Day 219 NSW Day 77 (219) 15.5km

 NSW Day 77 (219) 15.5km

4424.8 / 674.1 km

It was a warmer night no frozen tent fly. I pack up and drop down into the pass. The people in the two tents are still in bed and the path goes between them.

Consett Stephens Pass

I got to cross Ice fields

I end up on top of Mt Tate at 2068m then skirt across Mann Bluff at 2000m.

Mt Tate

View From Mt Tate

I didn't bother going up to the top of Mt Anton at 2010m so I'm not going to be able claim the 10 peaks which seems to be a thing. i.e. getting to the top of the 10 peaks up here over 2000m.

Going to follow that Ridge line. The top of the Great Divide.

I'm sitting in the saddle between Mt Anton and Mt Twynam (2106m) when I talk to a bloke I had spoken to yesterday. He was on a mountain bike yesterday and was riding back towards Charlotte's Pass. Mountain bikes are restricted on some tracks and can't go pass Rawson's Pass at the base of Kosciuszko. He was one of those people that felt the need to bag the 10 over 2000m mountain tops. So he rides back up drops the bike at Rawson's then runs the mountain tops. I speak to him about an hour later on his way back. We are all mad in our way I suppose.

A view to stop for

Mt Anton

I finally climb to the top of Mt Twynam and can see across to Carruthers Peak (2145m) and I catch sight of the crowds.

Mt Twynam

Another View

The top of the peak is moving and there is a line of people coming down a track. Looking at the book I see I'm joining the loop of the Main Range walking track. Having not seen many people this comes as a bit of a shock. It makes me worry about my plan to camp at Wilkinson's Creek below Mueller's Pass. How many people are out and about this weekend?

Carruthers Peak and you can see the Junction of the day trio circuit.

I have lunch at Carruthers Peak then up and over Mt Lee (2105m). I bypass Mt Northcote(2131m) and Mt Townsend (2209m) and at Mueller's Pass drop down to a lovely camp spot just above a little water source.

The path and I think Kosciuszko.

More traffic means boardwalks

I did see where a day walker had done his toiletries right beside the creek. I can understand why some National Park people want to keep all humans out of wilderness areas.

My tent with Kosciuszko rising on the background

As the afternoon progresses a lot of people are setting up down on the flats and up the hill to the pass. I wondered if watching the new year in is a thing on Kosciusko. I go to bed toying with the idea of getting up top for sunrise. I think it's about a 300metre height gain.

Sunset over Wilkinson's Creek

Day 218 Grey Mare Hut to Consett Stephens Pass 22.3 km

 NSW Day 76 (218) Wednesday 29th December, 2021 22.3km

4409.3 / 689.6 km

I get up with the tent fly frozen.

Tent Frozen

This is where I pack up as much as I can before handling the outside work. Definitely do my shirt cuff buttons up before my fingers freeze up.

Geehi River Valley

Long Shadow In the Morning

There are people camped at Grey Mare Hut.

Geehi River

I'm glad I stopped early. The trail then heads down to Valentine Hut. When I get there it is very brightly painted. Pink I think.

Valentines Hut

Then pass another large hut called Schlink which then goes over the Schlink Pass at 1804 metres.

The track drops a little down to Whites River Hut and this is where I turn off the formed track and head up across the watershed of the Great Divide and climb on unformed tracks to 1900m.

White River Hut

This is where there are still patches of ice melting mostly on the eastern slopes. After finding my way through the Granite Peaks I travelled across some country called the Rolling Ground which dodges around Alpine grasses and Granite rocks and crags.

Schlinks Hut

I stop before I drop down to Consett Stephen Pass as there is water and shelter among some Granite rocks. I see another couple of hikers come across the next Ridge line and drop down to the pass to set up in the only protected area to camp in the pass. I'm happy where I am.

The track heads up

Snow Patches

Wanna Build a Snowman

Going Across the rolling Ground

Above Consett Stephens Pass the trail goes across the ridge line

My camp behind the boulders

Day 217 Mackays Hut to Grey Mare Hut

 NSW Day 75 (217) Tuesday 28th December, 2021 23.9km

4387 / 711.9 km

The tent fly was very wet this morning. It's fairly cool and I head off early. I go past a spot called Crooks Racecourse. It's private land and I didn't find out why the name.

The trees are affected by fire

After about an hour 2 gentleman come out the trees and walk away in front of me. I find I'm a fairly early starter compared to a lot of people.

More of the path. Two of the backpackers.

But I normally stop around 9am for my breakfast. I find it's easier to pack up a lot within the tent and then finish off before fingers go numb with cold. Then when it's a little warmer and I've been moving I can sit and enjoy my morning feed. It also helps on warmer days as by the time I stop I've covered anywhere from 7 to 12 kilometres depending on the terrain.

There are huts on the track but I'm not a fan of huts. First hut is Mackays Hut then about 9 kilometres further is O'Keeffe's hut. As I pass by a weather Station I start meeting other backpackers but there are a smattering of day packs coming past. I'm slowly gaining height with the rolling hills.

The weather station

There are a few mountain bike riders as well and I have a talk to a few. There are also tents set up in different spot and given the public holidays it's understandable. Also I'm having some good weather.

I pass by Mt Jagungal at 2062m and Stromlo Hill at about 1750m. The track crosses the head of the Tumut River which eventually hits the Murrumbidgee River. There's also the start of the Tooma River. I'm crossing Ridge lines where rivers flow either side east and west.

Mt Jagungul

  A couple of kilometres before Grey Mare Hut I start looking for a camp. I just need a flat spot with a little wind protection. 20-25 kilometres per hour winds predicted. With gusts that can cause a problem. The minimum tonight is predicted at 3 degrees. As I'm skirting a mountain called Smith's Lookout I'm at about 1600 metres high and I find a spot and set up.

Tumut River

Have to shift the site a couple of times as the grass is thick in clumps and hides nests of little black ants. It's only after a minute when they climb the sides of the tent you know there nest is under the grass somewhere. I think I had 4 shifts over about 200 metres of track before I found a level spot protected on a couple of sides with no overhanging deadwood. Can be a pain sometimes.

Looking towards Smith Lookout

Flowers

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.

Day 215 Providence Portal

Old farmhouse

 NSW Day 73 (Day 215)

Sunday 26th December, 2021 16.6km

4353.3 / 745.6 km

It's hard to drag yourself out of bed and get moving again. I eventually left at 7am and the walk is pretty straightforward up the bitumen highway to Providence Portal.

Back into the park

On top of the range again. I will be traversing
this for a while.

Nothing much to report. The walk was just over 17 kilometres. I was able to pick up my food drop and camped. I found my Christmas Pudding and a single serve fruitcake that I got from woollies. I also had a Daryl Lee Rocklea Road so I had my Xmas treats on boxing day.

Providence Portal

The wind was howling so I hid the tent behind a tree. Maximum 13 expected tomorrow. Perth is in the 40's! Nice showers here though

Looking up the Eucumbene River which I need to
cross. Lake not as full as I expected.

.