Routes
Huts / campsites
Roadends
Summits
Passes / crossings
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Junctions
DOC Land
Altitude: 410m to 810m. Gain: 51m. Loss: 430m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
Follow the dry Hut Creek down valley from the confluence with the creek draining Glade Pass, until the patch of bush on the true right is reached. Large orange triangles lead away from the stream around the bush edge to where a track enters the bush. The track, I suspect, is a flood bypass route. It was well marked but fairly over grown, and led down through the bush to end where the valley opens up again. It is probably fine to continue to follow the stream bed down past this patch of bush, although Hut Creek was flowing above ground where we emerged from the bush.
Follow the unmarked stream down valley, best travel is in the stream to avoid lumpy tussock flats. As you approach the main bush line at 700m keep an eye out on the bush to the true left of the stream. A small orange triangle is a couple of hundred metres from the stream bank, not next door to it as the map indicates. Cross to the marker and follow the track there as it crosses bouldery terrain and then enters the trees well north of the mapped track. The good quality track drops down valley, crosses a large open side stream, and then continues to drop down into the Eglinton valley.
Where you clear the trees you need to ford Mistake Creek (impassible after rain) and then after a small patch of bush ford a small stream, a smaller branch of Mistake Creek. Once across that, markers lead northwards to the track junction with the Mistake Creek track. Follow the track up the side of the Eglinton for 15 minutes to the 3 wire bridge, cross it, and then loop back down through heavily trapped bush to the Earl Mountains car park.