I got up at 6 AM with the goal of leaving the Lodge around 8 AM.
I was mostly packed but wanted to grab a quick shower and then had
to clean my room, etc., before leaving. As I ate breakfast, Ken came
out and offered to drive me up to the Mount Loch Car Park where I
had left the AAWT to come down to the village. I accepted his kind
offer and we left soon after 8 AM. A part of me would have liked
just spending another day hanging out at the lodge and bistro, but
there was no point in staying and it looked like being superb
weather for hiking. For almost the entire day I would be in very
familiar territory.
The AAWT across the High Plains is the same route used for much
of the Rooftop Run (a.k.a. Bogong to Hotham 64 km) run each January
and I have completed it three times. I also used to come up to the
High Plains in summer about 30 years ago when a serious athlete to
spend a week or two training at altitude with friends. As I started
walking it warmed up rapidly as the sun rose in clear skies and I
was soon wearing shorts and T-shirt. There was a very light breeze
and a great sense of stillness about the mountains and plains.
As I left the ski fields behind me, I descended a rocky foot trail
to the Cobungra River and then climbed up the other side to reach
the start of the High Plains. The descent and ascent were slow but
not particularly difficult.
As I reached the Plains, I caught a school group and chatted for
10 minutes with one of the teachers. It was then about 15 km walking
across the tussocky grass snow plains following a narrow track that
followed a very long line of numbered snow poles. It was quite wet
underfoot compared to January when I ran here. It was a picture
perfect day and I had the place to myself as far as the eye could
see apart from a couple of small groups of brumbies. On some of the
hills and in the distance there were silver forests of dead snow
guns, presumably from the bushfires of 2003.
I had lunch at 1 PM sitting on some rocks and then kept moving.
(For the interest of my Bogong to Hotham running buddies, they were
starting to construct a professional foot trail from the road
towards Hotham, which should make the run easier next year.) Around
2:30 PM I crossed a sealed road and after a short descent the trail
began following an aqueduct that contoured around the eastern edge
of the High Plains and gave extensive views to the east. It was easy
walking and I was making good time for the day.
Finally the AAWT climbed away from the aqueduct (I was ready for
something else) and climbed to the High Plains again. I reached my
goal, Edmondson Hut, an old cattlemans' hut, just before 6 PM and
was in bed soon after 8 PM. I could have slept in the Hut, but
decided to sleep in my tent. When the sun went down it got
very cold very quickly. I suspect I've been quite sunburnt by the
High Plains sun today, but it was memorable and special hiking.
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