Day: |
016 |
Date: |
Sunday, 18 May 1986 |
Start: |
|
Finish: |
|
Daily
AT Miles: |
19.3 |
Daily Other Miles |
0 |
Total
AT Miles: |
289.3 |
Total All Miles |
299.8 |
Weather: |
Sunny and hot in the morning. Cloudy,
humid, thunderstorms and rain in the afternoon. |
Accommodation: |
|
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Chocolate milk. Lunch:
Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar. Dinner: Spaghetti,
instant pudding. |
Aches: |
Hot spots on feet. |
Animals Seen: |
Grouse with about eight chicks, tortoise. |
People Seen: |
Some in town, one overnight hiker. |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
|
Journal: |
Got up at 7:20am after a bad night’s
sleep. Ate too much yesterday. Decided to just have chocolate milk
for breakfast and threw out almost two litres of Coke, some chips
and a pint of milk. I left soon after 8am and posted some letters
on the way out of town. I was very worried about the repaired boot
and kept checking it. There was a tough climb out of town up to
Lovers Leap on a steamy morning and I was soaked in sweat. There
was a good view over the town. After about three miles my left foot
suddenly felt loose in the boot (my good boot!). It had come
apart. Swear words! Should I return to town and get Marj to post
the new boots to Hot Springs? It would take until Tuesday. I
didn’t really want to waste three days, so spent an hour gluing the
left boot back together. I set off gingerly. I decided I could
hitch a ride back into Hot Springs from the road I would cross in
about five miles if the boots were bad. They seemed OK as I passed
through pastureland and next to an old dam. I surprised a grouse
nesting, apparently, on the Trail. Mother and chicks took off in
all directions except for one that stayed. I crossed the road –
boots still OK. The Trail now passed through forest with no views
and occasional hills. Suddenly, the left boot began coming apart
again. Curses. I changed to the old Brooks sneakers and decided to
keep going to Damascus, 170 miles away. I hope the Brooks and feet
last. I stopped at Spring Mt Shelter for lunch and read the first
hut register for a long time. Not many in front, but a couple are
“religos” leaving religious messages in the register. I made my own
entry in the register and set off, now aiming for 20 miles for the
day instead of 26 because of the time wasted on boots. There was
some thunder and intermittent rain and drizzle in the afternoon. I
arrived at Little Laurel Shelter just before 5pm. No one else was
there and I went and filled my water bottles at a trickle spring,
during which time it began raining heavily. Fortunately, I had
already got some dry firewood to add to that already in the
Shelter. The rain stopped after an hour and I cooked dinner. I had
a relaxed evening and went to bed at 9pm, cursing the boots. |
|
ADVENTURE LIST
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Via Alpina
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Australian Alps Walking
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|