'Nightmare scenario': Tramper arrives at hut to find it full of snow 

But as she got closer, she realised one of the hut’s windows was open.

“My heart dropped,” she said. “But I didn’t think it was going to be nearly as bad as it was.”

Peering through the window, she could see the hut was full of snow. Even the bunk beds had been blanketed.

“I was so, so gutted.”

Parsons, who lives in Queenstown, was tramping in Oteake Conservation Park, which straddles the ranges dividing Otago and Canterbury.

The experienced tramper was originally headed for the Ida Railway Hut, a 19km walk. But when she reached the snowy flat top of the Hawkdun Range, her progress slowed as she started “postholing” –her legs sinking into the soft snow, which was just above knee-height.

Exhausted, and with the sun setting, she decided it would be a better idea to spend the night at the closer, but more rustic, Wire Yards Hut.

But when she saw the snowy state of the hut, she realised she would have to come up with a new plan.

“I did think for a second about maybe trying to stay in the hut, because I was tired. But I couldn’t even get the door open – the drifts had blown up on both sides.”

She ended up pushing on to Ida Railway Hut, and said she was “elated” when she finally made it, about an hour later.

“I was so happy to see that hut and see all the windows were closed.”

Parsons this week shared photos of her experience on the Backcountry Trust Facebook group, which has close to 65,000 members.

“Met with a nightmare scenario when I arrived at Wire Yards Hut in the Oteake Conservation Park Saturday night,” she wrote.

“Someone had left a window open and the hut is absolutely filled with snowdrifts.”

She wanted to share it as a “gentle reminder” to hut users to double-check windows were closed before leaving.

However, she had since heard from others familiar with the hut that it may have been a fault with the window.

“Sometimes these things are outside of our control, so we should just be prepared as best as we can.”

The Department of Conservation also shared Parsons’ post on social media, reminding people to make sure when leaving a hut it was “clean, tidy and weather-tight for the next guests”.

“Always be prepared before a tramp – check the weather, DOC website alerts, and have a backup plan ready.”

DOC has been approached for further comment.

Parsons said she hadn’t been put off by the incident, and was heading off on another mission this weekend. She also planned to return to the Wire Yards Hut in spring, to help clean it out.

“It will get some love once we can access it again.”