Tuesday, 28 December 2021

Day 216 Jangungal Wilderness

Looking at the river close to Providence Portal
as it runs into Eucumbene Lake proper.

 NSW Day 74 (216)

Monday 27th December, 2021 26.4KM

4363.1 / 735.8 km

The wind died overnight. Then it got cold.

I wandered down to the river to see if I could swim across but a but fast and deep here so wandered around the edge to Denison camp
Looking down from the old bridge.
I crossed where you see the ripples.
ground. From there it's a long walk out to the river again and if I can't cross here it's an even longer walk around. I follow a fly fisherman out the road to the old bridge but the road diverts further north to a crossing. I can't quite work out how deep because of the width but I take my boots off and wade out. It is fast and cold. But this is where poles help as more points of contact. There's a technique to doing this


Entering the park
Looking down on Happy Jacks Plain.

especially in fast flowing water. Pull the pole right out of the water and jam it back down making sure your set then do the foot shuffle. Then repeat with the other pole. Keeping more points of contact let's me cross deeper and faster water I might not cross without them. The depth at its most was mid thigh but only two steps most of it was just below knee cap. Glad it didn't get deeper as my feet were numb with the cold and I was getting close to my next area of concern. The path follows a curve across and you can see where the track leaves the river. That over its a sit down to rub some life into the toes and putting the boots back on.
Old pole bent. Close to where my maps
say was the site of Dr Phillips Hut.


More walking across the plain




The set up beside the track. No leaves on trees.




I then start climbing into the ranges on the Toolbar Track. Where this meets the Grey Mare Trail is where the National Trail and Australian Alpine Walking Trail meet and follow the same path . The last storm front has damaged the National Trail from Geehi Campground to Tom Groggin which the NSW National Park people have closed to at least February. I had always planned to go over on the AAWT but now the National Trail is not the option. I continue on the Grey Mare Trail where the National Trail turns down Happy Jacks Road. There's plenty of water running in the creeks and I'm able to carry minimal load which helps the hip problem. The lighter pack is much easier to handle.
After walking the Happy Jack Plain I'm in what they call the Jagungal Wilderness. I end up stopping beside the track for the night. It rained a little but wasn't as cold. The area was devastated by bushfires in the last couple of years. I'm unsure how long the trees take to recover up here. Areas just look skeletal.












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