Hogsback Weekend: Saturday

Saturday morning we grabbed some lunch-making-supplies and headed for Hogsback.  Hogsback name is clouded in mystery, but some assert that the name comes from three green mountain peaks with vertically ridged, stone peaks that resemble hogs’ backs.  Around 13:00 we scraped up the gravel road to Terra Khaya, Hogsback eco-friendly backpacker.  This relatively new backpacker practices permaculture farming, horseback riding with halters—no bit, and it’s off the grid energy speaking.  We dropped our stuff in the mosaic-tiled rondavel and left for the nearest hiking trails.

When we arrived at the trail-head, which is located at Away with the Fairies (JRR Tolkien ring a bell?) backpacker, there were shirts on a registration table for a trail run meant to start at 4.  Taylor and I could not resist the prospect of a 10km trail run and a shirt to bring home at a very reasonable price.  So, we signed up and waited for the start. 

Hogsback had experienced four days of rainfall before our arrival, so as the beginning announcements strongly suggested, the race was a fun run-walk more than a rave.  They even suggested stopping to have a look at the waterfalls and take some pictures along the way.  Because of the rain, the largest waterfall had the most runoff anyone in the area had seen in their life-times.  Where it usually has trickles down the left and right side, the fall was booming with the sheer cubic volume of water spilling over the whole edge.  The run was extremely slippery, not following any specific trail at times, injury prone (with the bruises to prove it), but so much fun!  The pictures say more:

Old shorty-shots guy picking them out of his butt.

Can't just take pics of him, must look like the pic is actually of me, but look at how short they are!!!

Treacherous.  My butt still hurts.

Half-way done at the Madonna and Child Waterfall.  It was gorgeous.

Look who was in front of us on the rare stair-case ascent up the mountain.

Water break with a nice view

uphill

Some kids who posed so nicely for us at one of the turns.

Yep, I'm tired.

Taylor, looking cool on the bridge with an awesome view behind her.

Al..most... home...

Sundown

Super moon!!!!!!!!!!! The biggest moon in about 20 years

woah

After the race, Taylor and I grabbed a “shit in the woods” a South Africa shot which is a springbok (mint liquor and Amarula rum) with an additional shot of chocolate.  We were sweaty and the temperature was dropping and we were ready to go back to Terra Khaya for the acclaimed dinner that was waiting for us.  However, an unnamed person locked the keys in the trunk (really, it could happen to anybody), so we were stranded at Away with the Fairies.  We made many phone calls, and the owner of Terra Khaya, Shane, came to pick us up.  After a whiskey, we climbed in the back of his bakki, and he literally roared into the night.  It was very bright because of the full moon, and it was beautiful.  His old (probably 1960’s or 70’s) Toyota truck must have been hard to shift, because he just nailed the gas each time, and all I could do was laugh from the back to avoid crying.  He blew through very bumpy, jagged, rocky gravel roads like he was on Hwy 94- except he drove way on the shoulder sometimes, giving the sensation that I was on the top of a teetering double-decker bus.  All said, it was a very fun ride.