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Post Thru-Hiking Depression: 6 Practices to Help You Fight It
Woo, you completed your thru-hike! You walked for hours each and every day over mountains, across rivers, through thigh-deep mud or snow; fighting off frozen fingers, mischievous wildlife, and the occasional rouge tree root; and you made it! You accomplished something most people only dream about! Now what? The adventure is over and “real life” is knocking at your door. It’s no surprise depression often choses this moment to rear its ugly head. Think about it. You just spent months outside, sleeping under the stars, pushing your body past its limits, and forging deep meaningful relationships. Transitioning back into “normal” life can often prove more difficult than the hike…
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Te Araroa: The Storm That Ends All
Te Araroa: The Storm That Ends All 22.03.2020 Day 146 (16km) Thank goodness it was a short day, because the wind was howling as we walked a pebbly beach towards coastal farmland. One of my gaiters came loose, allowing the tiny rocks to fling themselves into my shoe. With the temperamental weather, I wasn’t keen to stop and remove them. After our final climb of the TA, which was only a couple hundred meters up to a viewpoint, we descended into Riverton’s residential neighborhoods. Alex had booked us an AirBnb, which was so lovely that within a few minutes we decided to reserve it for another day. The weather was…
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Te Araroa: Final Forests
17.03.2020 Day 141 (32km) If my pace matched the time estimate in the trail notes, I would arrive at the hut at 9pm. There was nothing appealing about arriving that late. Not to mention the temperatures had been dropping over the last week or so and I was not keen to lose the use of my hands to the cold, which was a common occurrence on the TA. After leaving Te Anau I planned to push several big days in a row, cause to be honest I’m over tenting. It’s gotten colder and I don’t want to deal with a wet tent in the mornings anymore. However, in order to…
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Te Araroa: Storm on the Horizon
13.03.2020 Day 137 (38km) I really love it when things just work out. My original plan had been to hitch out to the Kepler Track two days in a row and do day hikes on either end of the circular track. Upon arriving in Te Anau, I discovered that Aliss had a similar but far superior plan. Her friend Amy was driving down from Wanaka. They were going to start early and hike as far as they could then back out. This eliminated time required for hitching and the risk of having to walk back if no lift could be found. The three of us set out in the wee…
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Te Araroa: The Greenstone Track
09.03.2020 Day 133 (16km) After two nights in a row of hostel horror stories, I took my sweet time getting out of bed. The plan was to hitch as far as I could back to the track, which picked up on the other side of Lake Wakatip. If the hitches went poorly, I would stay at the YHA in Kinloch; if they went well, I’d hike out to the first hut. After ten minutes of waiting on the outskirts of Queenstown, a lovely Kiwi couple pulled over and offered me a lift to Glenorchy. They were on holiday from Wellington, and had nothing planned other than a leisurely day drive.…
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Te Araroa: Queenstown
06.03.2020 Day 130 (25km) There are some days when the struggle is real. I didn’t have any reason to be upset today, but all I wanted to do was cry. It’s rare that I truly feel homesick, but today was one of those mornings. I tried calling my mum, but she didn’t answer. So then I plugged into my music and made a futile attempt to swallow the lump in my throat as tears slipped down my cheeks. My heart ached for the smell of fresh coffee; there is always a pot on. It longed for the hug of the couch as I leaned into the armrest, and the deep…
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Te Araroa: Motatapu Track
02.03.2020 Day 126 (25km) It was another flip-flop morning. There was the temptation to stay an extra day, but I knew one day would turn into two, because the weather forecast predicted lots of rain for Tuesday. So after dragging my feet for the better part of the morning, I set out to walk along the lake from Wanaka to Glendhu. It was a lovely day with cloud spotted skies and passive breezes. A small crowd was gathered around the Instagram famous Wanaka Tree. I snapped a few pictures as I passed, not bothering to take a selfie or ask anyone to do the honors. (Crazy thing, about a week…
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Te Araroa: Wanaka
27.02.2020 Day 122 (24km) I’m never climbing anothing mountain in my life! That was the reoccurring thought that ran through my brain several times as I fought to remain upright against the wind on the thin ridges. I love heights; I think they’re amazing and the views are often unmatchable, but the second my footing feels insecure or there is an increased chance of falling, I’m an utter wreck. Coming down from Pakituhi Hut would have been spectacular were it not for the wind. The sky was clear and the sapphire blue Lake Hawea shone in the sunlight like a jewel fixed in a ring of commanding mountains. I hardly…
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Te Araroa: Sickness is Catching
21.02.2020 Day 116 (56km biking) The wind was making it almost impossible to keep my tyre straight. I hoped switching gears would help, but the bike was shit. As the gear jerked into place, the wind shoved me into a patch of rougher gravel. My attempts at salvaging the situation proved futile, and resulted in me lying on my back in the grass. I had managed to push myself away from the bike as I fell so no injuries were sustained, other than a bruise on my hip. I stayed there for a moment, motionless in the grass, allowing exhaustion to have its way with me. For a few days,…
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Te Araroa: Over the Saddle
18.02.2020 Day 113 (27km) I’ve sat here for five minutes staring at my journal, smiling, and vainly attempting to conjure the words to describe today. It began with an overbooked shuttle, which resulted in us having to be dropped off 10km shy of the trailhead and forced to take an “alternate route.” The driver assured us, “Oh, it’s faster and better than the normal TA route.” Then I heard him mutter under his breath, “I think it’s still a marked track.” After a few hours of walking along an ugly, rocky riverbed, we came to a jumble of trees marking the alternate trail. To say the track went straight up…
Insights and Stories Through the Eyes of a Wanderer
