I am in Walpole, on the southern coast.
I got here by walking from Pemberton to Northcliffe. That segment was by myself because my mate Sandy finished his planned walk from Donnelly River Villiage (DRV). My other mates, Harry and his wife Margie returned to Perth because Harry developed a medical problem that he wanted to see his doctor about. So alone I went with no hitches if you ignore the weather: rain rain rain.
At the first hut I started a great fire to warm up; within 15 minutes it was raining so hard that I had to retreat to the inside of the hut and watch it rain on the fire.
Walking the next day was miserable. I discovered that my waterproof pack cover wasn't waterproof, nor were my boots, nor was my rain parka. They had shed water OK earlier but had not been subject to constant drenching for hours on end; now I know why there are $100 parkas and there are $300 parkas. So I accepted getting wet during the day so long as I could get warm and dry (in a change of clothes) at the hut that afternoons; wet items such as sox, parka, and outer clothes would dry overnight although the boots if wet inside took several days to dry and I had to walk with them wet inside all day long.
The first day of the walk went well. That was the day of the rained out fire mentioned above.
The second day was miserable. It rained on and off all day long. Worse, there is a bush called fittingly Water Bush (WB). It has thick foliage, grows to a height of 10 feet or so, and has a truck/stalk about an inch in diameter. When it is wet, it lays over, and having shallow roots, often is uprooted from laying over. Where the track is (was) clear and sunlight could penetrate, this stuff thrives. When it is wet it lays over and blocks the track. The only option is to push through it, which drenches you. Even if it were not raining, one would be drenched within five minutes of walking through this stuff. And it was really thick. At one point one couldn't see the track ahead at all because of the WB. So the first few hours of walking that day were spent pushing through the WB. I also had a fall. A creek bridge comprised several split logs on its approach, and unlike other bridges, didn't have any chicken wire attached to the flat wood for traction. I stepped onto the log and zip my feet went out from under me and I lit on my back hard enough to bounce up in the air. In the air I turned over and lit on my stomach in the grass next to the bridge. I figure the pack saved me getting a hard knock on the back of the head (or worse). That night at the Schafer hut next to a lake I was again an alone night with rain for my company.
The next morning was sunny and clear, and my hopes went up at a pleasant walk to replace the memories of the previous day. However, within a hour it ws raining hard. Much of that walk was in the open, not in the forest, and the wind-driven rain made it miserable. If the rain stopped the wind would dry me out and make it cold, then it would start raining again. Once I got to Northcliffe I holed up at a B&B as I was told the next day's weather was going to be worse (which it was). All that time was spent wondering why I was doing this - it was far from pleasant and I wasn't enjoying it.
Why did all the Aussies (but one) that I talked to just love walking the track? Why didn't I?
I don't have an answer to the first question, but do have an answer to the second, which brings up another question.
The answer to the second question is that I'm a child of wide open spaces, and accustomed to scenic views. That's why I hike - to see the views. Well, here on the track so far, there are, with two exceptions, NO scenic views. One just walks through the same kind of slowly changing (over a period of many days) forest, and that's all one sees. There are some interesting scenes, many of which I have photos, but NO views! My payoff from hiking is views - no views no payoff.
OK, so the question this brings up is why am I doing this for a second time? I suppose the challenge of completing an end2end walk is a big part of it. My Aussie mates' enthusiasm another part. Perhaps forgetfulness of my experience the first time out plays a role too.
What to do? I decided to get a sample of the southern coast and then stop walking in favor of becoming a normal tourist for the two weeks time left for me here.
So from Northcliffe I bussed to here in Walpole. Harry had recommended two things for me to do while here: the treetop walk among the giant red tingle trees and an eco-tour of the harbor. Both were well worth it, and I have lots of photos to eventually post. The leader of the harbor tour was a biologist and knowledgeable of the area. His recommendation for a sample of the southern coast was to walk from Walpole to a town called Peaceful Bay, 4 days 3 nights. So I did that.
It was great. Guess what? When I got to the coast there were INCREDIBLE scenic views! Boy did I enjoy that! But I also realized that the changes over time again wouldn't be significant, so I took care to really enjoy the time along the coast before Peaceful Bay.
Then it was over. I have mailed my walking essentials (sleeping gear, etc.) back to Perth and am awaiting the bus that will take me to Albany.
