Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 025 - Four Mile Hut to Tantangara Creek

 

Day:	025
Date:	Friday, 9 April 2011
Start:	Four Mile Hut
Finish:	Tantangara Creek
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	29.0 AAWT, 1.1 from Hut
Total Kilometres:	576.2 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, small snakes, brumbies
People Encounters	Vehicles on highway at Kiandra, two horse riders
Weather:	Very cold and foggy early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	It was another cold night, though not too bad in the quaint old hut. There was a heavy fog when I woke at 6:00am, but it had receded down the valley by 7:00am revealing another cloudless sky. I started walking at 8:00am and quickly covered the kilometer back to the AAWT and began following the route north along the same closed and disused old 4WD tracks passing through alpine valleys and over a few low ridges. I was close to the Mt Selwyn ski field and there were a number of marked cross-country ski trails crossing the trail at various points. I met a highway at the old mining town of Kiandra, now uninhabited with just a few buildings remaining. There is also a Roads Depot here and I have vivid memories of sheltering inside it 7 years ago when caught in a November blizzard while riding my MTB to Melbourne down the Bicentennial Trail. I took my morning break at Kiandra and then continued on. I was now back in brumby country and felt my nose watering and eyes welling again in reaction to the horse droppings everywhere. Of course, it's nice that there are wild horses in the mountains, but they are feral and they do have a significant impact on the landscape. I think that their numbers need to be controlled, but know this is a sensitive issue. The remainder of the day was spent walking from one long flat alpine valley to another via low snowgum wooded hills. The average altitude was about 1400m, but you couldn't tell from the terrain. It had all been high country sheep or cattle stations at some point and there was evidence of fences and gates here and there. Around 3.30pm I deviated from the AAWT to go cross-country for a couple of kilometers to the place where I had hidden my food drop using my GPS. I hadn't been able to find a good hiding spot right on the trail near here so had hidden it on the access track. I found it without much trouble by 4:30pm and had a relaxing evening eating my treats. I hear on the radio that my run of good weather will be coming to an end tomorrow and I'll be wet for the last three days of my trip.

Australian Alps Walking Track - Day 024 - Mackays Hut to Four Mile Hut

 

Day:	024
Date:	Thursday, 8 April 2011
Start:	Mackays Hut
Finish:	Four Mile Hut
Camp Location	Here
Daily Kilometres:	30.7 AAWT, 1.1 to Hut
Total Kilometres:	547.2 AAWT
Animal Encounters	Birds, small snakes
People Encounters	None
Weather:	Very cold early, sunny and mild later
Pictures:	Here
Journal:	There was again a heavy frost, but it wasn't as cold in the hut as it was in the tent the previous night. I packed and left by 7:45am, and set out eastwards into the rising sun. In fact, all day the route seemed to adjust itself so that I always seemed to be walking into the sun. The walking was easy, along disused but clear 4WD tracks, and it was easy to maintain a good pace. The trail generally crossed grassy alpine meadows, occasionally crossing small streams, and every so often climbing over a low spur or saddle. The crowns of most surrounding  hills were lightly timbered with snow gums. There were not as many abrupt peaks within view, although Mt Jagungal was often visible behind, and Tabletop Mt (1784m) loomed ahead. Most of my walking was around 1500-1600m. The countryside began to show signs of its history when sheep and maybe cattle were brought here in the summers to graze. Occasional bits of fences and gates. Towards lunchtime the trail began to climb onto the crest of The Great Divide again as I approached Tabletop Mt and I could see vast distances to the east to the Monaro Tableland and glimpses of Lake Eucumbene. The trail passed over the shoulder of Tabletop Mt during the afternoon and then descended through an old mining area though there were few obvious traces. Around 4:30pm I reached a junction where I left the AAWT to walk a kilometer through snowgum forest to Four Mile Hut which is an original miners hut, clad with flattened (and cleaned!) fuel cans, with lots of historic junk around and set in its own little alpine valley. Magic!  I was early enough to have a wash and wash out a few clothes and had double dinner again because I get to my next food drop tomorrow night.

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.