Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 023 - Whites River Hut to Mackays Hut

 

Day:	023
Date:	Wednesday, 7 April 2011
Start:	Whites River Hut
Finish:	Mackays Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	37.6 AAWT
Total Kilometres:	516.5 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds
People Encounters	Two hikers and about ten electricity and National Parks tradesmen
Weather:	Very cold early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	It was very cold when I got up at 6am, having woken a number of times during the night with the cold. There was heavy condensation in the tent, and a heavy frost on the outside. Once I was up and outside the tent, the condensation inside turned to ice. As I packed up and breakfasted, the other residents got up and did the same, and we chatted as we prepared for the new day. By the time I got around to packing my tent, it was pretty much frozen solid and I had a lot of trouble getting the ice off and out of it before packing it, getting very cold hands in the process. I bade my fellow campers farewell and headed off soon after 8am in bright sunshine though I was still wearing warm gear. After about an hour, I needed to strip down to shorts and t-shirt because of the warmth. Most of the day was then spent traversing the Jagungal Wilderness Area on old, now unused, 4WD tracks. The route followed alpine streams through alpine meadows, frequently forded the streams (which were often a challenge to cross without getting wet), and climbed over low passes or sidled around mountains. I seemed to have it to myself and relished the isolation, wilderness, and perfect weather. I had decided to try and get to Mackays Hut, which would make it my longest day yet. Doing that would put me on track to get to the end a day earlier than planned. I wasn't getting particularly tired walking, the weather was great, and it seemed sensible to make maximum use of the daylight available given that the days are getting shorter. At lunch I laid out my tent and sleeping bag to dry. The tent was still full of ice!  However, as usual, it dried quickly and my afternoon's walking passed the same way as the morning as I skirted the imposing Mt Jagungal. At 4:30pm I passed O'Keefe Hut and found some workers there installing a new environmental toilet amongst other things. I decided to stick to my plan and carry on even though I still had some way to go. I ended up walking into almost total darkness by the time I reached Mackays Hut at 6:45pm. It was empty and reasonably good though, annoyingly, it was now too dark outside to work out where the nearest water source was. Instead, I had to backtrack about 300m to where I knew there was a stream. Not far, I know, but irksome at the end of a long day. Knowing I was saving a day, and being very hungry, I ate two main courses for dinner. It was a very clear and brilliantly starlit night outside. Probably going to be cold again. I'll wear extra clothes tonight. Went to bed around 9pm.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 022 - Thredbo to Whites River hut

 

Day:	022
Date:	Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Start:	Hotel in Thredbo
Finish:	Whites River Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	31.8 AAWT
Total Kilometres:	478.9 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds
People Encounters	Plenty
Weather:	Very cold early, sunny and cool later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I left Thredbo at 6:30am and was told at hotel reception that it was -2C. It was foggy outside but following the Merritts Spur Track up from Thredbo to the top of the chairlift, I was soon above the cloud and warm enough. The climb was steep with big steps in places and was a test for my knees with the heavy pack. I took it slowly and steadily and enjoyed the early morning views over the cloud-filled valleys. From the top of the chairlift, it was easy walking along a metal pathway (to protect the alpine vegetation from heavy foot traffic) for the 6km to Mt Kosciusko and I had the place to myself. It was sunny and still - perfect. The official AAWT doesn't go to the top of Kosciusko (2228m) but I dropped my pack at the track junction and walked the 1km to the top. There were already a couple of day hikers there, but they left soon afterwards and I had the highest mountain in Australia to myself. By the time I returned to my pack there were lots of hikers on their way to the top (having taken the chairlift up from Thredbo once it started operating). From Kosciusko I followed the Main Range northwards and had superb views in every direction on a sunny day. The track kept high on The Great Divide and I stopped on Carruthers Peak (2145m) for a panoramic lunch at noon. From there the track was less defined but, being well above the tree-line, it was easy enough to work out the route from the topology. Later in the day, the navigation became harder, but I never got lost. I decided to push on to White Rivers Hut, even though it was going to be a long day. It would get me past the higher ground in case there was fog in the morning, and it would save me putting up my tent. The last high section was across The Rolling Ground where there were no tracks and just rocky outcrops on an otherwise featureless alpine landscape. It would be easy to get lost, especially in foul weather. It was starting to get dark when I finally found the track down to the Hut which I reached at 6:00pm. There were some National Parks workers there, rebuilding the Hut (which was unusable), along with two northbound AAWT hikers, Rob and Jill. I put up my tent in a less than ideal spot in the dark and then cooked and ate my dinner by their fire while we all chatted. The workers had a generator right next to my tent, so it wasn't a very quiet night!

