Wells Worthwhiles: Copland Track- Nature is Awesome

On Tuesday, we started the Copland Track. Copland is a 2 day, 1 night hike that is scouted at 7 hours each way. There is a hut called Welcome Flat Hut at the end of the trail that you have to book in advance, but at this time of year is generally available. Copland is a really desired track, but it's difficult to schedule because it requires two fairly rain-free days in a row to do. It runs alongside the Copland River, and there are numerous points throughout the track that become impassable when it rains. The reason it's so desired is because at the end of the journey, outside of Welcome Flat Hut, there are thermal pools that you're free to soak in.

Because it was only one night, we packed a fair amount of food so that we could eat a solid dinner (we didn't ration too much simply because it was only 1 day worth of carrying the food burden) and we also packed as if it was going to be very cold. We had no way of knowing how many people had booked to stay at the hut, which directly influences how warm the hut gets. More people = more heat. At the time of our booking (1 day before) only 4 others had signed up. Additionally, we had to tote our stove and fuel as these huts didn't come equipped with gas stoves. It wasn't too much but it was certainly more than would be expected for a 1 night hike.

The hike was much harder than Lindsey and I anticipated, but the thermal pools at the hut were unbelievable. The view from the pools was beautiful and very relaxing after a long day of hiking (6.5 hours)!

The next morning we woke up, cooked breakfast, and hit the trail again. This time it only took us 5 hours with lighter packs and motivation to get back to the car and drive up the West Coast. It wore us out a bit, but this was one of Lindsey's favorite hikes!