Bibbulmun Track - week 6 continued

October 16, 2015
Mt Chance Campsite

One of the first sunsets I saw tonight from the top of Mt Chance, a large granite rock with 360* views of the Pingerup Plains. Don't often get to see sunsets because I'm usually deep in the woods. Maybe that will change now that I'm nearing the ocean. One can hope:)

In the last few days we've spotted black, wild piglets, a blue-tongue lizard and my first snake. Others have seen upwards of 14 snakes so far. Mine was a baby...up on a dried stump. A training snake. I'm not ready for the bigger ones. Today a guy here at the shelter told of being nearly attacked by a tiger snake that he almost stepped on. As it flared up he whipped it away with his pole. No thank you. And me in sandals. Scary!

The wildflowers continue to be amazing. In the plains today we found so many new varieties. It's almost overwhelming trying to photograph them all. So many different types of blooms and stalks and leaves. Orchids are the hardest to spot. There's a couple now ahead of us by a day that have wicked orchid hunting ability. And they mark the sand with notes and arrows showing us the ones we'd have walked right past. I'm calling it the "Orchid Tour". Hope they keep it up!!

Yesterday and today we were on a diversion due to Feb's fire. This meant lots of road walking. But the diversion was shorter and that pleased us. But road walking is never easy and the temporary campsite they put up had a water tank and a porta-potty. We get in tonight and see notes in the journal that Lorna and Sam didn't do the diversion and the old site had a new toilet, picnic table, and fire ring. The just don't open the route because you have to wade through a river. Wish we'd known that:(.

Oh well. Phone is dying. Better sign off.

October 17, 2015
Woolbales Campsite

My anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail...8 years ago!! Where has the time gone? And what a full life I've had since then. Oh the places I've seen!! And 8 years later I'm still plodding my way down a trail with a pack on my back, bitching and moaning about how hard it is, how my body hurts, how I wish this day would end, how lucky I am to be where I am doing what I'm doing....

Quityourbitchin:)

But my aging body hurts a bit more. My back aches through the shoulders. My feet hurt. Through the muck and the mud I plodded today. Black mud. Slippery mud. Sandal sucking mud. Heavy mud. But luckily the water levels are low or I could have been wading through waist high water. That's what the trail notes said.

And it's getting warmer. By 10 am (and I've been hiking 4 hours by then), it's hot. The umbrella seems heavy to hold. A rest break is torture because the marchflies find you and bite you...hard...painfully. Swish. Swish. With a small branch of leaves. Trying to keep them off my feet. I'm so exposed in a dress with bare legs. And sandals with socks. They bite through the socks. They were white. They're black now. From the black mud. The socks are worn to ease the rubbing of points on the sandals. They also help the bottoms of my feet feel a bit less tender. And I think they help protect my feet from sticks that jump up and stab my toes.

Yesterday we met a north bounder from England who had the biggest kit. He was carrying a 2 person Hubba Hubba tent. 6 lbs I think. He had had a military bivy sack to but ditched that. He had 2 stoves: a canister one and a Jetboil. He said his pack weighed over 60 lbs when he started. He might be down to 50 now. Yikes! He'll learn I guess. Makes my measly 28 lbs a breeze. But it feels heavy to me. And the only luxury it is a deck of cards...which had gotten quite a but of use. Waugal and I play gin rummy most nights. I'm winning:)

To keep my weight down I'm packing a minimum of food. So minimum that I worry I'll run out. I'm constantly hungry. And I have to stop eating just to save some for the days left until town. 6-7 days of food is heavy. Estimating how much snacks you want is challenging. Two days, one night left. I have 3 oatmeals, a bit of coffee, some almonds and a couple of dried fruits, a couple of crackers for lunch tomorrow and nothing for the day after, and noodles and instant soup for dinner tomorrow night...and half a large chocolate bar for desert. Pretty slim pickins! Food in town will be so appreciated!! Just 2 more days if we double hut the last day. Waugal says he has a bit extra food if we don't double hut that would see us through. He's saved my arse so many times this hike. He's carrying so much and I'm the ultralight moocher!! Always short on something. He gave me an apple today. How sweet was that?!?!

I took a 2 hour so this afternoon so I'm not ready to sleep tonight even though it's after 8 pm. I should though. 5:30 comes too quickly. And besides my phone battery is low again.

Bonne nuit!!

October 18, 2015
Long Point Campsite

The Ocean!! I made it to the Southern Ocean!



Quite exciting, I must say! But oh, the sand dunes are exhausting to walk on. And I'll be walking for the next 2 weeks on coastal dunes. Beautiful but challenging.