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 021 - Thredbo

 

Day:	021
Date:	Monday, 4 April 2011
Start:	Hotel in Thredbo
Finish:	Hotel in Thredbo
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	0
Total Kilometres:	447.1 AAWT
Animal Encounters	None
People Encounters	Plenty
Weather:	Very cold with heavy frost early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	None
Journal:	I had a quiet day in Thredbo, eating, washing, strolling around town, reading the paper and updating my diary. The highlights were probably the purchase of $5 gloves and a $5 beanie at some ski store clearance sales to help keep me warm in the next few days at altitude. Planning to make a 7am start tomorrow to get the daunting 400m climb from Thredbo to the top of the chairlift (where I rejoin the official AAWT route after the detour via Thredbo) with a fully-loaded (five days food) pack out of the way early. For the next couple of days I will be around 2000m much of the time in area known for bad weather. I will also be walking cross-country for much of the route, so the weather needs to be acceptable. Fortunately, the forecast is reasonable, and I'm looking forward to some great hiking.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 020 - Tin Mine Huts to Thredbo

 

Day:	020
Date:	Sunday, 3 April 2011
Start:	Tin Mine Huts
Finish:	Hotel in Thredbo
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	24.8 AAWT, 4.0 to Thredbo
Total Kilometres:	447.1 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies, kangaroos, snake
People Encounters	One mountain-biker and one walker on trail near Thredbo, plenty in Thredbo
Weather:	Very cold with heavy frost early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	It was a very cold night and I slept badly on the narrow wood bed for fear of falling off, or losing my sleeping mat or pillow onto the floor as I changed position in my mummy sleeping bag. I was glad when I saw it was 6:30am (actually now 5:30am as Daylight Saving ended overnight) and time to get up. It was still quite dark and there was a thick frost on the ground outside. I packed up by headlamp and ate breakfast, including two hot drinks, using the last of my supplies. I got going soon after 7am, Standard Time, wearing most of my warm clothes and enjoyed the warmth generated by the walking on what was now a beautiful sunny morning along a pretty snowgum lined trail. The walking was very pleasant and I was in good spirits with a relatively light pack, and the prospect of a spectacular day's walking and a day off tomorrow. I was to follow the Cascade Trail most of the day which followed the Great Divide. I had 24km to reach Dead Horse Gap and my food drop, and decided to break it into three 8km sections with a short break between which I hoped would get me to the food drop by 1:30pm. That is pretty much how it worked out, with the trail gradually climbing higher and higher, always easy walking, and yielding more views and finally some beautiful snow plains, with the backdrop of Kosciusko and the Main Range. I had some difficulty finding my food drop and feared for a few minutes that it had been taken, but the GPS came to the rescue again and all was well. I loaded up my next five days food, and ate most of the treats as my lunch, before leaving about 2:30pm for the remaining 4km into Thredbo, the ski village where I hoped to get a room for the next two nights. The single-track 4km walk from Dead Horse Gap to Thredbo alongside the Thredbo River in the late afternoon sunshine was a fitting end to a very pleasant day. When I got to Thredbo, I found a room at the hotel at a reasonable price and was early enough to catch the exciting final quarter of the Sydney vs Essendon AFL game, have a shower, get a load of washing done and enjoy a very spicy take-out Mexican pizza in front of the evening news. Thredbo is very quiet, with almost nothing open.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 019 - Cowombat Flat Tk to Tin Mine Huts

 

Day:	019
Date:	Saturday, 2 April 2011
Start:	Cowombat Flat Track
Finish:	Tin Mine Huts
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	31.3
Total Kilometres:	422.3 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies
People Encounters	Two 4WDs
Weather:	Cold early then mostly sunny and mild
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	While I was having breakfast, two 4WDs drove past along Cowombat Track (which is closed 4 km further along) and then returned about an hour later with what looked like a load of school students who had been hiking. They must have been camped a few kilometres up the road. It was cold early again and I walked the first hour with warm gear on. For a change, my whole day's walking was going to be along fire trails and four-wheel-drive tracks meaning fast walking and no navigation problems. The first 15 km along Cowombat Track was along the lower slopes of the Cobberas Mountains. It was quite pleasant but deeply forested with few views. Finally the track emerged onto Cowombat Flat, a beautiful large grassy area on the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria. At this point the river is just a stream and can be jumped across (without a pack!). The eerie beauty of the place is enhanced by the remains of a plane, an RAAF C-47 Dakota, which crashed here in 1953, killing one crew member. I had the place to myself and crossed into New South Wales and spread out my tent and sleeping bag to dry while I ate lunch in the sun. After lunch I had a steady climb up to Snowgum Track which then followed a relatively flat ridge at about 1500m for 5 kilometers. There were enough trees to limit views, but I did get my first sight of the Kosciusko Main Range, my route in a few days time, as well as other ranges near and far. I then rejoined Cowombat Track and followed that another 8 km to the Tin Mine Huts. Old miners huts, one has been repaired enough for hikers to use by the National Parks Service, which I did. It was pretty bare and gloomy, but will save me putting up my tent. This is a beautiful location on a small grassy flying over-looking the Ingeegoodbee River flats, backed by mountains. It got very cold very quickly when the sun went down. I had some extra food left and had two main courses. I'm always hungry! Tomorrow, I get to my next food drop, which I will pick up near Dead Horse Gap, then hike into the ski village of Thredbo and have a day off. Looking forward to it.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 018 - Buckwong Creek to Cowombat Flat Tk

