Day 224 Tin Mine Hut to Cowombat Flat

 NSW Day 82 Tuesday 4th January, 2022 16.5km

4478.4 / 620.5km

Rain persisted till about 8.30pm. Looks like a fair bit is due for rest of the week.

Low cloud but fairly warm. Much the same as yesterday. Wandering through forests the track gradually climbs all day. Not much viewing to be had when wandering through these forests.

Misty Mornings

I meet the track junction of Cowombat track and Snow gums track.

The Fire Damaged Trees

I wonder where Cowombat came from. The AAWT heads down SnowGums and as I'm sitting there a young man walks by. We have a chat for a while. He is cleaning up some of the Alpine Areas he missed. It's easy to do as you can follow many different paths and it's hard to pick up everything. I think I could spend the whole 8 months wandering around here. It would change so dramatically over the seasons. The snow/ice patches I walked through is my sole experience with the white stuff. Belinda and I have promised ourselves a snow holiday one year.

The trail

The trail then winds down to the Cowombat flat and the Murray River. I meet some ladies coming up. They are doing a section walk. It's getting warm and the thunderheads are forming.

I get to the Murray River and remove my 3 litres. Hope that doesn't cause the farmers downstream any trouble. Then it's a step across the water and I'm in Victoria.

A Step Across the Murray River

Just a short walk to go.

I climb up the flat buy looking at the sky decide to prop here for the night. About 3 o'clock the thunder starts and we start to have showers. I only just get my tent up and am sitting inside when a group of 3 walk in. We decide to share the patch of ground I'm on. I'm glad I did as Neville had some army ration cheese he offered me and Nadia offered me an apple. Both welcome.

Plane Remains A DC3

They are camping for two nights and visiting the head of the Murray River and visiting the Black/Allan cairn which marks the survey line from the head of the Murray to Cape Howe. The straight bit of the NSW/VICTORIA border.

On my desk at home is the beginnings of a plan to follow the Murray as one of my adventures. The visiting of the cairn is on that plan with a kayak down all the navigable Murray. Might be something Belinda could do with me.

The afternoon Storms moving in.

There's another tent already here and they roll up later. They have been up The Pilot ( a mountain). Another couple walk past about 6pm. They camp down by the Murray. Apparently people park at a car park 10k up the track and walk in.

My resupply bucket will have to wait till tomorrow. It's got my woollies single serve fruitcake. It's surprising I have short days but I feel I could sleep a lot more. Maybe it's for the best considering the terrain coming.

Day 223 Cascade Hut to Tin Mine Hut

 NSW Day 81 (223) 14.4km

Cascade Hut to Tin Mine Hut

4461.9 / 637km

Cascade Hut

It got cold really quickly after the sun went down and I'm a bit lazy getting out of bed as I know it's a short day. But as the sun comes up I can feel the heat building quickly.

I pack up and say some goodbyes to my camp mates then move off.

The Cascade Trail Continues

Not much to report today. I'm following The Cascade trail and it just winds it way through a sad looking Mountain Ash forest.

I think fire has killed the mature trees and now it will take many years to regenerate.

I get to the turn-off to Tin Mine Huts at midday.

I hesitate but the heat is building so in the end I call it a day and find a tree to laze the afternoon away.

Tin Mine Hut

Storms build up and I just get the tent up and pegged down when a thunderstorm comes across and drops a bit of rain. It's due to clear this evening and come again. Tomorrow. I want to get to my supply bucket tomorrow afternoon. This will mean crossing the border into Victoria some time tomorrow.

A longer day hope its cooler.

Day 222 Thredbo To Cascade Hut

 NSW Day 80 (222) Sunday 2nd January, 2022 12.4km

Thredbo To Cascade Hut

4447.5 / 651.4km

I sleep just as well in hotel rooms as I do in the tent. Which is badly. But I got up at sunrise and packed the pack ready. Breakfast opened at 7 and I went down to have a full belly to walk out on. Did the whole buffet.

The walk out of town

An old chair from the chairlift

Looking back across to the ski fields

The people at the information centre tell me I can't do the river walk to Dead Horse Gap so I decide to walk the Alpine Road instead.

I walk up through the various apartment blocks. Lot of people packing up to leave. I'm sure there is a shorter way up but I don't want to try as it may mean backtracking and with the hill I'm not in the mood to do it twice. When I get to the top I do see some stairs that come up by the youth hostel.

The road walk is not as bad as I thought. There are a couple of tight spots but for the most part I have plenty of room.