And today in the beach a wave caught me by surprise and soaked my feet. Then the sand stuck to them, chaffing under the back strap. So I switched to my crocs. Only problem with them is no back strap so there I am trying to scramble up loose sand in the dunes where each step slides down the hill anyways, and I'm sliding out of my crocs too. So I took them off and climbed barefoot. Which was fine when there wasn't scratchy pokey things stabbing my feet.

I made it to the campsite just the same. Waugal was already here. And it wasn't 30 minutes later that the skies opened up and it rained all afternoon. A coastal storm. So glad we were cozy and dry in a shelter:)

I just had enough food for this section. Dang I call it close. Too close. So hungry. Town tomorrow. But a 22 km double hut day to get there. I wouldn't rush but I have nothing left except a few nuts and 1 Snickers bar. It's been a week since I've had fresh veggies. Oh I want the biggest salad.

I'm really looking forward to walking this gorgeous coast line for a couple of weeks. I have 4 inlets to cross. One by canoe. The others depend on whether they've been recently dredged out. They may be walkable. Just have to wait and see.



Waugal and me at the ocean!!


Livin' the dream,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Bibbulmun Track - Weeks 5 & 6

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

Bibbulmun Track -Weeks 3 & 4

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

Bibbulman Track - Weeks 1 & 2

September 22, 2015
Dookanelly Campsite, Western Australia

Third time's a charm. I've had already 2 catastrophes trying to write a blog about my hike. The first, with pics and all, won't open again so that I can upload it. Just crashes this app. The second attempt the other night I lost when my phone died before I could Save it:(. Since we have wonderfully long afternoons in the shelters, I'll try again. Words only for now. Don't want any problems.

I started this hike Monday, the 7th at about 5 pm. Peter, my Warmshowers host, drove me out to Kalamunda after work. That worked out well for me because I had some resupply boxes with map sections to mail that day anyways.

I had decided to let him drop me a ways up the trail do I only had a short hike to the first shelter. I'm not a purist so skipping 8 kms didn't bother me. At the shelter I met Chris and Kirsty from Scotland, a young couple living here and on their first long hike.

I should probably orient y'all a bit about the Bibbulmun. It's one of the longest tracks in Australia at 1020 kms give or take. (That's roughly 600 miles for those who need me to do the conversion. I'm finding I need to convert because my hiking mind works in miles, but I'm doing it less.). It's in Western Australia (a state) in the southwest corner from east of Perth down to the southern shore and then east to Albany. This trail is a popular multi-day hike but I have no idea how many end-to-enders there are in any year. Right now there are 8 that I know of that are within a day or two of me.

The shelters are a bit nicer than the ones on the Appalachian Trail (hereafter referred to as the AT). They have a picnic table perpendicular up the middle and double wide bunks on either side sleeping eight. Other ones have the bottom bunk continuing all the way across sleeping 4 more and a large long picnic table out front under a roof. There's usually a fire pit and always a water tank with rain water collection as our source. It says to treat it but I'm not. None of us are. Rain water tastes do good and the tanks are closed. Most of Australia drinks tank water!

The next night I was alone in the shelter. And that was fine. I started slowly going hut to hut, about 5-8 miles a day. My body is used to sitting all day and my feet are no used to walking much less carrying 28 lbs. Have to break her in slowly. I did get some foot spin early on, but it has subsided. I ache, for sure. And struggle up hills. But this old body is still strong and loving the challenge.

The third night I had 2 older guys who are E2Ers. (End-to-enders.). Bob and Terry. And also Ari was camped. The next morning Ari said he, like the 2 guys, had double hutted that day and with the heat and the weight of his pack, he did himself in. He'd decided to go slower so we've been at the same huts ever since. And he's been named Waugal because with his dark completion and his yellow and black raincoat he looks just like the Waugal emblem for the trail markers.



The weather has been mostly dry and sunny. We've had some rain and wind but nothing too bad and only a day or two. Daytime temps in the 70s I'd guess. But nighttime is cold! Brrr. High 30s, low 40s. I'm using all my gear to stay warm. There's nothing extra. Most nights I'm in the shelter. When a large group of women were on the trail for 3 nights, I used my tent. After Spacey, my backpacking tent seems so small. Not seems, IS! Makes me love and miss Spacey (Big Sky Revolution 2P with Porch) all the more!! Luckily won't have to use it too often. But some campsites don't have a shelter due to fires last fall. And you have to use a tent.

The following night, Lorna, a Brit in her 40s, who's been traveling the world for 14 years joined us. She's now The Littlest Hobo. And the following day, Samantha, now Comet, blazed in! And that was our merry band of hikers for a week or two.