While walking around Walpole today I bumped into an incredible gallery that had not only the usual tourist artifacts but had an amazing collection of Aboriginal paintings. They were marvelous, and a long conversation with the shop owner rekindled my latent interest in these people. Their culture is 50,000 years old and is highly refined. Us whites would be best off to view them as extraterrestials (because of their unusual culture) rather than as some backwards uneducated people who needed civilizing. Read a book called The Mutant Messenger to give you a perspective on them - don't research the book - just find it and read it for what it is first. Then wonder about what facilities these people (who could be legally shot like a wild animal until the 1930s) possess. Ah, but I am starting to rant. I'll put together another entry the aboriginals in the future.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Likes, Dislikes, and Decision
I may have commented (and you will see from the photos when they get posted) that the Track passes through some amazing forests. Many times I have been stopped in my tracks upon looking up at a tree and almost falling over backwards to see the top, it was so high.
The bad news is that the spectacular sights don't change much at all. Sometimes I will walk for several days before noticing a small change in the forest. E.g., after a couple of days in a particular biology zone, the forest becomes boring to me, and I stop seeing it and concentrate on getting to the next hut.
Getting to the next hut was stressful for me from a couple of points of view. On one hand I wasn't enjoying the walking all that much, and wanted that day's walk to be over. On the other hand, the huts have limited sleeping space, and walkers are advised to carry a tent in case the hut was full. Well, I had sent my tent back to Perth as none of the many previous nights in huts presented anything near full occupancy, and I didn't want to carry the weight. Mistake? I don't think so. However, I would worry that the next hut would be full by the time I got there, and so would push myself to get to the next hut ASAP as stuff happens...
Getting to the next hut was stressful for me from a couple of points of view. On one hand I wasn't enjoying the walking all that much, and wanted that day's walk to be over. On the other hand, the huts have limited sleeping space, and walkers are advised to carry a tent in case the hut was full. Well, I had sent my tent back to Perth as none of the many previous nights in huts presented anything near full occupancy, and I didn't want to carry the weight. Mistake? I don't think so. However, I would worry that the next hut would be full by the time I got there, and so would push myself to get to the next hut ASAP as stuff happens...
So my payoff in walking (getting to the hut) was being able to stop doing something I didn't like.
This is a total contrast to the payoff I get from hiking in the Sierra Nevada; the views there are stunning and ever changing. Each stop with a Wow seemed to refresh me for further hiking so I could get to the next Wow View, which always was a complete surprise. Sure, the details such as how far, where to camp, etc. were always there, but in the back of my mind.
Another thing that bothered me was walking alone. Sometimes several days would go by before I would meet someone walking the other direction. I had no idea how many groups were behind me and how far behind they were. The registers in the hut indicated that prior to my arrival there were few groups, and most of them were separated from me and each other by at least a couple of days. So I started to be concerned about that. What if something happened such as a fall that wasn't lucky, or a snake bite (I almost stepped on two before seeing them - wet fallen branches on the Track often resembled snakes and it was hard to tell a branch from a snake) (a number of the snakes in that area of WA are categorized as "extremely lethal"). If that "thing" happened, it might be days before someone came along, and a snake bite might prove lethal over that period of time.
It felt great that I was making progress over the track. My body was working well and dealing with the stress of the walk. I had some concerns about my feet as I have high arches and realized the boots didn't give good support; my feet would hurt at the end of the day, so I would take an Ibuprofen at the hut which helped. I just didn't know if they would suddenly become too painful to continue. Other than feet, I felt strong, and was kicking myself for not getting some custom orthotics beforehand.
There was a clear love-hate going on. I loved the solitude but hated being alone at huts and worried about having an accident. I loved the forest but hated the monotony. In a way I liked the rain and wet but hated the water getting to my skin. I liked the organized nature of the Track (huts, guide book, trail markers) and hated the what I thought were silly routes it took.
Lastly, the bare shelves in the store at Northcliffe brought home to me that I should have planned all my food myself. My mis-understanding of the contents of the food parcel that Harry mailed to Northcliffe resulted in a surprise at a time when I was seriously reconsidering the value of completing the end2end walk.
If my friend Harry had been with me I'm sure his encouragement and help with food decisions would have kept me going. I don't blame him as he couldn't help getting a rash; in fact he takes great pains to avoid them. I realized that even Harry and his mates, strong as they are, seldom do an end2end in one go. Most of the time they stop walking before they planned to because of unanticipated things.
So it boiled down to the fact that the pleasure of the experience was being overwhelmed by the problems, e.g., I wasn't enjoying walking anymore.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Donnelly River Village (DRV) to Pemberton
This walk goes through the Donnelly River Valley and gets into the forests of SW Australia where the giant Karri trees grow. They are the third largest tree in the world.
The scenes were spectacular! In the forest it is difficult to get a full appreciation for the size of the trees in a photo. I took many but fear that posting them on-line will have to await my return to the U.S.
The walk was four nights and five days. Two of the legs were the furthest I have walked so far; one was 23Km and the other was 24.5Km. Two of the days had constant drizzling rain, but nothing of importance got wet even though my pack cover wasn't even water resistant let alone water proof. Just in case I had Sandy's wife Belinda bring me some additional dry bags when she came down to pick him up in Pemberton, but it turned out I had enough Zip-Lock bags to encase things I was worried about.
Some of the days were quite difficult, with steep climbs and descents. Since it has been raining,
traction on the descents was quite tricky unless one wanted to slide several yards down a steep muddy slope. The walking sticks are invaluable as they assist getting up the hills and are used
as stabilizers and brakes on slippery downhills.
The last hut had clear weather so we had a wonderful fire. I am amazed at how long and how hot the karri and jarrah wood (all mill ends supplied to the huts) burn.
That's it for now. On to Northcliffe tomorrow. Love, Rod
The scenes were spectacular! In the forest it is difficult to get a full appreciation for the size of the trees in a photo. I took many but fear that posting them on-line will have to await my return to the U.S.
The walk was four nights and five days. Two of the legs were the furthest I have walked so far; one was 23Km and the other was 24.5Km. Two of the days had constant drizzling rain, but nothing of importance got wet even though my pack cover wasn't even water resistant let alone water proof. Just in case I had Sandy's wife Belinda bring me some additional dry bags when she came down to pick him up in Pemberton, but it turned out I had enough Zip-Lock bags to encase things I was worried about.
Some of the days were quite difficult, with steep climbs and descents. Since it has been raining,
traction on the descents was quite tricky unless one wanted to slide several yards down a steep muddy slope. The walking sticks are invaluable as they assist getting up the hills and are used
as stabilizers and brakes on slippery downhills.
The last hut had clear weather so we had a wonderful fire. I am amazed at how long and how hot the karri and jarrah wood (all mill ends supplied to the huts) burn.
That's it for now. On to Northcliffe tomorrow. Love, Rod
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A Day on the Track, Food
OK, so what is a day on the track like?
Get up around 5:30. Put on something warm if needed (some nights can be quite cold, down to 5 deg. C - a few of those are forecast for the leg from Donnelly River Village to Pemberton).
Eat breakfast, have some coffee, put in the contact lenses. Do that intermixed with breaking camp - deflating and rolling up the air mattress, stuffing the sleeping back back in its dry bag (a bag that will keep it dry), packing camp clothes, donning trail clothes. Finally the backpack is loaded and off I go. That takes about a hour. The advantage of leaving a hut early is that one gets to the next hut early, and has first choice of sleeping places if others will be staying at the hut. An early arrival also allows the chance to air out bedding and clothing that may be musty from the previous night, to take a sponge bath, put wet/damp walking clothes and sox out to dry, and in general relax for the afternoon.
On the trail, I carry 1 1/2 liters of water, a trail snack, and some jelly beans (for sugar). I stop every hour and drink 250ml of water, and starting with the 2nd stop, eat 5 jelly beans. At the stop around noon I eat the trail snack, which on this trip is a snack of tuna and crackers. Good protein, etc.
I carry a guidebook that provides detailed information on where to turn and gives the distances between those waypoints. The Track is marked with luminescent yellow triangles named Waugals (an aboriginal name). The point of the triangle indicates directions. Up for straight ahead, pointing right to turn right, etc. This makes pathfinding quite simple.
Upon arriving at the next hut, I claim a sleeping space, change clothes, put up a simple clothesline and hang the wet walking clothes and sock to dry. Then I make a bowl of hot noodle soup named Maggi. It is the same principle as the Ramen soups available in the U.S.
Then I drink a liter of Tang. Serves both to hydrate me and provide more sugar.
Then a sponge bath if needed, and relaxing for the afternoon. Sometimes a nap, sometimes reading what is available at the hut. Oh, I always sign the register at the hut. That way I can be located along the Track, and it serves a secondary function as verifying my presence at the hut for end-to-end status.
It gets dark around 6:30, so I plan dinner to be complete before then. The contacts have come out long before then. I go to bed when it is dark.
