After hanging up my skis, and on a bright ‘bluebird’ day, Mr Travel Bee and I decided to join Myoko Ski Lodge’s waterfall hike.
What a cracker day. We loved it.
To start, we hiked along a partially frozen river. This section was only a mild incline and we trekked in our normal outdoor footwear (no snowshoes). The snow was quite compact and easy to walk on. The sun was shining and as we approached halfway (around 1.5km down the track) we had worked up quite a sweat.
From this point, the track became more interesting. The incline became steeper, the snow deeper and there were steps and bridges. The steps had become more like snow covered ramps (quite treacherous) and with the snow level above the handrail, traversing the bridges was nerve wracking.
As we kept our eyes peeled for snow monkeys (of which we saw none – sad face), we made our way towards the waterfall.
When the waterfall came into view, I felt a silly excitement. Anyone who knows me, or my blog, will know about my affinity with water…. my happy place. It soothes, rejuvenates and resets me. As I heard the rush of water, I instantly felt myself relax.
Our guides for the day, Maddie and Garth, had told us there was a specific photo spot and it was a stunner! We all took our turn to walk up and pose.
The walk back was so fun. Maddie had advised us to wear our ski pants. I thought this was because we might be wading through deep snow. As it happens, this was only part of her reasoning. The other was for those staircase ramps I mentioned earlier. Going down, they made the best slide and I felt like a kid as I whizzed down on my bum!! Much easier than trying to walk down, pretty sure I would have ended up on my bum anyway!
The morning was scheduled to conclude with a cold plunge into a nearby ice lined lake. Only two of the group were game, bringing bathers. Yes I was one of them!! However, when we arrived at the lake and found it to only be about 2 foot deep, a jump off the jetty was deemed unsafe. Wading out was never going to work, it needed to be a quick plunge with the water near freezing. Garth and I chickened out together.
A thoroughly enjoyable morning, followed by a well earned wagyu burger. Yum!
TTB
The Travel Bee 