Day 4 on the Milford Track
So, here we are at the finish of our first backpacking
adventure. We'd hiked the Inca Trail and
we had reached the summit of Kilimanjaro,
but in both cases we'd paid others to carry the kitchen, the food, the tents,
and most of our personal gear. On those trips we hefted 5-8 pounds each day,
tops. To carry it all except a tent, sleeping pad, and water was a new experience
for us. It made the achievement all the sweeter. To think that a couple
of old-timers on social security might even contemplate being free hikers
on the Milford Track, let alone two rookies, might seem foolish. But it
isn't really. As my dad would say, you just put one foot in front of the
other, and then do it again and again until you get there.
Yep, it's very doable. In fact, when we got home to
Nederland, we purchased our first backpacks (lighter than the ones we used)
and are looking forward to our next opportunity to go at it again.
