Magoebaskloof hiking trail Oct 2008

George and Pam picked me up from work at about 11:40. Traffic on the N1 was rough so I directed us through town and then onto the N4 to get back on the N1 north. We arrived at Woodbush hut without incident just after 4pm. The others have already parked and walked the 1.5km to Soapstone mule stables. We packed quickly and put hiking shoes on, and shortly we met the others at the stables. We had a quick braai before going to bed reasonably early.

Day 1 (18 Oct): It rained, and apparently hailed during the night as well and when we woke, it was chilly, damp and windy all around. However, it looked like it might clear a little later and we set off eagerly at 06:45. The clouds that looked like they might clear, soon turned into very heavy fog and enveloped us in the forest. We stayed together for the first hour or so but then I pulled ahead and started walking on my own. I set a very comfortable pace, especially as I already felt my left foot starting to burn with pain. I enjoyed the walk tremendously. The path was well marked and I had no difficulty following the trail. Birds were calling in the trees and I heard Knysna turacos and Gorgeous bush-shrikes calling often. Cape robin-chats showed themselves but the White-browed robin-chats I heard calling remained elusive. I made good progress, stopping twice to rest my left foot. At 10:45 I emerged from the forest and saw the Waterfall hut right in front of me through the mist. I was slightly mystified as I recall a whole lake of water right in front of the hut where someone fished from a small boat the last time I did the trail. The path also skirted the vlei-area in front of the hut instead of walking directly to it. But I followed the footprints doggedly and about 300m later saw the turn-off back to the hut. Approaching the waterfall next to Waterfall hut, I realized why I was mystified – they were working on the dam wall a little lower down and drained most of the water from the dam, thereby drying up the entire area in front of the hut. I was at the hut at 11:00. I took a good rest as my feet were aching quite badly. Everything was damp from the drizzly-fog but luckily I wasn’t soaked. I took a brief cold shower to get rid of some mud and then had some lunch while reading and waiting for the others. They arrived in dribs and drabs after 12:30 and we all took a well-deserved rest. At 15:30 the fire was started and it provided some welcome heat in the chilly air. Even though the clouds seemed to finally start clearing, it was a cold afternoon. I heated up the wors from the previous night for dinner and Shirley generously offered me some of her rolls to go with it. After dinner I still read for a while before turning in.

Day 2 (19 Oct): Once again we were up early. This time I actually planned to walk alone and by 06:35 I was on my way. The heavy fog from the previous day has disappeared but there were still lots of high cloud around. It was cool but not cold and I set off at a strong pace. The path climbed to the forestry road above the hut and followed it briefly before going into the indigenous forest again. I walked comfortably despite feeling my feet starting to ache after an hour or so. Emerging from the forest and walking through some fynbos and protea, the clouds lowered a little and fog blew in. But it was still not raining and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk. As the path turned south east and skirted the upper ridge where a radio mast stood on, I remembered that this day’s walk used to be the old Dokolewa trail’s first day, in the opposite direction. Eventually the path started descending through the forest and when I saw a blue and green bird fly in the tree-tunnel in front of me I knew I had my third sighting of a Narina trogon. I emerged from the forest into a young plantation and followed the footprints on a forestry road until it entered the last valley just before the hut. I couldn’t remember how far Dokolewa pools hut was and at one point I felt my feet really needed a break. As I sat down I noticed the roof of the hut through the foliage and happily I got up again to walk the last 100m to the hut. There were other people there already. As I approached I heard some arguing and then realized the cleaners were still at the hut, trying to chase away some day-visitors who came to use the hut’s facilities without a permit. I couldn’t really care and just dropped my bag and proceeded to have lunch. The day-visitors and the cleaners eventually left and I ate lunch and read until the others arrived after 13:30. Just after 4pm I started the fire just to heat up my remaining wors for dinner. I was engrossed in the Christopher Brookmyre book I was reading and read late into the night, before eventually giving in to sleepiness.

Day 3 (20 Oct): The sky still held lots of cloud but there was no rain in the immediate future. By 06:45 I was hiking in front again, with the others very shortly on my heels. We followed the same 1.5km or so through the forest we did the previous afternoon before starting to ascend the valley through the forest. I took my time out in front and when I sat to rest my feet, Mike overtook me. I followed after him and we walked together for quite a while before I took the lead again. I was hiking alone in front when I saw a Knysna turaco sitting in a tree right in front of me. I managed to get a picture before it flew off. Shortly thereafter I rested at a little stream and Mike caught up with me. Mike waited and when I started in front again, I walked 50m before seeing a flash of red. I followed to where it went to sit and couldn’t believe my luck – another Narina trogon! I pointed it out to Mike and we watched it for a while before moving on. Soon after, the path emerged onto the track in the pine plantation which we followed to the mule stables on the Friday night. Then it was just a few hundred meters and we saw the cars in front of us. Five minutes after we got there, some of the others showed up – they took a bit of a shortcut on the forestry road a little earlier and made up some time and distance. We all had a cold shower before rushing off to the Steers just outside of Polokwane.