Rae Ridge

Rae Ridge - not a highly familiar Tararua name. However, if you asked me about the area between Judd Ridge, the Waiotauru track and Renata Ridge the answer would most definitely be something about unfinished business.

Missions into Otaki Forks generally entail whistling off up Judd Ridge (southern crossing or main range), Waitewaewae (Te Araroa trail and main range) or Waiotauru track (towards Akatarawa Hill road). But there is also a chunk of not-officially-tracked countryside to explore with plenty of remnants from the bad old days of logging.

I've stashed this trip away for a rainy (but not too rainy) day and this weekend promises just that. The plan is to cross the Waiotauru River (first thing so that if uncrossable I'm not stuck on the wrong side), head up Rae Ridge to Dennan (1214m), follow the track up Judd Ridge to Kime Hut, assess progress and, all going well head down the ridge west from Field Peak (swinging to north west) dropping to the confluence of Eastern Waiotauru River and Tregear Creek, follow the river down to the Waiotauru track and back to the car park.

It looks like a bit of a distance and a bit of a climb - depending on the nature of the bush it could be a bit of a struggle to get around in a day. I pack for an over-nighter with a bail-out option down Judd Ridge to the car.

What:   Navigation trip

Who:    Solo

Where: Otaki Forks: Rae Ridge and Eastern Waiotauru

Why:    New territory and nav practice 

When:  25 March 2017

Map:    Map

At 6.50am on a cloudy morning there is just enough light to find my way from the Ridgeline track car park to follow the road down onto the terrace and from there to the river. The river is up a little but it is a good wide point to cross and with the aid of a stick I'm soon following a foot trail through the grass on the opposite terrace.

The trace leads to Sheridan Stream then follows up where it exits the hills past a notice indicating a 1080 operation a week ago. I follow for a bit thinking there might be a route on to the base of Rae Ridge but eventually realise this is increasingly unlikely so bash straight up through the bush.

Once on the toe of the ridge ground trails quickly become apparent and there are clearings. Soon there is something that looks like an old logging trail that, although overgrown, provides better travel. This continues until somewhere over 450m.

As the day brightens it reveals clouds low on the surrounding hills. The lack of view is no great hardship as, after the low level clearings, most of the rest of the ridge is under a high canopy.

From toe of Rae Ridge - Otaki Campsite just out of sight on right

I don't notice much in the way of markers but it is mostly reasonably easy to follow the ridge with just the occasional use of map and compass where it widens. There is the usual undergrowth concealing the odd stump, one of which I bang my thigh into at full noise. After a few anaesthetic expletives I continue with a bit of a limp.

At one point a small and unexpectedly green patch on the ground turns out to be a 1080 bait, quietly degrading into the forest floor. A few meters on is another and shortly after another. The presence of bait I guess is a good thing - a) control activities are being undertaken, b) the operation has successfully achieved the desired low density of bait coverage and c) there's not so many pests around that the baits are all getting eaten.

A couple of spots on the ridge look like they might be a bit of a challenge but even the one where my over-folded map has developed a hole proves no problem. I try to keep a reasonably steady pace and generally find a bit of a ground trail, reaching the bushline finally around 1030am - about 3.5 hrs from the car (approx. 1150m).

Slightly damp and not much to see but making progress

Claggy spurs - Judd Ridge on right

From Rae Ridge - looking up Judd Ridge towards an obscured Bridge Peak

After clearing the bushline the ground trail follows the top of the ridge amidst clag that comes and goes. Glimpses up and down Judd Ridge appear then fade. It's not cold but in the open and pretty much soaked through it's more comfortable to keep moving.

And the clag closes in again.  Down Judd Ridge towards Table Top - from Dennan

From Dennan (11am - four hours on the go) the civilised line of the Southern Crossing track with orderly markers meanders through the tussock.  I turn south and head up over familiar terrain into the cloud - next stop Kime hut.

Kime hut emerging from its usual habitat - cloud

After seeing no-one on the track and no recent foot prints it isn't surprising to find an empty hut. The new hut is a far cry from the old one - it is even slightly warmer than the outside environment. I'll chill down pretty quick without moving though so don hat and gloves after filling out the log and looking for tips from anyone that may have followed the same route (no luck). 

