Day 15 - Mount Misery

Saturday 1st May, 2021 16.4km

387.5 / 4711.4km

The watch I wear (A Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar) provides my mapping and tracks all my vitals to see if my heart will explode on one of these uphills. It decided after yesterdays effort that I should have a 5 day recovery period. Not going to happen any time soon as I was up and ready to leave Irvinebank just after first light. As I was zipping on the gators Geoffrey came across the road and offered me a coffee and much as I like a morning coffee I knew I would get stuck for a little while if I accepted so reluctantly I declined and moved off.

Today was a steady climb up and over Mount Misery. Being a Saturday I expected a little traffic as the 4WD's should all be out. In the end I saw about 8 cars and 20 motorbikes. The motorbikes seemed to be part of a tagalong ride.

Irvinebank is very tidy and the museum looks like it would be interesting. The houses and yards are well cared for and some of the gardens had a variety of plants and orchids.

Leaving town the road crosses the Gibbs Creek and does so many times. I was lucky that I had water not far from the track nearly all the way up Mt Misery. It's not that I need it all the time but whilst I am walking into unknown territory I am always looking for the last water I know of so if I run into trouble I have a fair idea of how far back I would need to go. Not a problem so far, but this is a technique I was taught many years ago.

The climb up Mt Misery was ok. I must be getting a little fitter and I stopped on the other side and had breakfast.

This was the last time I would see my spoon as I did one the sins I know I shouldn't do and that is not follow the patterns that work. In this case it was putting all my stuff away without puting the spoon in its place. So I just shoved into the top of the pack. The other thing I do, I call The crazy Ivan (Movie reference Hunt for Red October) where I take a step off but turn back to look at the spot I was sitting to see if I have left anything on the ground.

All ok here but a while later I sat down to have a rest and at that time a rain shower come across so I pulled out the umbrella from the top of the pack. The umbrella goes back in and as I put the pack on to move off those 20 motorcycles came up the road. That's 20 waves that I am required to make (It's a law of the bush apparently) and I was slowly walking down the hill thus not doing the crazy Ivan and missing the spoon that must have dropped out.

I got down the other side to the designated camp spot but I wasn't happy there and moved a couple of kilometres up the road and found a fairly level bit of bush that I was happy to stealth camp at. Thats when I realised the spoon was missing and it was probably back about 12 kilometres.

My dinner plans went on hold and peanut butter on a soft wrap with a vanilla tea was dinner.

It was a very quiet night with only 2 cars passing so I felt safe.

Dry River had plenty of water in it.