The park folks do prescribed burns in an attempt to control these highly flammable forests. And during the first week one night we could see a forest fire way off in the distance lighting up the sky. Quite a sight!

The next afternoon while resting in a shelter, a ranger pulls up (yup, every hut is accessible by road), and says the two prescribed burns got out of control and ran together. 50 kms of trail are closed ahead. No diversion suggested. Looks like we'll need to hitch down the highway. But I'm thinking, why not walk. It looked like the road was only 25 kms and I bike on these roads all the time. I told the group I was walking it. And since they all hike faster than me, they went ahead that day. Since my plan was to camp along side the road, I got extra water later in the day. Oh was my pack heavy then! So I took the forest road over to the busy road and checked the mileage on Google Maps. 39 kms! A bit further than I had estimated. Oh well. You're walking 600 miles, this is just part of it. So off I went. Wow! What a force the road trains made against me going by! On the bike the push me along. And there sure were a lot of vehicles. Then I notice a car on the other side (the direction I'm walking) pull over. Hmmm? Then it does a U turn and pulls up next to me. It's a mom and young son. Want a ride? I think for a minute and said No, I think I'll walk. But thanks!

And I continue walking. I start struggling with myself about turning down they ride. Do I really want to walk this godforsaken road for 2 more days? To prove what? If another car stops, take the ride, Stupid! And then, bam! Another car stops. I hadn't walked 3 kms down that road. So I took the ride and surprised my buddies when I arrived at the roadhouse in North Bannister. I get there and there's no cheap rooms left. That's okay. I'll camp up the trail. But I'll come back to join you for a drink.

One problem the fire diversion created for me was too much food. The first 6 days I had the opposite problem: too little food. The first leg took 2 days longer than I had planned. I'd stashed good 70 kms down the trail at a road crossing and mailed more to the roadhouse.
Waugal had too much food so he often shared stuff with me. Comet had extra toilet paper, thank goodness. And everyone heated water for me. Besides having too little alcohol for my cat stove, their methylated spirits didn't burn the same and big flames shot up around the pot not actually heating the water. That problem now resolved with having me Pocket Rocket back thanks to Jacko, the guy who had my bike for me at trail's end.

So I got my resupply stash by the road and then the very next day I'm picking up my box at the roadhouse. Too much food. But luckily Hobo had a friend who met up with us at the roadhouse and was meeting up again in our first town. She could take my extra food! Problem solved!! This trail has long distances between towns many places. It was12-14 days to the first town, hence the 2 food drops. Then leaving our first town of Dwellingup, I had to carry 7 days of food. Ugh! It's heavy! I'm not in shape yet. Luckily the huts are now about only 20 kms or 12 miles apart. I'm usually in by 2 pm for an afternoon's rest. Then I have to be sure not to eat everything up too early in the week because I'm starving! Such a bad bad diet on the trail. Nothing heavy is rule #1. Filling is #2. And I have to like it or I won't eat it. I know. I dumped a Back Country dinner down a hole one night because it was awful. I'll eat healthy again after this hike is over but for now it's just EAT something.

The trail has been quite beautiful because it's spring here and the wildflowers are in bloom. Massively! I can't stop taking pictures. Please do check out my Bibbulmun album on Facebook to see some of them. And I'm trying to learn some of the trees: jarrah, parrot bush, banksia, snotty gobble, and marri with the honky nut. Gotta love the names! Right now the trail is mostly in the shade. I'm afraid as it gets hotter we'll be out of the bush too. I lost my visor in the first week and haven't yet been able to replace it. That's the only eye shade I use. Gotta work on that.

In Dwellingup, Waugal and I took a zero (no miles walked) and Hobo and Comet hiked on because Hobo's friend, Suzie Snoozee, joined her for a night. This way at least, no one is hiking alone. There's do few E2Ers that one could end up doing a lot of it alone. That would be lonely, day after day. It's okay on my bike. But not here. And it helps with group thinking. We've got a fire diversion ahead tomorrow. The fire last February burned down a big old wooden bridge across the river. The diversion goes way out and around making for a 30 km day...18 miles. Not up to that. So I suggested we try and swim across. It's a quiet river. Waugal and I got garbage bags in town to put our packs in to float them across. We may build them a raft. The river is cold. It's just spring. We're hoping that the "summer crossing" on our map will be narrow and not too deep. The girls left us a note here at the shelter that they were planning the same thing. Hope it worked! We'll be there tomorrow! All part of the adventure:))




Livin' the dream,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Bibbulman Track - Weeks 1 & 2

September 22, 2015
Dookanelly Campsite, Western Australia

Third time's a charm. I've had already 2 catastrophes trying to write a blog about my hike. The first, with pics and all, won't open again so that I can upload it. Just crashes this app. The second attempt the other night I lost when my phone died before I could Save it:(. Since we have wonderfully long afternoons in the shelters, I'll try again. Words only for now. Don't want any problems.