The Alpine Road

Looking towards Dead Horse Gap

I get to the carpark and meet a gent loading an electric mountain bike. Might be my next gift to myself. A young girl came up to look at the information board. She's on a 10 day mountain bike tour through the mountains. There is a lot of possibilities around here for the adventurous.

The start of the trail

The trail then follows the cascades trail over Bob's Ridge. It's a pleasant walk but the heat is starting to come in. I hope there's a cool change due soon. More possibility down this way I suppose.

I get to the hut about 1 o'clock and get to lie down and rest. There is a young lady here who has dropped her pack and has decided to go off for a run further down the track. I feel a little lazy lying down dozing. Two other gents on a day walk are here. They were hoping to catch sight of some Brumbys.

The trail

Through the snowgums

It's not until late in the afternoon I see a solitary Brumby across the river flats.

Another older gent rolls up to camp the night. He is going on a multi day hike. He hopes to climb a lump the track passes called The Pilot at 1829m.

One of the other campers

We all sit and discuss backpacking and our adventures. I'm rather ignorant as I didn't introduce myself or get their names. But we talk, we laugh and we move on.

Another short day planned tomorrow. Hopefully I'll build up some stamina for the hills to come.

Day 220 +221 Friday 31st December and 1st January 2022

 NSW Days 78 & 79 (219 &22) Thursday 30th and Friday 31st December, 2021

4435.1 / 663.8 km

I did wake early but couldn't be bothered and rolled over and slept in. In the end it was an extra 40 minutes. I pack up then had to climb up to the pass again then continue the climb to the Kosciusko summit.

Back up to Mueller's pass

There are other people up but I'm the first on this side to move. I thought maybe someone would go up for sunrise.

Last sunrise 2021

It's not until I'm on the last climb that I meet 7 people coming down. So thus might have been the Sunrise brigade. It's not until the last turn I realise I'm the only one up there.

Another ice-field to cross

Looking to Mt Townsend

Paved road up

Makes it a bit hard to get a shot of me up top and I spend a while getting the phone balanced on a rock. Running backwards and forwards and remembering to smile for Mushgang.

My selfie

I then sit and boil the billy and have breakfast in solitude up the mountain. I got about 40 minutes. Enough time to dry out my tent fly when the first of six runners gets to the top. Only one lady but loud and one bloke who loved to Woohoo a lot. What is it with Woohooers. I've never been a fan. Especially at concerts and stage shows. Anyway time to pack up and move along before I'm asked to take a picture of woohooing overachievers. Just overachieve without the woohoo.

Looking down to Rawsons Pass and the road to Charlotte's Pass

The path to Thredbo

The walk down I come across about 4 people coming up. They are from the Charlotte's Pass side. I stop for a quick change into shorts at the highest toilet block in Australia. Just as grubby as everywhere else where there is a lot of through traffic. The last time I came up here they had a donga for a toilet block.

The toilet

I then start the walk down the boardwalk to Thredbo. I have this to myself until about 9.15 then I see a line of foot traffic coming over the hill. Of course it strikes me the chairlift starts about 8.30. As I get closer to the terminal its just one long string of foot traffic. I think I did it right.

Looking back to Kosciuszko

The hordes coming over the hill

I get to the chairlift terminal and get out my wallet and mask and make my way to the Eagles Nest Restaurant and order the pancakes. No luck. They don't open the kitchen till 11am. It's 10. I get a long black and get a ride down to Thredbo. The crowd is overwhelming. The mountain bikers have taken the mountain over.

They found the snow

The top chairlift terminal

Last time I was here the mountain bikers had to carry their bikes on their laps on the chairlift. Now they have a rack at the back of the seat. There are hundreds of people up top on bikes and another hundred on the slopes letting gravity make their day. And thousands down the village. As you walk into the hotels the rooms to store skis are racked for bicycles and there are racks all around town to store bikes. A lift pass for a walker is 35. For a biker it's 65 I think. Then $29 a day for your car to be here I got off cheap walking over the range.

Thredbo

Mountain bikers on the way up

The hotel stored my pack whilst I restocked my supplies for the next leg. The shop was denuded and the store manager was a little shocked but its New Years Eve and all the people staying are buying up party snacks.

There's a NYE party at the pub and the band is set-up right under my window. One thing in my favour is the room has a LG brand smart TV which allows me to blue tooth my earbuds to it. The party finishes at 1am. I get to sleep about 3am. Happy new year.

The room also has a bath. That allows me to soak. The guest laundry only cost $1 to wash, $1 to dry and $1 for powder so that was good.

So a relaxing zero new years day eating snacks and fruit. Cleaning up and repacking for the next section. Off again tomorrow.

Setting up for New Years Eve from my window

Therdbo 7am

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