I was tired of just looking at them through the window in the women's restroom on the 5th floor.) Thus, I made a spontaneous decision to take the train to the West Coast on Saturday morning with an American (the dangling sleeping bag girl from the Hurunui trip) and two of her English friends. They had tickets to take the return train back on Sunday, but I decided I would spend Sunday night in Arthurs Pass in the Southern Alps. The idea of taking a train or bus back through the mountains the next day without getting to play in them seemed most painful. I bought my train ticket late Thursday night and reserved a hostel for Saturday night in Greymouth. I checked the bus schedules for the return trip. There were still openings and since it's the off season, I figured there was no rush to book the bus and that I would do it Friday. I worked Friday, got home, and decided to book the bus tickets... but, the Arthurs Pass to Christchurch Bus was full. Hmmm. "Oh well, I'm still going," I thought, "something will work out." I figured I would check on it later to see if there were cancellations. If not, I'd try to make friends in the hostel or find some friendly folk to get a lift with, i.e. hitchhike. There is only one road through Arthurs Pass and almost everyone driving east on it goes to Christchurch.

I caught the bus to the train station at 7am Saturday morning in the rain. The train set off west, through the suburbs of Christchurch, in the fog. The Waimakariri River Gorge is supposed to be one of the most beautiful features of the ride. It was beautiful indeed, but the fog limited the visibility. After a short stop in Arthurs Pass, we got back on the train and entered an 8km tunnel. When we emerged, all the passengers on the train, exclaimed in unison, "woah"... it was crystal clear and sunny. What a contrast to the east side of the divide! The train had an open air viewing car which was fun, noisy, and a bit awful when we went through the tunnels, as all the diesel exhaust came funneling down the tunnel. But it was a great place for picture taking, if you could keep your hand steady.

Greymouth is a small, modest town that sits on the west coast at the end of the train line. It was absolutely beautiful and pleasant in Greymouth. (Last time I was in Greymouth, it was, well, grey.) We took a walk on Point Elizabeth track along the coast and were even treated to a gorgeous sunset. Dinner was the low point of the night. A venison pie! I've been wanting to try a meat pie and wanting to try venison and we were at a pretty nice restaurant. Seemed like the time to go for it. And well, I don't wish to eat another meat pie. Perhaps, it was just a bad one. I'll try to keep an open mind.

I caught an 8am bus out of Greymouth. The sun was rising. I felt pretty special to experience the loveliness of that morning. I sat in the front seat of the bus and the chatty kiwi bus driver kept talking to me. We talked energy, everything from haphazard hydro schemes to ocean energy, cars, petrol, the details of running a bus company, etc. I hopped off in Arthurs Pass around 10am. He thanked me for the nice chat and off I went. A day by myself to explore the mountains and I couldn't see a cloud in the sky. I changed into my tramping gear, dropped my pack off at the hostel, and went to the DOC visitor's center to check on the hikes in the area. I decided on a track, filled out an Intention card so they would come find me in the morning if I didn't make it back and headed for the trailhead.

I climbed up Avalanche Peak via Scotts Track. It was up for about 2.5 hours, starting at 730 meters (2400 feet) to about 1500 meters (4920 feet), which is where I decided to stop because I didn't have crampons, an ice axe, or a friend. The peak sits at 1820 meters (5970 feet). Next time! But the views were amazing! And I even got a bit of an arm workout. Both hands were required for maneuvering along this trail, which was rocky and/or eroded in sections. I enjoyed a quick lunch on the mountain, then noticed some clouds billowing over the nearby Mount Rolleston. I observed the clouds and the wind for a bit, then decided I should head down. I made it down while the weather was still nice and spent the rest of the afternoon reading and drinking a fancy hot chocolate.

Monday was rainy. I layered up, with a rain jacket and rain pants as the outer layer. I hiked around the lower elevations to Devil's Punchbowl waterfall, then took a connecting trail to Bealy Valley for a little extra exploration. Then I headed back to Arthurs Pass to catch the bus home to Christchurch. Yes, it turned out there was just one spot available. No hitchhiking this time.

It was a wonderful weekend with a nice balance. Time with friends and time alone. Leisure and adventure. Beach and mountains. Sun and rain. I was happy!

Winding through Waimakariri River Gorge on the train.

"Woah, it's sunny on this side!" West of the Southern Alps.

The crew on the train.

View from Point Elizabeth, 6km north of Greymouth.

Point Elizabeth Track trailhead. And a beautiful beach!

Mountain wave clouds!

Heading up Scotts Track.

10 second timer. A bit squinty and a bit blurry-- the wind kept shaking the camera.

Mount Rolleston.

Delectable hot chocolate. Kiwis take pride in their cafe drinks.