Bed comprises a down sleeping bag that unzips almost to the foot. I unzip it and put it over me like a quilt; since I sleep warm, that is plenty cover for me, even on cold nights. I always wear a beanie type cap to keep my head warm which in turn means my feet will be warm. Inside/under the down bag I get into a silk liner. The liner serves to help keep the bag clean and is a surprising help in warmth. I also brought along a thermal (thick and warm) liner that wasn't needed. Under the bag is an air mattress; not your conventional heavy mattress but one designed to be lightweight for backpacking. Mine is 1.5 inches thick when inflated with works fine for me to lay on my side and back. Under the mattress I place the ground sheet for my tent, which protects everything from any dirt on the sleeping platform (I sweep the platform before setting up the bed, but that doesn't get everything).
I've touched a little bit on food. Initially breakfast was a bowl of Muesli cereal with dried milk, which was very adequate. Later on I experimented with breakfast bars and found that they were adequate too and didn't require washing a bowl. Dinners were backpack meals in a foil bag; add boiling water, wait 10 minutes, and eat. They were designed to provide the nutrition a backpacker needs. I found them very satisfactory, even though they were made in New Zealand and were heavy on lamb as an ingredient; I'm not a fan of lamb but learned to like it. At first I was adding instant mashed potatoes to the packet but stopped after concluding it wasn't needed. I added a good dose of garlic on the theory that it helped repel ticks which are common in the northern section of the Track; I didn't find any on me which may have been luck or the garlic. Dessert was a small Snickers bar; a real treat. I figured that I needed the extra sugar and fat; ahh, the excuses one can invent. I did lose a little weight on the walk, so my diet could have used some extra food; however, I made up for the weight loss when in towns!
One of the issues in planning the walk is the food supply. One can't carry all the food that is needed, so food packets need to be prepared and mailed ahead. This takes careful planning to get the right amount of food to the right place, and since often the parcel is being kept at the post office, planning the walk days in order to pick it up during the week as the post offices close over the weekend. Sometimes one can have the backpackers in that town pick up the parcel and hold it for you.
This was a consideration in my decision to stop walking at Northcliffe. Harry described the store at N as a "supermarket", but I was surprised to find it was a small country store with many bare shelves. I didn't see how I could come up with breakfast and lunch meals from what was on the shelf. Dinner meals had been mailed ahead by Harry but I didn't know that he had only mailed dinner meals. Later on he told me that he would have improvised and bought whatever he could, including candy bars, for breakfast and lunch. I wasn't able to think out of the box like that, and I wonder if I had whether that kind of diet would have worked for the seven days until the next town.
Get up around 5:30. Put on something warm if needed (some nights can be quite cold, down to 5 deg. C - a few of those are forecast for the leg from Donnelly River Village to Pemberton).
Eat breakfast, have some coffee, put in the contact lenses. Do that intermixed with breaking camp - deflating and rolling up the air mattress, stuffing the sleeping back back in its dry bag (a bag that will keep it dry), packing camp clothes, donning trail clothes. Finally the backpack is loaded and off I go. That takes about a hour. The advantage of leaving a hut early is that one gets to the next hut early, and has first choice of sleeping places if others will be staying at the hut. An early arrival also allows the chance to air out bedding and clothing that may be musty from the previous night, to take a sponge bath, put wet/damp walking clothes and sox out to dry, and in general relax for the afternoon.
On the trail, I carry 1 1/2 liters of water, a trail snack, and some jelly beans (for sugar). I stop every hour and drink 250ml of water, and starting with the 2nd stop, eat 5 jelly beans. At the stop around noon I eat the trail snack, which on this trip is a snack of tuna and crackers. Good protein, etc.
I carry a guidebook that provides detailed information on where to turn and gives the distances between those waypoints. The Track is marked with luminescent yellow triangles named Waugals (an aboriginal name). The point of the triangle indicates directions. Up for straight ahead, pointing right to turn right, etc. This makes pathfinding quite simple.
Upon arriving at the next hut, I claim a sleeping space, change clothes, put up a simple clothesline and hang the wet walking clothes and sock to dry. Then I make a bowl of hot noodle soup named Maggi. It is the same principle as the Ramen soups available in the U.S.
Then I drink a liter of Tang. Serves both to hydrate me and provide more sugar.
Then a sponge bath if needed, and relaxing for the afternoon. Sometimes a nap, sometimes reading what is available at the hut. Oh, I always sign the register at the hut. That way I can be located along the Track, and it serves a secondary function as verifying my presence at the hut for end-to-end status.
It gets dark around 6:30, so I plan dinner to be complete before then. The contacts have come out long before then. I go to bed when it is dark.