The time is pretty good and although this is now the tricky part of the trip, it is down hill with plenty of day left so I'm comfortable to make the call to continue. Kime has good cell cover so I get confirmation from home support that my intentions have been received.

From here the target ridge should be pretty easy to find even in the clag, but there are a couple of points on the way down where I figure some care will be required not to drop off a spur.

The prolonged stop (half hour) has got me a bit cool so I'm well wrapped up for the short wander along the tops to a faint trail towards the spur. The spur is easy to find but the ground trail comes and goes. With the lack of visibility I use the altimeter and compass to confirm the route and after a bit of a scramble find a way through leatherwood into the bush. Almost immediately there's an old marker confirming I'm on the ridge and promising that there might be a bit of assistance.

Sure enough there are more markers here than I noted on Rae Ridge and a reasonable ground trail. There's still a bit of need for map and compass though and I keep a close eye on the altimeter. The good news is that despite the clag there is no more rain.

Shelf fungus and top shelf fungus

Stepping around a log I'm startled to find myself staring into the eyes of a goat from five meters away. He is sporting a reasonable set of horns and is pretty adamant that he isn't going anywhere. In fact he snorts at me. The impasse holds for some moments until I buckle first - he's not actually in my way so I continue, leaving him to his territory.

The leg is niggling a bit and I'm starting to feel the lack of serious exercise in recent weeks so set a bit of an easier pace for the middle section of the ridge and take a bit of a breather.

My plans for the toe of the ridge are a bit vague but I figure that there'll either be some markers to follow or the spur running west than north-west looks promising.  In the event around about 540m I stumble over a length of stainless cable and shortly after, an old logging track. It drops steeply towards Tregear Stream. The markers have disappeared so there may be an easier way down that I missed but the logging track must get to the bottom so I commit to follow it.

The track drops down slope angles that I can't imagine you would get anything other than a bulldozer up. Some sizable trees and dense groves of saplings cover the old road bed with punga growing in the damp cuttings.

Cutting through

Middle of the road

As the road drops steeply towards the stream there are a couple of spots where slips have swept it away. Scrambling across and following the line, the road soon appears again on the other side. It's a remarkably civilised route down but once in the river bed I lose sight of where the road may have run so I'm soon bollock deep in Tregear Stream. It's 4.20; about 9.5 hours on the go.

The stream is not so big but reasonably energetic and deep in spots. I scramble down getting to the confluence with Eastern Waiotauru 10-15 minutes later.

Eastern Waiotauru has a bit of water flowing

The Eastern Waiotauru is somewhat larger in a steep sided valley. I am soon bollock deep again with frequent crossings required to avoid deep pools. The rocks are lethally slippery and a stick becomes necessary. I'm not sure if I missed a trick here. I can't figure how they got the vehicles to the track up the ridge but can't see any sign on the slopes above.

And it's a little gorgeish 

Some local fauna

It takes a while to get about half a km down stream and I'm eyeing up the next stretch of river when I note daylight through the bush up the left bank. A short scramble and I'm on an old vehicle track - well benched into the hill, wide and solid. Things speed up.

The old road sidles around to the Waiotauru river valley where the main track joins to head further up valley and eventually to the Waiotauru Hut. I reluctantly leave the road to follow the track down to the bridge and the 5 odd kilometres back to the car park.    

Waiotauru River - about halfway back from the bridge to the car park

Old steam mongery 

Looking across at bottom end of Rae Ridge - Sheridan Stream valley on left

Sheridan Stream valley

The track is good and well marked. It potters up and down and there are a few slips to bypass. It's mostly in bush but there are occasional views down and across valley and some grassy clearings. The bottom end of  Rae Ridge shows signs of an easier access route then the one I followed and a visible scar from an old road.

Almost 12 hours after setting out I'm back at the car - a bit sore from a longer time on my feet and faster pace than recent weekends but quite satisfied with the day's exertions.