Circles
"If it takes all night, that'll be all right
If I can get you to smile before I leave
Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels"
- Jackson Browne.
Some Unexpected Twists
I was Running on Empty, having not taken a significant break for quite a while.
Lake Waikaremoana beckoned, or more specifically, the 46-kilometer circuit trek that encircled the lake. I've always had a thing for circles and their perfection, and I conceived that a "full-circle" trek was called for. Unfortunately, the standard trek only circled about 60% of the lake, with its remaining circumference bordered by roadway. So to come full-circle around that lake, I needed to walk the roadway as well, which would extend the trek to about 75 kilometers, all told. I gave myself 2 days to do it.
I fired up Hawk, and rode to Lake Waikaremoana. The start of the ride was uneventful, as beginnings often are. Shortly after passing Rotorua, I turned onto Stare Highway 38, which is not really a highway at all, but a narrow, winding road, much of it dirt road. As it ascended, it got colder, and snow appeared, which forced me to slow down. I've never had to warm my hands on the bike's engine before, but given that I was unable to feel them, stopped and did so at one point. Eventually I arrived at Lake Waikaremoana, and slept well.
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Lake Waikaremoana. |
The morning was pristine, with a dusting of new snow layering the lake and surrounds. I commenced my full-circle with a rapid 10 km walk along the roadway - another easy start - to the Onepoto trail entrance. My mind wandered, and I felt at ease; I find that, unlike riding a motorcycle, which is physically relaxing but mentally demanding, forcing one's mind to be aware every second of the moment, trekking is the opposite in that although it can be physically demanding, it is also usually mentally relaxing, which allows for a person to take a look at the bigger picture of their life, and life in general.
I gained altitude until, once again and to my surprise, snow appeared. The blanket of snow progressively deepened as I persisted in my quiet ascent, until eventually I found myself trudging through about a foot of snow. I had fully prepared for wind, cold, sun, and rain...all of these things, but not snow, which could be seen as somewhat ironic given that I am Canadian by birth. My chosen shoes that day were not made for a foot of snow, and my feet got wet. So be it.
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A snowy ascent. |
Given the time of year, trekkers were few, and I chanced upon only three other small groups of people that day; everyone was in a talkative mood. Nearing the ascent's summit, five young trekkers with heavy packs coming in the other direction stopped to quiz me, and were somewhat curious about the diminutive size of my backpack (most of which was my sleeping bag, which itself is a tight fit). I try to focus on the essentials when trekking, particularly with regards to food, my only sustenance being a small bag of trail mix, which allows me to travel light, both physically, mentally, and in spirit, so that rather than carry unnecessary weight, I may focus on my meandering mind and the sound of the wind sweeping through the trees.
Following a 10-minute break at the 1,200-meter summit, I navigated my way down the other side throughout the afternoon. My descent was rapid, but unhurried. Towards the bottom, I put on my headphones and played some music. In the midst of a Dream Theater song, I came along a couple of younger fellows heading in the opposite direction. The lead trekker smiled at me in a semi-exhausted fashion. I greeted him, but was lost in the music, and carried on.
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High view of Lake Waikaremoana. |
As evening approached, I realized that I was going to be caught in the dark. I had not anticipated this, although I suppose it was a 38-kilometer day of trekking after all, and perhaps the unexpected snow had slowed me down. No matter. I traipsed along for 30 minutes in complete darkness, stopping briefly to gaze at our unseen friends, the stars, who never leave us. Finally, I arrived at my sleeping place for the night, the Maurauiti Hut, which I had all to myself.
More Unexpected Twists
I rose at 8 am - not early, but not late. I was in no hurry, for I was enjoying my time down incognito, having no phone reception and no computer the last couple of days, and given that the only major ascent of the Waikaremoana circuit was behind me, I reasoned that the second day would be considerably less demanding, allowing me to complete my circle well before darkness. Once again, events did not occur as I envisioned.
The morning was tranquil, and there was no snow this time given that I had slept at low altitude alongside the lake. I saw and heard nobody for the first part of the morning. Saw nothing other than the light filtering through gaps in the dark cover provided by the surrounding tall trees. Heard nothing other than the gentle zephyr dancing along the thousands of leaves around me. A harmonious path of light and shade and wind; a kind of heaven. I slowed my pace a bit, and took in what I could.
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Light and shade and wind. |
I finished the trail section in the early afternoon, and found myself upon a small dirt road; it was clearly not the main roadway. I still had just over 20 kilometers of roadway to tramp before I could come full-circle, and looking at the time made me realize that I would, once again, be cutting it close with the darkness. So I had to get going. However, this small dirt road ran in both directions, and there were no signs, no omens telling me which way to go. Having no idea which was the correct path, I chose right over left, and walked on. I had ventured maybe 2 kilometers until finally, the road abruptly ended. It appeared that I had chosen my direction incorrectly. Armed now with extra knowledge, I retraced my steps. Eventually, the little dirt road merged onto the main roadway, and I knew where I was.
Still, with over 20 kilometers to go and evening fast approaching, and my wrong turn having cost me almost an hour of daylight, I would, once again, be walking in the dark later on. So be it. I sallied forth, not so light in body, but still light in mind and spirit. It was a long road, especially given that the second day had turned out to be an even longer day of trekking than the first day, ultimately culminating in 42 kilometers of trekking on the second day, factoring in the extra 4 kilometers due to my wrong turn.
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Dusk at Lake Waikaremoana. |
As anticipated, night caught me again, and so I sauntered for 30 minutes in the dark, flashlight in hand. Serendipitously, on the final kilometer of the journey, a car pulled up alongside me on the road - it was the two young fellows that had been travelling in the opposite direction to me the previous day. They stopped, and we spoke for a few minutes before they pulled away into the night. I never caught their names, but stopped wondering about it after arriving at my sleeping place shortly afterwards.
Coming Full-Circle
I had come full-circle in my Lake Waikaremoana trek, having covered about 80 kilometers in just over 20 hours of trekking, including breaks. However, it was not quite the faultless loop that I had envisioned from the start. It had been full of twists and turns and misdirection. It had therefore been imperfect, and in some ways less than what I had predicted. But in many ways, more.
Having no desire to linger, I rode amidst relatively remote and hilly farmland towards the town of Wairoa. I considered punching on through, but veered down what appeared to be a main street for a cup of coffee. There was only one cafe in town with any people at it, so I pulled up and went inside. I had just sat down at my table when a tall guy with long hair stopped in front of the table and greeted me, as though he knew me; I did not recognize him at first, but when his compatriot came up beside him, I recognized that these were the same two guys that I had bumped into over both of the previous days. I invited them to sit at the table, and finally got to know a little bit about Brandon from Canada and Lewis from the United States. They were both on open-ended adventures of their own. We had a good discussion, and wrapped up our series of chance meetings with a conversation of substance.
I glided along with the wind, to Taupo. More like gusts really, tempests that threatened to tip Hawk over more than once. A glorious ride. I was also feeling the anticipation of going to stay with two very close friends for a couple of days, Sarona and Vern. Through what initially appeared as a chance meeting, I have known them both now for several years. But that is another, much longer story, and a much larger circle, one that will hopefully be told later.
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Me with Sarona and Vern (and Pep). |