Bed comprises a down sleeping bag that unzips almost to the foot. I unzip it and put it over me like a quilt; since I sleep warm, that is plenty cover for me, even on cold nights. I always wear a beanie type cap to keep my head warm which in turn means my feet will be warm. Inside/under the down bag I get into a silk liner. The liner serves to help keep the bag clean and is a surprising help in warmth. I also brought along a thermal (thick and warm) liner that wasn't needed. Under the bag is an air mattress; not your conventional heavy mattress but one designed to be lightweight for backpacking. Mine is 1.5 inches thick when inflated with works fine for me to lay on my side and back. Under the mattress I place the ground sheet for my tent, which protects everything from any dirt on the sleeping platform (I sweep the platform before setting up the bed, but that doesn't get everything).
I've touched a little bit on food. Initially breakfast was a bowl of Muesli cereal with dried milk, which was very adequate. Later on I experimented with breakfast bars and found that they were adequate too and didn't require washing a bowl. Dinners were backpack meals in a foil bag; add boiling water, wait 10 minutes, and eat. They were designed to provide the nutrition a backpacker needs. I found them very satisfactory, even though they were made in New Zealand and were heavy on lamb as an ingredient; I'm not a fan of lamb but learned to like it. At first I was adding instant mashed potatoes to the packet but stopped after concluding it wasn't needed. I added a good dose of garlic on the theory that it helped repel ticks which are common in the northern section of the Track; I didn't find any on me which may have been luck or the garlic. Dessert was a small Snickers bar; a real treat. I figured that I needed the extra sugar and fat; ahh, the excuses one can invent. I did lose a little weight on the walk, so my diet could have used some extra food; however, I made up for the weight loss when in towns!
One of the issues in planning the walk is the food supply. One can't carry all the food that is needed, so food packets need to be prepared and mailed ahead. This takes careful planning to get the right amount of food to the right place, and since often the parcel is being kept at the post office, planning the walk days in order to pick it up during the week as the post offices close over the weekend. Sometimes one can have the backpackers in that town pick up the parcel and hold it for you.
This was a consideration in my decision to stop walking at Northcliffe. Harry described the store at N as a "supermarket", but I was surprised to find it was a small country store with many bare shelves. I didn't see how I could come up with breakfast and lunch meals from what was on the shelf. Dinner meals had been mailed ahead by Harry but I didn't know that he had only mailed dinner meals. Later on he told me that he would have improvised and bought whatever he could, including candy bars, for breakfast and lunch. I wasn't able to think out of the box like that, and I wonder if I had whether that kind of diet would have worked for the seven days until the next town.
Read This First/Introduction
This blog is to record my experiences when walking the Bibbulmun Track in the south west corner of Australia. The state is Western Australia (WA). So when you see WA in my posts, think Australia, not Washington State!
I am writing this blog mostly for the benefit of my many well-wishers who are interested in my progress along the track.
All of them know from talking to me that I first attempted the track 3 years ago, and was unable to complete it because of a knee problem that developed.
The track is about 1000km long, about 621 miles. Those who have walked it from one end to the other are known as end-to-enders. You don't have to walk it in one attempt, rather the goal is walk all portions of the track in any order, after which you become an "e2e".
On my first attempt I was shepherded by an Australian I had met on the Internet. He was an experienced track walker. With his support and guidance I began my walking adventure at the northern end of the track in a town named Kalamunda. The goal was to walk e2e in one attempt.
For a couple of reasons that attempt didn't work out. A section was skipped (long story) but we
could easily make that up after finishing the track. Then I got an infection in my leg and had to stop walking for about a week. That blew any attempt at e2e, so we decided to do the best we could. Dealing with the infection caused me to miss a couple of other sections. When we resumed my knee became very painful and I stopped walking at Donnely River Village, the dividing point between the northern and southern half of the track.
But I couldn't get the track out of my head. Last year I almost came back but failed to plan airline ticket purchases and ended up canceling. This year I was ready and with the help of friends was able to purchase tickets at a price that worked for me.
For this second attempt I arrived back in WA (Perth) on October 13.
I am writing this blog mostly for the benefit of my many well-wishers who are interested in my progress along the track.
All of them know from talking to me that I first attempted the track 3 years ago, and was unable to complete it because of a knee problem that developed.
The track is about 1000km long, about 621 miles. Those who have walked it from one end to the other are known as end-to-enders. You don't have to walk it in one attempt, rather the goal is walk all portions of the track in any order, after which you become an "e2e".
On my first attempt I was shepherded by an Australian I had met on the Internet. He was an experienced track walker. With his support and guidance I began my walking adventure at the northern end of the track in a town named Kalamunda. The goal was to walk e2e in one attempt.
