Trip 003 - Black Gully to Evansdale Glen
DATE:
October
23, October, 2022 (Sunday
- Labour Weekend)
DEPART: 9am, Woodhaugh Gardens (George
St Entrance)
LEADER: Antony Hamel (021 709 722)
TRIP GRADE: Easy - Moderate (4-6 Hours)
In the time before Semple
Road was extended from Double Hill to the earlier Mountain
Track one of the routes to Red Hut was via the Black Gully
dam and up the other side to the hut. Red Hut was located
about 1km north of the southern locked gate on the current
Mountain Road.
Although Red Hut was a private hut, the Otago Tramping Club used it frequently, either for day trips, or as a base for trips further into the Silver Peaks. Club use declined once the Club Hut (later referred to as Green Peak Hut, and in the end simply Green Hut) was opened in June 1933.
Early photos of Red Hut show a nice site, surrounded by native vegetation. OTMC records show that Red Hut was destroyed by fire in the 1930's, but was rebuilt. Later photos show the hut in a rather bleak location, devoid of vegetation. This version also burnt down in the 1960's, and was not replaced.
This trip starts on Semple Road approximately 800m from the former Silver Peaks headquarters, and heads steeply down to the Black Gully dam. This was constructed as a water supply to the Seacliff Hospital, with a gravity pipe carrying the water down and along Careys Creek. This was not overly successful due to ongoing damage to the pipe. Today remains of the pipeline can be seen as you travel through Careys Creek.
The trip passes by the Honeycomb and Rongamai tracks, which can either be used as an access route to the northern Silver Peaks, or combined to make a loop trip from Evansdale Glen (see 100 Trips for 100 Years #052).
Evansdale Glen in years gone by was a popular location for rockclimbing, with several suitable rock faces to practise on.
Many a trip would linger at Red Hut or the Silver Peaks for as long as they could, and then made a mad dash to catch the evening train back into the city - who knows, this may be required on this trip.
Although Red Hut was a private hut, the Otago Tramping Club used it frequently, either for day trips, or as a base for trips further into the Silver Peaks. Club use declined once the Club Hut (later referred to as Green Peak Hut, and in the end simply Green Hut) was opened in June 1933.
Early photos of Red Hut show a nice site, surrounded by native vegetation. OTMC records show that Red Hut was destroyed by fire in the 1930's, but was rebuilt. Later photos show the hut in a rather bleak location, devoid of vegetation. This version also burnt down in the 1960's, and was not replaced.
This trip starts on Semple Road approximately 800m from the former Silver Peaks headquarters, and heads steeply down to the Black Gully dam. This was constructed as a water supply to the Seacliff Hospital, with a gravity pipe carrying the water down and along Careys Creek. This was not overly successful due to ongoing damage to the pipe. Today remains of the pipeline can be seen as you travel through Careys Creek.
The trip passes by the Honeycomb and Rongamai tracks, which can either be used as an access route to the northern Silver Peaks, or combined to make a loop trip from Evansdale Glen (see 100 Trips for 100 Years #052).
Evansdale Glen in years gone by was a popular location for rockclimbing, with several suitable rock faces to practise on.
Many a trip would linger at Red Hut or the Silver Peaks for as long as they could, and then made a mad dash to catch the evening train back into the city - who knows, this may be required on this trip.
