Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Lankeys Creek Campsite

Tin Mines Campsite

21.3

342.0 

Cold and foggy early, and cool and overcast later.

Camping at Tin Mines Campsite

Breakfast:  Muesli
Lunch:  Muesli bars and gorp
Dinner:  Soup, Chicken Tikka Masala and chocolate

None

I was expecting it to start raining overnight, but there were only a couple of brief showers.  However, there was a fog in the valley where I was camped and everything was damp.....and it was also cold.  I got up at 6:30am and was hiking by soon after 8:30am, anticipating an easier and shorter day's hiking.

An early bonus was finding that the official route of the Hume & Hovell Track had changed, presumably because an owner had granted permission, to take a track up through a private pine plantation which cut out a couple of kilometres, including a road section.  It was cold but the steady climb through the plantation for 30 minutes soon warmed me up.  At the top of the climb, the trail joined the old H&H route and followed a broad forested ridge to the west.  After a short while it entered the Woomargama National Park to follow the Tin Mines Track and the forest changed to a grassy eucalypt forest that was very easy on the eye in the overcast conditions.  All muted shades of green, grey and brown with the occasional white snow gum standing out.  It was very quiet except for the occasional wallaby or disturbed flock black or white cockatoos.

Further on as the track climbed higher to round a couple of knolls, there were partially obscured views across the rural land to the west and mountains to the east.  I was making good time and, after a short lunch stop, completed the last section of the day's hike with a gradual descent to the Tin Mines Flats and my campsite which I reached at 2:15pm.  The next campsite is another 20km further on, so continuing was not really an option.  Firstly, water is scarce in Woomargama NP on my route and, secondly, the official campsites have some shelter and rain is still forecast.

I set up camp, washed and dried out the gear that was still damp and settled into a relaxing afternoon including a walk around the Flats and some reading.  I had an early dinner and went to bed early to have a read.  Rain is still expected tonight, but I'm starting to think that maybe it has somehow missed me.  However, there is a "sheep weather alert" out for this region so maybe there is weather misery to come.