I started this hike Monday, the 7th at about 5 pm. Peter, my Warmshowers host, drove me out to Kalamunda after work. That worked out well for me because I had some resupply boxes with map sections to mail that day anyways.

I had decided to let him drop me a ways up the trail do I only had a short hike to the first shelter. I'm not a purist so skipping 8 kms didn't bother me. At the shelter I met Chris and Kirsty from Scotland, a young couple living here and on their first long hike.

I should probably orient y'all a bit about the Bibbulmun. It's one of the longest tracks in Australia at 1020 kms give or take. (That's roughly 600 miles for those who need me to do the conversion. I'm finding I need to convert because my hiking mind works in miles, but I'm doing it less.). It's in Western Australia (a state) in the southwest corner from east of Perth down to the southern shore and then east to Albany. This trail is a popular multi-day hike but I have no idea how many end-to-enders there are in any year. Right now there are 8 that I know of that are within a day or two of me.

The shelters are a bit nicer than the ones on the Appalachian Trail (hereafter referred to as the AT). They have a picnic table perpendicular up the middle and double wide bunks on either side sleeping eight. Other ones have the bottom bunk continuing all the way across sleeping 4 more and a large long picnic table out front under a roof. There's usually a fire pit and always a water tank with rain water collection as our source. It says to treat it but I'm not. None of us are. Rain water tastes do good and the tanks are closed. Most of Australia drinks tank water!

The next night I was alone in the shelter. And that was fine. I started slowly going hut to hut, about 5-8 miles a day. My body is used to sitting all day and my feet are no used to walking much less carrying 28 lbs. Have to break her in slowly. I did get some foot spin early on, but it has subsided. I ache, for sure. And struggle up hills. But this old body is still strong and loving the challenge.

The third night I had 2 older guys who are E2Ers. (End-to-enders.). Bob and Terry. And also Ari was camped. The next morning Ari said he, like the 2 guys, had double hutted that day and with the heat and the weight of his pack, he did himself in. He'd decided to go slower so we've been at the same huts ever since. And he's been named Waugal because with his dark completion and his yellow and black raincoat he looks just like the Waugal emblem for the trail markers.



The weather has been mostly dry and sunny. We've had some rain and wind but nothing too bad and only a day or two. Daytime temps in the 70s I'd guess. But nighttime is cold! Brrr. High 30s, low 40s. I'm using all my gear to stay warm. There's nothing extra. Most nights I'm in the shelter. When a large group of women were on the trail for 3 nights, I used my tent. After Spacey, my backpacking tent seems so small. Not seems, IS! Makes me love and miss Spacey (Big Sky Revolution 2P with Porch) all the more!! Luckily won't have to use it too often. But some campsites don't have a shelter due to fires last fall. And you have to use a tent.

The following night, Lorna, a Brit in her 40s, who's been traveling the world for 14 years joined us. She's now The Littlest Hobo. And the following day, Samantha, now Comet, blazed in! And that was our merry band of hikers for a week or two.

The park folks do prescribed burns in an attempt to control these highly flammable forests. And during the first week one night we could see a forest fire way off in the distance lighting up the sky. Quite a sight!

The next afternoon while resting in a shelter, a ranger pulls up (yup, every hut is accessible by road), and says the two prescribed burns got out of control and ran together. 50 kms of trail are closed ahead. No diversion suggested. Looks like we'll need to hitch down the highway. But I'm thinking, why not walk. It looked like the road was only 25 kms and I bike on these roads all the time. I told the group I was walking it. And since they all hike faster than me, they went ahead that day. Since my plan was to camp along side the road, I got extra water later in the day. Oh was my pack heavy then! So I took the forest road over to the busy road and checked the mileage on Google Maps. 39 kms! A bit further than I had estimated. Oh well. You're walking 600 miles, this is just part of it. So off I went. Wow! What a force the road trains made against me going by! On the bike the push me along. And there sure were a lot of vehicles. Then I notice a car on the other side (the direction I'm walking) pull over. Hmmm? Then it does a U turn and pulls up next to me. It's a mom and young son. Want a ride? I think for a minute and said No, I think I'll walk. But thanks!

