Day 8: Apple Tree Campsite to Puketi Hut (173-198 km)

Today started out pretty easy. The skies were blue and it began on a gravel path that turned to an easy path down to the river.

Once at the river, I wandered between shoals, ankle-deep and knee-deep water for 2.5 km. The cool water felt so good on my feet! And I ran into two men on horses with about six dogs. They were looking for wild pigs to hunt, but I didn't see any and I don't think they did either. After a few hours I saw them go back the way they had come.

Once the river section was done, there was a slippery, muddy, 2.5 km section that followed the river, mostly varying between 0 to 4 meters above it. I was glad it was a sunny day. If it had been raining I don't doubt I could have slid down into the river.

It was well marked with the orange blazes and also with these white plastic rectangular boxes attached to trees about as often as the blazes showed up. On the ground there were wooden boxes with wire mesh on a side or two that I thought were some kind of animal traps, but I couldn't figure out what the white things attached to the trees were.

After a few kilometers i found out! They were far too small for a possum to fit in, but they fit a possum head. The body just dangled from it. I was a pretty shocked so I let out a quick scream, but no one was around to hear it. I just walked on by and tried not to look at any more white boxes too closely if I thought I smelled dead possum.

Eventually the track became easier and was a steady climb up to the ridge where it intersected with the road to Puketi Recreation Area. Once I hit the road it was only 9 km to the Puketi Hut I had reserved a spot in. It was so nice to get there, but after a day in the woods having to go the last few kilometers on gravel really made my feet hurt. I can't wait for my feet to toughen up a bit more!

Puketi Hut had a stove, all kinds of cooking appliances and two huge bunk beds. Each bunk could have easily fit 4 or 5 mattresses, 16-20 people total. Somehow I had it all to myself.

For most of the night it poured and poured. I was really glad I had reserved the hut and arrived before the rain storm.