For a couple of reasons that attempt didn't work out. A section was skipped (long story) but we
could easily make that up after finishing the track. Then I got an infection in my leg and had to stop walking for about a week. That blew any attempt at e2e, so we decided to do the best we could. Dealing with the infection caused me to miss a couple of other sections. When we resumed my knee became very painful and I stopped walking at Donnely River Village, the dividing point between the northern and southern half of the track.
But I couldn't get the track out of my head. Last year I almost came back but failed to plan airline ticket purchases and ended up canceling. This year I was ready and with the help of friends was able to purchase tickets at a price that worked for me.
For this second attempt I arrived back in WA (Perth) on October 13.
In Balingup, Done With The Northern Half!
On my first go, I missed the section between North Bannister (a roadhouse) and the town of Dwellingup, between a roadhouse at Mumballup and the town of Balinginup, and between the town of Balingup and part way to the next hut south of Balingup. I've already described the walk to Dwellingup. This entry covers the walk to Balingup and the walk part way to the next hut south.
The walk here was interesting. I started out in Collie and had to get to the point where I stopped walking on my first go because of a leg infection. So I started out of town along the highway (as the point where I needed to resume was along the highway) and stuck my thumb out. A nice woman picked me up and drove me the 30 or so km to my start point.
From there is was about a 7km walk to the hut. Alone again. The birds at this location were extremely active, and the evening and morning were alive with sounds. If you have never heard a Cookaburra flock going at it here is a link to their call:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/kookaburra.au
I hear them all day long while walking; the forest will be silent except for other birds, and then there will be an explosion of Kookaburra sounds. The camera had a sound recording feature, so I put it into record mode to capture the birds in the evening and morning. About all I accomplished was to the run the battery down. If there are recoverable sounds on the camera card I'll post them here.
Another common bird in open areas such as pastures is the magpie. It is much different from the U.S. version, and have a very pretty call:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/magpie-group.au
The next day's walk to the next hut saw some rain, heavy at times, but not for a long time. Since I was on an old road which wasn't overgrown, rain wetted foliage wasn't an issue (see future posts for more on this). At one point I noticed movement on my right. A kangaroo came through the forest and onto the track about 20 feet in front of me, heading in my direction. He stopped. I stopped. Before I could get the camera out he turned around and disappeared. At that night's hut, the rain was amazingly heavy. It was almost dark when a group of boy scouts (four scouts and two leaders) arrived. I was amazed at the equipment they were carrying - old metal cased stoves, one had a two liter bottle of Coke. They were headed in the opposite direction and were only out for one more night, so heavy equipment, etc., was understandable.
The next day's walk to the town of Balingup was a long one, 24.5km. The first views of emerald green pastures, about the only open space anywhere so far, came up shortly, and the walk along a creek past wineries and B&Bs into Balingup was pleasant but long as I was anxious to be done with it. I met a bloke with a bicycle on my way in; he was heading up the very steep hill I was coming down. I wonder how he was able to get down the hill on his bike; he survived OK as I saw him the next day at a more cycle-friendly path.
In Balingup I stayed at what in Oz is called a backpackers. Backpackers places have sleeping rooms, some shared dorm style and some private, and common kitchen/bath/sitting areas. While there a couple of women cyclists arrived. I was very interested in their plans and experience as while the day's walk in Balingup took about 8 hours, I thought several times that it would have taken less than an hour to cover the same distance on a bike. The women were from Sydney, and were touring WA by bike. This is a very reasonable way to see the country as it is an easy day's ride from town to town where one can stay in a backpackers or hotel. We exchanged email addresses so I could contact them later and find out how the rest of their trip went. They thought they might be in the same towns South on the same days I would be there, but I didn't see them after Balingup. I haven't contacted them since returning, but will do so eventually.
The next day I made up the section between the town and hut that was missed the first time. Part of the walk was through an arboretum/sheep pasture. I had to step carefully while reading the placards beneath the trees; the trees were from all around the world, and it was interesting to see them. I walked the distance between the town and the hut that was skipped when I was there before; about 15km.
That walk completed all the sections that had been missed on my first go at the Track when I stopped walking at Donnelly River Village. And thus completes the northern half of the track for me.
Tomorrow Sandy and Belinda will pick me up and drive to DRV, where Sandy and I will join my mate Harry (his Track psuedonym)/Neville and his wife Margie to walk to Pemberton, which is four huts away. This will be my first venture, if you will, into the southern half of the track.
Balingup is a beautiful small town. It is noted for its B&Bs and botique wineries. Today I visited a winery that has won numerous awards for its fruit wines. I bought a bottle of plum port for use tomorrow evening. They also has some dried nectarines which I bought for a tasty afternoon snack.