And I continue walking. I start struggling with myself about turning down they ride. Do I really want to walk this godforsaken road for 2 more days? To prove what? If another car stops, take the ride, Stupid! And then, bam! Another car stops. I hadn't walked 3 kms down that road. So I took the ride and surprised my buddies when I arrived at the roadhouse in North Bannister. I get there and there's no cheap rooms left. That's okay. I'll camp up the trail. But I'll come back to join you for a drink.

One problem the fire diversion created for me was too much food. The first 6 days I had the opposite problem: too little food. The first leg took 2 days longer than I had planned. I'd stashed good 70 kms down the trail at a road crossing and mailed more to the roadhouse.
Waugal had too much food so he often shared stuff with me. Comet had extra toilet paper, thank goodness. And everyone heated water for me. Besides having too little alcohol for my cat stove, their methylated spirits didn't burn the same and big flames shot up around the pot not actually heating the water. That problem now resolved with having me Pocket Rocket back thanks to Jacko, the guy who had my bike for me at trail's end.

So I got my resupply stash by the road and then the very next day I'm picking up my box at the roadhouse. Too much food. But luckily Hobo had a friend who met up with us at the roadhouse and was meeting up again in our first town. She could take my extra food! Problem solved!! This trail has long distances between towns many places. It was12-14 days to the first town, hence the 2 food drops. Then leaving our first town of Dwellingup, I had to carry 7 days of food. Ugh! It's heavy! I'm not in shape yet. Luckily the huts are now about only 20 kms or 12 miles apart. I'm usually in by 2 pm for an afternoon's rest. Then I have to be sure not to eat everything up too early in the week because I'm starving! Such a bad bad diet on the trail. Nothing heavy is rule #1. Filling is #2. And I have to like it or I won't eat it. I know. I dumped a Back Country dinner down a hole one night because it was awful. I'll eat healthy again after this hike is over but for now it's just EAT something.

The trail has been quite beautiful because it's spring here and the wildflowers are in bloom. Massively! I can't stop taking pictures. Please do check out my Bibbulmun album on Facebook to see some of them. And I'm trying to learn some of the trees: jarrah, parrot bush, banksia, snotty gobble, and marri with the honky nut. Gotta love the names! Right now the trail is mostly in the shade. I'm afraid as it gets hotter we'll be out of the bush too. I lost my visor in the first week and haven't yet been able to replace it. That's the only eye shade I use. Gotta work on that.

In Dwellingup, Waugal and I took a zero (no miles walked) and Hobo and Comet hiked on because Hobo's friend, Suzie Snoozee, joined her for a night. This way at least, no one is hiking alone. There's do few E2Ers that one could end up doing a lot of it alone. That would be lonely, day after day. It's okay on my bike. But not here. And it helps with group thinking. We've got a fire diversion ahead tomorrow. The fire last February burned down a big old wooden bridge across the river. The diversion goes way out and around making for a 30 km day...18 miles. Not up to that. So I suggested we try and swim across. It's a quiet river. Waugal and I got garbage bags in town to put our packs in to float them across. We may build them a raft. The river is cold. It's just spring. We're hoping that the "summer crossing" on our map will be narrow and not too deep. The girls left us a note here at the shelter that they were planning the same thing. Hope it worked! We'll be there tomorrow! All part of the adventure:))




Livin' the dream,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Posting Issues

Looks like the app for posting my blog from my phone won't work. Keeps crashing. I'll only be able to update to Facebook.

I'll keep writing the posts anyway. Maybe done will post. Probably too many pics:)


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Brisbane to Perth

September 6, 2015
Perth, WA, Australia




Since tonight I head out for a couple of months hiking I'd better get caught up with my blog. But there'll be no pictures from Brisbane because all my extra gear (camera and iPad included) are near Albany where this hike takes me. Isn't it cool I'm getting to hike to my bike?!?!

I'd had a marvelous 4 day visit in Brisbane staying with Warmshowers hosts Lynn and Len Daniels in their delightful home. Always great sharing travel stories and connecting, eating scrumptious food, and sleeping in a bed. Much needed R & R.

