October 10, 2015
Pemberton, Western Australia
This is the 4th town in 5 weeks. It's been a fun hike with 3 weeks left to go. While I'm walking I think of all kinds of great things to write about, but when I start writing my mind goes blank. Why is that? And typing with arthritic hands on my iPhone is not pain free. Whine. Whine. Whine.
I'm sleeping on the back deck at the hostel because the dorm room's windows don't open. I need fresh air. It's beautiful out here. Cooler tonight. Perhaps in the 50s. I'm hiking out in the morning with about 14 miles to go. And it will be quite warm in the afternoon. Maybe near 80*. That's nearly 7 hours to hike it. So probably not in until 3ish. Ugh! But have to stop for a latte and croissant at the bakery on the way out! I have my priorities.
I've learned so much about the flora and fauna on this hike. Waugal, the guy I'm hiking with, is also interested and quite observant so he helps to show me much that I would have missed. And we share our photos of our findings at the end of the day if we didn't hike together that day. He hikes faster than I do so spends much time waiting for me....probably glad to have an excuse to put his heavy pack down.
The wildflowers have been stunning! You'd have seen them on my Facebook page. And oh the orchids! So tiny and hard to see but magnificent when you find them. And so many different types. It's like a treasure hunt looking for them!
The bushes and trees have been quite interesting too. Mostly there are eucalyptus trees everywhere. But different kinds: jarrah, marri, yarri, and karri. The karri are here now. And so massively tall with no branches until the top. I almost topple over trying to look up them!
I've learned to identify several by the bark which can be distinctively different. Some bark is streaking up and down, others are like puzzle pieces. Paper bark gum is thin and flakey. It's fun figuring this all out.
But the most fun had been trying to understand the banksia tree and how it's big seed pods open. Also are the flowers and pods all the same or is there a male and female? I think the later is true.
And my absolute favorite are the grass trees with their broad black trunks and green spikes coming out the top. The green tops survive the bush fires. I haven't a clue how. And 6 months after a fire, the area is lush with new growth. Orchids are abundant. Everything is so green and healthy. Only the imported trees are dead. Aussie trees love fire! They sprout new growth all over their trunks. It's the funniest sight. I thought it was a green vine wrapping around the burned trunks but it was sprouts of new growth to catch the rain and sunlight to feed and heal the tree quickly. Then the sprouts all drop away when no longer needed by the tree.
October 11, 2015
I'm at Warren Shelter tonight. First campsite out of Pemberton.
First stop today was at the Gloucester Tree. You really should google it because my description won't do it justice, I'm sure. In areas with no high points for fire towers, they used to find the highest karri tree and build a fire tower in the top of it. Then to get up to the tower the put iron rods into the tree spiraling up to the top 53 meters. Can you believe it's open for anyone to climb? How crazy is that?!?! I started to go up. Got about 10 rungs up and could not go further. Too scary! I'd need a harness to be that exposed and that high up. I know I have a fear of heights. Not going to be that crazy!!
It seems coming out of town after a zero is tougher. The pack is heavier and the legs stiffer. I'm having my usual achy feet problem. They get so painful during the day. And after a rest, I'm hobbling for a km or so.
Today my sandals created a new issue. There were many many sticks on the trail and I'd pick one up between my sandal and my toes carrying it horizontally forward where it would bang into to back of my other ankle then twist and scrap along the inside of the ankle as my foot completed the step. Ouch!! My ankles were a bloody mess by the time I arrived in camp.
October 12, 2015
Schafer Campsite
This has to be the most beautiful site ever for a shelter!! Appalachian Trail included. It's on a pond/reservoir with a swimming area. And today, arriving just after noon, it was hot enough for a swim. Yippee!!
An early start. Up at 5:30, out just after 6 am. But it still was hot when I finished. Ugh! The heat and humidity just saps me making the hills even harder to get up than they were. The terrain is quite rolling. Up over a hill. Down to a river. Up over another hill.
Some people we were hiking with, Rock Star and Orchid, have seen 14 snakes so far. As many as 5 in one day! What really worries me is I haven't seen any. And it's probably that I'm just not noticing them! Yikes!! What if I step on one?!?!?!! These are Tiger snakes usually. And poisonous! I like to hike with Waugal about 50 paces ahead of me to scare them away. But he's only seen one or two.
We have long lingering afternoons in camp. I'm usually done when I arrive after 12-14 miles (20+ kms). Then the eating begins as I graze my way through my feedbag:). Perhaps a nap. Collect firewood for an evening fire where I'll boil my water for dinner to save fuel.
The flies are getting worse. When I stop on the trail for a break they find me. And call their friends over. And some get to biting. That's it! Up I get. Get walking. Today, for the first time, they were around camp. And annoying me. Biting. Ouch. I had to out my thermals on and sox to protect myself. In this heat! Ugh.
I sure enjoyed the swim though. First one on this hike. Reminds me of the lakes in the Adirondacks. A bit homesick. I could use a canoe to travel in about now:)
Many times on this hike I'm having AT flashbacks. The trail looks the same. The AT has more blazes though! And I have to remind myself this is only 2 months, not 6! Less than 3 weeks to go. Just when I'm in good hiking condition it will be over. In some ways, too short.
But I'm sitting on a log (getting bit by ants) looking out over this calm lake, and for the moment there's no place I'd rather be. This new life of mine is truly about living in the moment. And the peace that brings. There's times I try to think about: what next, but no answer comes to me. So I know it's not time for me to know.
Oct 14, 2015
Maringup Lake Campsite
What should have been 3 easy days: 14 kms, 15 kms, 17 kms, we managed to make into 2 tough days. How the hell did that happen, I'd like to know? Yesterday we hiked the 14 kms into Northcliffe by 10:30 am. Done! We'll find some place to camp near town, I thought. We go eat and hang with Rock Star and Orchid (they double hutted yesterday and got in last night). We got our resupply and we were hanging around when we got the idea of hiking 8 kms out of town (halfway to next hut), then hiking a hut and a half into here tonight. Sitting around wasn't really fun so let's take extra water for a bush camp and go. A couple of kms into it we were like "what were we thinking??!!!" We can do this. Just hike for a couple of hours. My back is killing me with the weight of 3 liters of water and 6 days of food. Ugh!! But by 5 pm we called it quits and camped on a sandy old road at the top of a hill in a burned out area. Beautiful evening sun. Then the wind picked up and I knew rain was coming. It rained most of the night. I love that, except when ya gotta go out to pee. (Miss my pee jar;).
On the trail by 6:30 am with 25 kms to go. The trail here is mostly loose sand which is exhausting to walk on. Oh my. And there was a bush fire in this area last February so lots of sunlight. That's tiring too. But by 2 pm I made it to camp. Tired but happy! First thing, off with the dress and into the lake! Ahhhh! Now this is living!
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman
