Training Log Archive: jools

Big River to Maddison hut site, rest afternoon which included a wander to see Howmans falls.
We had shared the campsite with a group from Gilson School (they had 5 tents). As they were mostly teenage boys they slept until well after 7am. We left at about 8am after getting packed up and ready very quietly. The climb up T Spur onto the Bogong Plateau was very steep at the start before it became a little easier. My feet were very sore and I needed a rest period, so we stopped for the rest of the day. It was a sunny Sunday and we lay around reading and snoozing for a while before heading off to explore the nearby Howmans falls. This is a series of very pretty waterfalls which end in a very tall final drop which may be as high as 100m, difficult to judge, as there's no safe way to view it, except from the top. An unknown, unpublicised treasure.

Rover chalet site to Big River.
Woke up in a cold wet fog on the mountain, after light drizzle most of the night. Today we followed the aqueduct around past the Wilkinson hut site and visited the toilet at Wallaces hut before walking on to our food cache at Langfords Gap. After raiding the barrel and returning it to its hiding spot, we continued walking along the aqueduct, followed the track across it and up onto the high plains. Stayed on tracks for several kms, up onto Mt Nielsen where we encountered a lone horse that was obviously familiar with humans and almost let Neil touch it. We think this horse had been 'released' by someone who thinks horses should be wild up on the high plains....
Further along was Ropers hut and then we descended Duane Spur to Big River. Arrived there with a school group from Gilson College, and shared this small camping area.

Hotham to Rover chalet site.
Left the car park with a cold wind blowing on top. As we gradually worked our way down the Spur, the wind dropped and it felt warmer. Saw a tiger snake on the track. We had lunch at Dibbins hut, down on the Start of the Cobungra river. After lunch there was a climb up onto the high plains, and we passed a school group from Melbourne Grammar who were planning to be out walking from Hotham to Thredbo in 20 days. They were heading for Ryder's Yards camp ground and we were aiming for Cope hut, a bit further along. After 23 kms we finally arrived at the hut, very tired. Found a number of tent platforms at the same time as a bunch if men walking the other direction from Falls Creek. They had booked all tent platforms as part of the Falls Creek tohotham Alpine Track, and we felt like second class citizens having to continue on to find another camp site. Well we walked as far as the Rover Chalet (private and locked) when I realised that I'd left my sunglasses back at Cope hut. I walked an additional 2km to get them while Neil set up the tent. We had a comfortable night camped there.

This was my current version of a long slow run. Ran from No. 7 Res along the channel track and back via Crusoe. Very enjoyable session.

Morning run to Lake Weeroona and back through Rosalind Park.