My friends from Toowoomba came down for the day. Kathryn, Luke, and I toured the Koala sanctuary. Always more fun to tour a "zoo" with a child! So much fun seeing the world through his eyes! Sadly I didn't get to see dad Michael and Jacob as they had other commitments. Still so nice to feel like I have "family" this far from home. I had Kathryn drop me off up by the shops and I went browsing in a thrift store finding a few things I needed. That night I went to upload photos and realized I had left my small backpack with my camera on the counter at the thrift shop. Yikes! I'm so absent minded. If it isn't tied to me it's only through luck it makes it home again. But I wasn't worried. They were do nice there, I was sure if get it back. Just go up in the morning when they're open. So at 9 am up I go. Closed Mondays. Argh! But there's a phone number. I call. Leave a message. Then head into the city to shop and tour on my own. I call again. She answers. She'll meet me there whenever I want. She has the pack. Yippee. Phew!!! On my way home I retrieve it. She said I was lucky they hadn't taken everything out, priced it, and out it in the shelves:))

A dear Facebook friend, Frank Denman, toted me all around the city, and back and forth to the airport. Always fun to meet someone you know from FB. We had a fun day seeing the sites like Mt Coot-tha overlooking the city and walking downtown and up the South Bank where Expo was many years ago. These Australian cities are all on rivers. Brisbane isn't actually at the coast, but inland a fair bit. And the river winds through the middle. And lots of grassy parks. Was quite a relief to see a bit of green again after the sand and red soil of the Outback.

Wednesday came and Frank picked me up to head to the airport and off across the whole continent to Perth. I got a window seat so I could see this big beautiful place, but the clouds didn't cooperate. And they didn't fly over Uluru (Ayers Rock) anyways:(. I flew Virgin Australia. And everything went easy peasy as usual. This time I kept Blaze long and with the seat bungyed on like I did from Longreach. That works well. She seems to get more respect when she's not folded and bubble wrapped.

And Carl Bentley, another Facebook friend, met me at the airport for a lift to my Warmshowers host's house. Peter Easton is so kind to put up with me for nearly a week while I prepare for this 2-3 month hike of the Bibbulmun Track, Australia's longest hiking trail. The season is perfect. Spring flowers are out. The weather's warming up a bit.

Peter's son, Angus, has been here several nights too. He got a chance to ride Blaze before she left. And they took me out yesterday to see Fremantle, a coastal town famous for the America's Cup. Very quaint with a wonderful indoor market much like I saw in Asia. And we had the best crepe breakfast there!


I've now set my feet in another ocean: the Indian Ocean!




The day before, Carl had picked me up to help me stash some food up the trail.


You can't see it, right?!?

This first section is 12-13 days walk between towns. I'm not in any shape for carrying that weight of food so I'm stashing some 4 days out and shipping a resupply box to a roadhouse 8 days out. Such a wuss. I know!


Carl took me out to see a weir on the track where I'll be going.





It still blows my mind how I can fly into a city that I've never been to and I have all this wonderful help and support: rides, places to stay, tours, gear transported. I don't take it lightly or for granted. So appreciated!!!!

Ya, my gear was picked up by Jacko and Annie Vanderbyl. Friends of a friend of a friend. Jacko hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2013. He met Violet B (trail name). She's friends with Bluebearee, a hiker friend of mine. She hiked part of the Bibb earlier this year before getting injured. She hooked me up. So Jacko met me at the Bibb office Friday and taxi'd me around town as I got gear and supplies. Then picked up Blaze and extra stuff. I had a box that must have weighed the same as the box of gear I flew in weighed. I carry all that "shit" on my bike?!?! Doesn't seem like a lot when she's loaded up. Just seems right.

Tonight, after work, in an hour, Peter's taking me out to the start of the Bibb. I'm just hiking in to the first shelter. It's hard to get my head around another long hike. I'm excited and anxious. Snakes are out. I've gotten my instructions. If I get bit, bend over and kiss my ass goodbye!! I can try and put compression on the wound (with the compression wrap I bought) and hope I can get to a hospital but probably not likely to happen. Have to step carefully in my sandals:)

Not sure how updated the blog will be. Facebook when I can. I have to say I'm looking forward to disconnecting a bit for these months. We'll see how well I do.

Gotta run. I have to take a long walk!


Livin' the life,

BagLady

Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman

Longreach

September 3, 2015
Perth, Western Australia, AU




The first thing I did upon arriving in Longreach was stop at the airport. It's tiny. One flight a day to Brisbane. Small plane. Can you take my trike? Quick call to Brisbane and then everything was a go. Yippee. They wanted it with just the seat off and strapped to the frame...she narrowest then.

Then on to a camground, or should I say dustbowl? No rain means no grass, except for the front patch that gets watered. But they tack down these interesting pieces of mesh that hold the dust down so I set up Spacey on that. It minimized the dust problem pretty well I thought. Spacey looked so small in amongst all the big rigs.

Next I went to the dentist in town. I had called a couple of days ago, but hadn't heard back. Since it had been a week of this gaping opening, I wanted to be sure it got taken care of sooner rather than later. I walk in and they tell me they'll see me right away. But I haven't even had a shower. I'm pretty stinky. That's okay, they said. And they patched me up for a mere $350. A quick trip to the grocery store and back to rest. Ahhh.

