Hooker Valley
Leica M10 + Leica Summarit 35mm f/2.4
If there was one stop on our trip that was a letdown it would have to be Hooker Valley / Mt Cook. And it was a letdown simply because of all the places we went, it was the one where it was absolutely crucial that the skies be clear or at least the cloud ceiling was high enough not to obscure the soaring mountains in the valley and the literal postcard view of Mt Cook waiting at the end. But as we started the long-ish drive down Lake Pukaki around sunset the skies grew dark and the clouds became ominous and while we should have still had a couple hours of light left, the only light was disappearing in our rearview mirror as dead ahead was pitch black and a windy 2-lane road running alongside the lake. As the rain started, the wind began to howl and reaching the campground at the trailhead couldn’t come fast enough even if the lack of any electricity or lights and just 2 other cars in the massive parking area gave the whole scene a real creepy feel. It was going to take a miracle overnight to get those clear skies we needed and we went to bed just hoping that the wind would chill out and the rain would let up so that we might salvage something out of this stop as getting here was a bit of a trek and there was nothing else in the area to see with all the hikes obviously focused on taking advantage of the soaring mountains in the valley.
The next morning we woke to find the parking lot packed and several tour buses were dropping off eager tourists ready to make the trek to Hooker Lake, rain and wind be damned. The rain subsided not long after we finished breakfast and we got dressed and geared up and started the hike with no rain and no wind but clouds that were low enough to obscure every mountain top around. Under clear skies, you could see why this place required massive parking lots capable of holding dozens of tour buses and hundreds of cars. The trail, even in the low-ceiling and less than ideal conditions, was still gorgeous with soaring mountains and suspension bridges and a basically flat trail the entire way out to Hooker Lake at the end where your postcard view was waiting. But alas, this was not one of those days and the further we went the more rain fell and the wind picked up as we grabbed a quick picture at the lookout and imagined what was hidden behind the clouds as we high-tailed it back to the van to make our way to our next stop, Lake Tekapo.
Not 10 minutes on the road after we left the trailhead, the skies opened up and the lake we knew was there the night before but did not see was impossible to miss. Unbelievably long and the most turquoise blue you could ever imagine and flanked by mountains on the far shore, we stopped at every lookout we saw to soak it in and bask in the warm sunlight.
I’m hopeful that my next trip brings clear skies so that I can experience Hooker Valley / Mt Cook in all it’s glory, but even when it was rainy and windy and you could only see the bases of the mountains that surround you it was still gorgeous. You can’t win ‘em all and that’s just fine because at our next stop, I won the jackpot…