The walk here was interesting. I started out in Collie and had to get to the point where I stopped walking on my first go because of a leg infection. So I started out of town along the highway (as the point where I needed to resume was along the highway) and stuck my thumb out. A nice woman picked me up and drove me the 30 or so km to my start point.
From there is was about a 7km walk to the hut. Alone again. The birds at this location were extremely active, and the evening and morning were alive with sounds. If you have never heard a Cookaburra flock going at it here is a link to their call:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/kookaburra.au
I hear them all day long while walking; the forest will be silent except for other birds, and then there will be an explosion of Kookaburra sounds. The camera had a sound recording feature, so I put it into record mode to capture the birds in the evening and morning. About all I accomplished was to the run the battery down. If there are recoverable sounds on the camera card I'll post them here.
Another common bird in open areas such as pastures is the magpie. It is much different from the U.S. version, and have a very pretty call:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/magpie-group.au
The next day's walk to the next hut saw some rain, heavy at times, but not for a long time. Since I was on an old road which wasn't overgrown, rain wetted foliage wasn't an issue (see future posts for more on this). At one point I noticed movement on my right. A kangaroo came through the forest and onto the track about 20 feet in front of me, heading in my direction. He stopped. I stopped. Before I could get the camera out he turned around and disappeared. At that night's hut, the rain was amazingly heavy. It was almost dark when a group of boy scouts (four scouts and two leaders) arrived. I was amazed at the equipment they were carrying - old metal cased stoves, one had a two liter bottle of Coke. They were headed in the opposite direction and were only out for one more night, so heavy equipment, etc., was understandable.
The next day's walk to the town of Balingup was a long one, 24.5km. The first views of emerald green pastures, about the only open space anywhere so far, came up shortly, and the walk along a creek past wineries and B&Bs into Balingup was pleasant but long as I was anxious to be done with it. I met a bloke with a bicycle on my way in; he was heading up the very steep hill I was coming down. I wonder how he was able to get down the hill on his bike; he survived OK as I saw him the next day at a more cycle-friendly path.
In Balingup I stayed at what in Oz is called a backpackers. Backpackers places have sleeping rooms, some shared dorm style and some private, and common kitchen/bath/sitting areas. While there a couple of women cyclists arrived. I was very interested in their plans and experience as while the day's walk in Balingup took about 8 hours, I thought several times that it would have taken less than an hour to cover the same distance on a bike. The women were from Sydney, and were touring WA by bike. This is a very reasonable way to see the country as it is an easy day's ride from town to town where one can stay in a backpackers or hotel. We exchanged email addresses so I could contact them later and find out how the rest of their trip went. They thought they might be in the same towns South on the same days I would be there, but I didn't see them after Balingup. I haven't contacted them since returning, but will do so eventually.
The next day I made up the section between the town and hut that was missed the first time. Part of the walk was through an arboretum/sheep pasture. I had to step carefully while reading the placards beneath the trees; the trees were from all around the world, and it was interesting to see them. I walked the distance between the town and the hut that was skipped when I was there before; about 15km.
That walk completed all the sections that had been missed on my first go at the Track when I stopped walking at Donnelly River Village. And thus completes the northern half of the track for me.
Tomorrow Sandy and Belinda will pick me up and drive to DRV, where Sandy and I will join my mate Harry (his Track psuedonym)/Neville and his wife Margie to walk to Pemberton, which is four huts away. This will be my first venture, if you will, into the southern half of the track.
Balingup is a beautiful small town. It is noted for its B&Bs and botique wineries. Today I visited a winery that has won numerous awards for its fruit wines. I bought a bottle of plum port for use tomorrow evening. They also has some dried nectarines which I bought for a tasty afternoon snack.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
North Bannister (Gringer Creek hut) to Dwellingup
Sandy dropped me off at North Bannister, a road house on the Perth-Albany highway, at 7AM. Off I went. The weather was slightly overcast and cool for walking, no second layer needed. The
distance to the first hut was about 18.5km, over two hills (one about a 200m climb, the other about 100m). Some great views from the first hill, called Boonering Hill; I took some photos and will post them after they can be edited (no USB connection on this computer). It was great to see the hut after about 6 hours of walking. I was alone. After settling in I experimented with a Motrin as one foot was complaining; it really helped. Everything (food, cooking, sleeping) worked out as planned. The hut was empty when I arrived, and no one arrived after me, so I was alone for the night.