I decided on 4 nights in Longreach when I found I saved $100 on airfare flying to Brisbane on Saturday morning. Then I decided on 4 nights in Brisbane before flying to Perth. Next I had to get these all booked. Let my Warmshowers hosts know my exact plans now as well as my rides to send from airports. Oivay. Logistics are exhausting. Done. Now I can breathe easier:)

Next day: Stockman's Hall of Fame. Info on drovers, aboriginals, woman pioneers, and the Flying Doctor. That's one big difference between their outback and our west. It's so big and remote, that in the early 20s a missionary saw the potential for using a foot cranked wireless radio to be able to contact a doctor. Stations had medical chests with the drugs all numbered and the doctor could advise you over the radio what to take. Then with small planes becoming available, the doctor was able to fly in and teat the patients or fly the sick or injured out to a hospital. It's still alive and well today.

I also saw an outdoor show that was so well done: comedy, performing ranch animals, and lots of info about being a drover.







I'd heard about a stagecoach ride in Longreach and wanted to partake. I don't like touristy things but this sounded like too much fun not to miss it. And it was!! A 30 minute ride out downs dusty, sandy road where the horses broke into a full gallop and the dust was a-flying sure felt like the real thing! And I got to ride shotgun! So cool. I was in 7th heaven!!!! (Video posted to Facebook, if you're interested.)











One night another couple from the campground joined me in town for pizza and a movie. That was fun for a change. I don't get out much after dark on the road, so it's a special treat when I do.

I've never packed to fly from a campground. I got a box in town for my gear, guessing the right size. Strapped it on the back of Blaze.



Then while I was over chatting with my neighbors doesn't it begin to rain for the first time in months! Quick, slide the box under the tent to keep it dry.

But packing up went well, other than more rain drops getting on my fancy luggage...yikes!







All packed and waiting for my ride. Very sad to be leaving the outback. I'll be back!

On to my next adventure: hiking 1000 kms on the Bibbulman Track ,Perth to Albany. That should take a couple of months.

Odds and ends:



Dingos hung in the trees.



Me and Spacey (Big Sky Revolution 2P)



Carrying extra liters of water.



A lot of campers have these rigs where the tent us up on top so they're away from the snakes and crocodiles. Should I be worried?


Livin' the dream!

BagLady

Running With the Roos

August 22, 2015
Nearing Isisford, Qld, AU

First a big Happy Birthday to my little sister, Barb! I woulda closed but I'm so remote and finally off the road train route that I have no signal. Good for me. Bad for you. But maybe tomorrow earn I get to Isisford, an itty bitty town. That's your birthday back home anyways!




I've had more toots and waves and oranges given to me out here then anywhere coming up the coast. And so many folks just pull up to hear my story. Yesterday was no different when Peter pulled up in his ute, on my left side, on the shoulder. I had trouble figuring where this sound of a truck was coming from:).

Where ya going?

Longreach.

Where ya come from? (Always a tough question. Today? In Australia? My home?)

From Melbourne.

Whoa!! On that?!?

Up! I smile.

How far ya go in a day?

About 50 kms, give or take.

And on and on it goes.

And then I ask about where he lives and the drought, and the cattle.

This whole area's been de-cattled. Sold, or slaughtered, or moved.

Which tree is a coolibah tree?

You want to see coolibah trees? How about I come find you tomorrow and I take you down to our billabong to see them?

I'd love it!!

So today, mid morning, Peter comes up the road, we load Blaze on the back for a rest, and head back to his place. He stops at the house to get his ipad to show me what this place looks like when it's not in a drought. So green and lush and beautiful!

Then we drive down these dirt farm roads through a gate onto really rough terrain.



If I'd a known you were coming I'd have grated this track.

Next time I'll phone ahead!

We get back to where there are greener trees and a bit of lush bushes growing on the edge of this billabong, a pond in the dried up river that will never go dry. It was about 10 feet deep and a kilometer long. It looked murky, the color of the soil but not icky like stagnant water gets. Totally drinkable. And you could see there'd been lots of roos here getting there water.



Wanna see a whole lot of kangaroos?

Do I?!?