 

Day:	018
Date:	Friday, 1 April 2011
Start:	Buckwong Creek plus 1km
Finish:	Cowombat Flat Track
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	20.7
Total Kilometres:	391.0 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies
People Encounters	None
Weather:	Cold early then mostly sunny and mild
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I had a good night's sleep and set off at 9 AM in good spirits, a little cold and still wearing warm gear. The guide book indicated there was a lot of "poorly defined" trail today and I was determined to be careful. The early trail was through the eucalypt forest with some scrub and my route-finding was helped by someone who had put out pink ribbon as markers to compensate for the paucity of official markers. I disturbed a couple of families of brumbies on the way and stopped after an hour take off my warm gear. Trail-finding without the markers is very difficult because the brumbies have worn many trails and it's easy to follow a wrong track. At one point I came across a dead horse lying in the middle of the track. Pretty smelly and fly-blown and I was holding my breath as I walked past. I eventually reached the mis-named Misery Trail on a ridge and enjoyed walking along through the snowgum forest. Around 11 AM I followed a wrong trail and found myself off-trail and trying to work out where I was and in which direction I should go in the forest. My mood sank, and I wasted 30 to 45 minutes crashing around on the scrubby hillsides. I fell twice in 10 minutes, twisting both knees in succession quite awkwardly. At last I located Macs Creek Track and found the right route soon after noon. After a break, I continued on the next "poorly defined" section of trail which again proved difficult to follow and included a very steep and awkward descent. Without getting lost on the section, I made better time than expected and reached a nice lunch spot next to the very pretty and fast flowing Dead Horse Creek. I took advantage of the sun to dry my tent and sleeping bag while I ate. Alas, as I left I followed some wrong ribbons and misunderstood where I was on the map, made a navigational error and wasted another hour crashing around on scrubby hillsides following misleading brumby trails. Eventually I got back on the right track and reached Limestone Creek Track in the mid-afternoon. After a slippery steep descent (falling once) and fording the fast flowing Creek, I had my last break before tackling the final "poorly defined" section of the day. I was tired and the 6 km of following faint trail on the steep sides of Stony Creek wasn't much fun. I strayed a few times but didn't get badly lost. The section finished with the steep and rocky ascent of a spur and I reached Cowombat Track, my goal for the day, at 7 PM. It was getting dark and I quickly set up camp, washed and ate. It wasn't as cold as last night but I expect a heavy dew again.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 017 - Johnnies Track to Buckwong Creek

 

Day:	017
Date:	Thursday, 31 March 2011
Start:	Johnnies Track & Beloka Range Track Junction
Finish:	Buckwong Creek plus 1km
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	26.2
Total Kilometres:	370.3 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, brumbies
People Encounters	Two 4WDs, two logging trucks
Weather:	Cold foggy and overcast in the morning, sunny and mild in the afternoon
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	I woke at 7 AM to a fairly thick fog and still air. Everything was very damp and it was cold. Still that way when I started walking at 9 AM along Johnnies Top Track. After a couple of kilometres on the fire trail I reached Johnnies Top (1556m) and then began following a faint trail down a long spur. The trail was easy enough to follow and I enjoyed walking through the snowgum forest on the gentle downgrade in the fog. After a few hours the fog cleared and after a final steep descent I reached the end of the spur and Buenba Creek. I was supposed to follow it upstream but first had to cross Corner Creek, which turned out to be very marshy with several channels. My feet got wet again. Curses! Eventually I reached drier ground and then followed brumby trails parallel with the creek along the treed grassy flats. There were lots of horse droppings but no brumbies. There were also lots of boggy bits. Pleasant walking, nevertheless. Eventually I reached the Buenba Hut site on a grassy plain. The only evidence of the hut was a couple of poplar trees. It had been farmed once and there were traces of fences and gates. I had lunch under the poplars and spread out my tent, sleeping bag, etc., to dry in the pleasant sunshine. After lunch the trail, again faint, climbed gradually through scrubby country to eventually reach Mt Hope Road, where two logging trucks were parked with the drivers having a yarn. They chatted with me for a while and offered me water and to charge my phone. Nice guys. By now it was after 4 PM and the balance of the day was easy walking down a fire trial as far as Buckwong Creek. From there I followed the creek upstream for a kilometre until I found a campsite by a small tributary after seeing some brumbies along the way. It was all a little damp and grassy and will be wet in the morning. I could hear dingoes or feral dogs howling as I went to bed at 8:30 PM.