The next morning I was on the track by 7. There was a slight hill to be climbed then a descent into a long valley then up another hill. That hill was a toughie, very steep and in the sun. The hut was at the very top. 5 hours to get there and I was beat. There was a fire lookout tower which was climbable to 1/2 way up. Great views, more photos at sunset to be posted later. Again I was alone overnight - sounds in the bush told me that emus and kangaroos were near.
On the track again at 7:30. Down that hill and then a long walk over undulating terrain to the next hut which was along a (mostly dry by now) watercourse. By the time I got there about 5 hours later, it was starting to feel quite hot. I took a welcome sponge bath, and lay down nude, not expecting anyone to arrive. 1/2 hour later three women arrived. Scramble! They were going south as was I, but they were "double hutting" (staying at every other hut). Sheesh, they were carrying wine and chocolates, having a grand old time. I'm still sorting out how to relate their walking abilities to mine...
The next day would end at the town of Dwellingup, and would end the first section that was skipped the first time I walked. It was very hot, 34 C which is about 93 F. When I got to Dwellingup I drank a pint of water (in addition to two pints along the way), then three pints
of beer. It was late in the evening before I had to pee, which made me realize how dehydrated I had gotten without noticing it. That was a important lesson and I have adjusted my water carrying plans so that I will have sufficient water for other hot days.
I am writing this from Bunbury, a car hop and a bus ride away from Dwellingup. Here I am making a few more gear adjustments (added a water bladder to my pack, got a mosquito net for my head as the flies are very pesky and distract from the joy of walking).
Weather-wise, it is supposed to be April here. But it is much hotter, with a few rain showers which only seem to raise the humidity. I have concluded that the camp and overnight clothing and gear I brought back from the last trip is way too warm this year. I've just mailed all my warm clothing ahead to the next town (Balingup) that I will walk to. That will give two nights in huts without the warm clothing that only adds weight to the pack and that hasn't been used yet.
I had to modify my plans when I discovered that the bus to the jumping off point for the second
leg didn't run on Thursday. So today I am moving to Collie, from which I can get to the jumping off point easily tomorrow.
distance to the first hut was about 18.5km, over two hills (one about a 200m climb, the other about 100m). Some great views from the first hill, called Boonering Hill; I took some photos and will post them after they can be edited (no USB connection on this computer). It was great to see the hut after about 6 hours of walking. I was alone. After settling in I experimented with a Motrin as one foot was complaining; it really helped. Everything (food, cooking, sleeping) worked out as planned. The hut was empty when I arrived, and no one arrived after me, so I was alone for the night.
The next morning I was on the track by 7. There was a slight hill to be climbed then a descent into a long valley then up another hill. That hill was a toughie, very steep and in the sun. The hut was at the very top. 5 hours to get there and I was beat. There was a fire lookout tower which was climbable to 1/2 way up. Great views, more photos at sunset to be posted later. Again I was alone overnight - sounds in the bush told me that emus and kangaroos were near.
On the track again at 7:30. Down that hill and then a long walk over undulating terrain to the next hut which was along a (mostly dry by now) watercourse. By the time I got there about 5 hours later, it was starting to feel quite hot. I took a welcome sponge bath, and lay down nude, not expecting anyone to arrive. 1/2 hour later three women arrived. Scramble! They were going south as was I, but they were "double hutting" (staying at every other hut). Sheesh, they were carrying wine and chocolates, having a grand old time. I'm still sorting out how to relate their walking abilities to mine...
The next day would end at the town of Dwellingup, and would end the first section that was skipped the first time I walked. It was very hot, 34 C which is about 93 F. When I got to Dwellingup I drank a pint of water (in addition to two pints along the way), then three pints
of beer. It was late in the evening before I had to pee, which made me realize how dehydrated I had gotten without noticing it. That was a important lesson and I have adjusted my water carrying plans so that I will have sufficient water for other hot days.
I am writing this from Bunbury, a car hop and a bus ride away from Dwellingup. Here I am making a few more gear adjustments (added a water bladder to my pack, got a mosquito net for my head as the flies are very pesky and distract from the joy of walking).
Weather-wise, it is supposed to be April here. But it is much hotter, with a few rain showers which only seem to raise the humidity. I have concluded that the camp and overnight clothing and gear I brought back from the last trip is way too warm this year. I've just mailed all my warm clothing ahead to the next town (Balingup) that I will walk to. That will give two nights in huts without the warm clothing that only adds weight to the pack and that hasn't been used yet.
I had to modify my plans when I discovered that the bus to the jumping off point for the second
leg didn't run on Thursday. So today I am moving to Collie, from which I can get to the jumping off point easily tomorrow.
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