Oct 5, 2015
Tom Rd Shelter, Donnelly River, WA, Australia
I'm going to just post this. Every time I try to add more, the app crashes so I'd better just post it while I can.
So where did I last leave you? I think I was leaving Dwellingup with plastic bags and duct tape to cross the Murray River where the Long Gully Bridge had burned. It was to come the 4th day out so we had a bit of time to think about how to tackle it. Lorna and Sam (the Girls) had left the day ahead of us so they were writing us notes in the trail logs. I've given out a lot of trail names but they're not really into using them here so I'm giving it up...except for Waugal, my hiking partner.
I had a bit of a bang one day when hiking up this hill, the trail jumped up and slapped me in the face. It mashed my glasses into my head and I landed on my forehead. I was pretty thankful I didn't break my glasses:)
The shelters are pretty consistent in their structure of wide bunks on each side (big enough for 2+) and a picnic table down the middle. Then some newer ones have a platform connecting the bottom bunks and the table under the roof out front. A fire pit and another table...and a dunny (outhouse), often with toilet paper. We have a fire most every night and I heat my dinner water over the fire on this cast iron shelf that swings over the fire. There's also a hook to hang a billy (pot for boiling water, which Lorna is carrying and has been a treat to have).
So the day before the river crossing arrived and since we had a decision point about 15 kms down the trail, Waugal and I hiked together. The decision was whether we were going on to the shelter or taking the diversion and bush camping down the way. The diversion had you go on to the shelter then backtrack 4 kms to where our decision point was. We opted to cancel that if we took the diversion and shorten the long day a bit. When we got to the decision point we were at the river, just not where we wanted to cross it. This was where the diversion crossed it. We checked out the water level and it was low. More good news. Ok. We're going for the river crossing. Can you swim, Waugal? Enough. Our plan was to hike down to the "summer crossing" marked on our map and cross there. Should be low enough. So we hiked on to the shelter. When we looked in the trail log, Lorna and Sam had left us a note that they were going to the "summer crossing" and using Lorna's GPS to find it. They'd mark the sandy trail to show us where they went. Great. We didn't have a GPS and the map is often too vague. There are many more forest roads than the map shows so it's often quite confusing.
The trail to the river was mostly forest roads but quite 4WD and rutted. Also quite steep and with those tiny ball bearings. There was a moment when I lifted my foot to put it down and test the surface and it skidded. Whoa! Another time I was standing there with total fear of skidding. I wanted to sit and butt slide down but that would have hurt in a dress. I only use one pole and if I picked it up, I was releasing the force that was preventing me from sliding down the road. What to do? This is not fun! I have to get down somehow in one piece. I can't stay here. Go for it, BagLady! And off I went. Whew! Glad when I got to the bottom of that!!
We get down near where we think the cutoff is to the "summer crossing" but Lorna has an arrow that tells us to stay on the trail. Now what do we do? I say, let's follow her advice. She's got the GPS and she's a smart cookie. There's a reason not to cut to the river now. And on we go following arrows in the sand along these forest roads. Can she have gone all the way to the Long Gully Bridge crossing? Our map showed no crossings before there. Here's a turn towards the river. Is there an arrow? Yes. Over here. Down we go. Another intersection. Arrow? We search and search. Nothing. Let's just head to the river. Look. It's narrow down here. And there are trees we can cross on. Perfect. We'll have to scooch across. But we'll stay dry. That was easy! Sure better than a 30 km diversion!
Now where are we and how do we reconnect with the trail? There's a road beyond that brush somewhere...at least it shows on our map. But the brush is quite dense. There's a lot of wear and tear on the shoreline and rope swings over the water. It's obvious kids come down here to swim. We need to find where they come in. Follow the shoreline and voila! A road. That connects to our road. We're found!
We still had 12 kms to get to the campsite. The shelter burnt down in the fire that burned the bridge. Brush fires are a common occurrence whether by accident or prescribed. Every shelter has a road access because of this danger so that if necessary hikers can be evacuated by rangers. The fire before the roadhouse the first week caused them to evacuate several hikers from the trail. They also drove into our shelter to tell us that the trail was closed ahead. Much appreciated. Gave is time to plan our way around the burn.
We got into Possum Springs campsite and a northbound hiker tells us that others he met southbound ing had gotten here and the water jugs were empty. They went down to the tiny creek and filtered water. Lucky for us, Lorna, who had gotten here the day before, had the wherewithal to call the rangers and request they resupply the water here. Good on ya! Good for us.
Now writing a couple of days later. It's 5;30 am. I'm awake and snuggled in my tent. Yesterday was a trying day and my longest day yet. I took off at 6:50 am and didn't pull into Beavis Campsite until after 3:30. Waugal was so worried about me he started hiking back up the track. I was long after the dad and his 11 yo daughter who are hiking this section. Here's what happened.
I had a great start. Beautiful morning. Feeling chipper. Loving the walk. And after 2 hours I was 8.5 kms down the trail...fastest time yet. Usually I'm only 7 kms. I'm breezing. I had read in the notes for this section that there were a fair number of hills and that's why I set out early. I was 20 minutes behind Waugal who's always first out. And then I missed a turn and hiked up this terribly steep and rutted 4 WD road that was the toughest hill I've climbed. And it went up and up and up again. Since it's not uncommon for there to be no waugal markers I've stopped looking for them. I did see a worn path so other hikers had been here. It must be the way. There hadn't been anywhere to turn that I saw. And near the top was a log across that had a chunk cut out to ease crossing. And a worn path. Which continued. Then at another downed tree there was a worn path around it. Still no waugals. But the thought of going back down that steep, slippery, rutted road was more than I could bear. Especially if I found out I was on the right track and had to climb it again. Better to continue. Surely there'll be a Waugal soon. Reading the notes was no help because I could never figure out where I was. It mentioned a steep hill we weren't suppose to climb but turn left at the base. There was no turn down there. Eventually I came to a T junction. Still no waugal. I follow the worn path left and arrive at a gravel road. Still no markers. I start to cry...and scream. Fucking waugals!!!! I can't go back down that hill!!!!! Shit!!!!! I'm so screwed!!! I sit down. Take a break. Have a snack. Get yourself together. Then do what you know you have to do. Go back until you figure out where you got off track. By the time I creeped my way back down that steep, slippery, muddy hill an hour had passed since I had started up it. Argh! And what is extremely obvious from this direction? A turn at the base. How did I miss it? It's clearly marked from this direction. Big post. (I was reprieved when everyone said it was hard to see from the other way and they all had gotten ready to start climbing when out of the corner of their eye after rounding a bush, they saw it. Miss Oblivious to Detail missed it!)
That was hard to recover from. My mood was shot. Shake it off, BagLady. Take lots of breaks. Enjoy the scenery. Have fun. So you lost an hour. You have plenty of time. It's only 21 kms today. Just over 12 miles. You're nearly halfway. So on I plod. And rest. Everyone must have passed me while I was taking "the scenic route". I'm seeing no one. Then I don't usually. An hour later, sitting having lunch, Comet comes up. You must have left late, I say. Enjoyed the empty campsite, she responded. She's named Comet for a reason! And she hiked with no notes, just a map and only using the profile. I don't like knowing what's ahead really, she tells me. And you don't get lost? No, just follow the waugals and path. Guess she's either luckier than me or more observant. Or both.
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman
