2025-10-15 < Weekly activities > 2025-10-29
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 Oct 22 to Tuesday 2025 Oct 28
Wednesday
E Tunnel Gully to Twin Lakes led by David Campbell. 4M
The trip was successfully completed by four club members. For most of the walk we were sheltered from the moderate wind gusts, only encountering them on the descent to the twin lakes. Otherwise the cloud cover and moderate temperatures suited walking. All up it was a pleasant trip, first through mature native forest and then through regenerating pines.
M Scholes Creek - Graces Stream – McKerrow led by Cathy Wylie. 19M
It's been some years since we had a club trip into the Scholes Creek area. Our route started steeply up the 4WD track off the end of Sunny Grove, then down through bush along a marked footpad to the back of Wainui Camp. We crossed Scholes Creek following the track on topomap, but it petered out. Time for morning tea. Luckily Robin had the trace of a trip years before, scouted the other side of the creek, and found our way. We enjoyed crisscrossing in enjoyable bush, before another steep pull up to the eastern ridge and a sign that told us we had come up Evan's track. Lunch, and a steady climb to the McKerrow track, enjoying its mud patches, views, and trees before joining the Whakanui track by a once well used but slightly overgrown footpad. Six hours of new territory to most of the 19 members, and appetites whetted for further exploration in the area - but not up that 4WD track.
MF Hutt Catchment loop, Phillips Stream led by Jenny Mason. 5M
Last Wednesday I didn't go to North Ohau as the river was up a bit and there was some rain in the forecast. Instead, five of us walked a loop in the Hutt catchment. We climbed from Norbert Creek carpark to the road summit and then followed the ridge toward Dobson's Junction until we reached point 630. From here we navigated down to the peninsular where Phillips Stream makes a tight U-bend. We climbed steeply out the other side and followed the ridge down into the Eastern Hutt. Here we spent some time searching unsuccessfully for the Hydrology Tower before hoofing it back over the hill to the cars. The wind was tremendous and the forest roared all day.
Labour Weekend Multiday Trip
MF Richmond Range led by Sarah White. 6M
Cathy's Mt Owen trip was cancelled due to weather concerns. My Mt patriarch trip was changed to a Richmond range trip. 6 members enjoyed great weather, scenery and company visiting Lake Chalice, Old Man, Mid Goulter and Lower Goulter huts. A highlight was the beautiful ridge travel over Old Man.