So we drive to open paddocks and there were roos running everywhere. Running along side the ute. Running way off in the paddock. Roos running everywhere! Such powerful hind legs and thighs! And fast. About 30 mph. Felt like I was on an Australian Safari. That's what it told Peter he should do during the drought: give people an outback experience like he was giving me! I was watching this kangaroo running along side the ute that had a Joey in her pouch. And the Joey fell out! Tumbled along on the ground. Momma kept going. She didn't even hesitate or look back. She'll go back and get it later, Peter said. It was a bigger Joey anyways. Saw one stumble too as it ran and it did a forward roll, got up, shook itself off, and took off. Seeing how many there were here, I got a feeling for the over population of them. They are a pest here. And they are not affected by the drought one bit.

We then went and checked in done cattle that he didn't sell or move south. They were looking pretty good we thought. Maybe because there was so few of them...only about 20...on so much land, they were finding something to eat.


Last he showed me this tree he'd found that had rocks that had been placed in the notch of the the tree a long time ago and the tree had grown around them. It certainly was the oldest tree around. Maybe a marker many years ago.

Time to get a move on, so Peter dropped me back at the road about 10 kms further along with a bag of oranges, a banana, and a large cold bottle of water.



Thanks Peter for a great outback experience. It pained me to hear your story of how hard it's been to hang on through the drought. I understand when some days you feel like just throwing up your hands and walking away. The terrain is so dry and dusty and barren. My wish for you and all the ranchers in this area is for heaps and heaps of RAIN!! Then you'll have flooding, but I'm sure you all know how to cope with that. I can tell from the signs on the sides of the road and meter markers that it floods here often. It's time for one now.

August 24, 2015
Nearing Longreach, Qld, AU

Hardest day yet...perhaps ever. I whupped. Don't even know how I'm finding the energy to write this except I want to capture today, as if I'd ever forget:/

Started with a miserable night. Couldn't get to sleep until well after midnight. Too hot perhaps. The nights are warm although once I turn my headlamp off I can unzip the doors and let the breezes flow through. Too dry for mozzies.

But I awoke at my usual 6 am. And I had told myself "Self, get up and go in the morning to beat the heat."...so I did. On the road by 7. I'm usually a 9 am starter. I retired!! I don't need to get up early ever again, well, except for hot hot days. And this was to be another day in the 90s. Ugh. I don't do heat.

When I awoke the wind was blowing as a tailwind so it was stoked! That didn't last. By the time I pedaled off it had swung around 180* to a headwind. And so the grind began. Now I can handle headwinds. And I can handle heat, sorta. And I can handle flies. But I had it ALL today. The trifecta!!! And I kept pedaling. I dint stop for my usual breakfast break because I was making no miles. Just a couple of cookies. About 12:30 I found an isolated shrub and decided to take a break. I forced myself to eat something: chopped egg and avocado. And I'd been drinking, warm water. Yuck. It just doesn't quench the thirst. But thirsty I was, is sipping I was. One car that went by mid morning asked if I had enough water. And if this had been a normal day, my answer of Yes would have been correct. But I didn't know that I would be so thirsty or go so slowly, all day. So in the afternoon, I decided to try and get some water. One bloke stopped to chat and I asked if he had water. He was a local. He gets out and pulls out juice bottle repurposed as a water jug, but there were things growing in there. Nope, he said.


I stopped an RV and they filled 1.5 liter container with COLD water. I kissed the bottle and thanked them profusely. Then I drank a quarter of it. The water out here is mostly bore water, pumped up from the ground and it's not a refreshing aftertaste. But I had cold water, for a while. I try to put stuff on the side of the bike not getting blasted by the sun to keep it cooler longer. When I was heading west, that was easy because the sun was on my right all day...so I out my food on my left side. Now I'm going north and some days I've changed the swapped the panniers midday to keep the food away from the sun. I didn't today. Even my kiwifruit tonight was warm to eat.




About 2 pm I thought I'd try finding shade and taking a midday break for a couple of hours. The tree was sparse and the shade spotty. I had to keep moving to stay out of the sun's scorching rays. They hurt. Ssssss!!!! While stopped i made a phone cLl...to a dentist in Longreach because about a week ago one of my temporary fillings cracked and then a few days later a quarter of it fell out. This was the fix in Wellington that cost me $700. I want it repacked and repaired. There's no pain and no swelling. I don't need a root canal as he had told me. They're going to work me in on Wednesday. Yippee! Having that open tooth has had me quite nervous that it would start to hurt, really hurt. But it's doing fine. Good job, molar. You're on my team!

I stayed under the tree an hour , then decided to keep going. Even at 3 mph I was going somewhere.

The wind challenged my answer for riding in the sun: my umbrella. It kept blowing it so hard I had to hold the edge of it with one hand...the hand that steered the bike. The other was holding the handle of the umbrella. And at one point it flipped inside out and broke a stay. But it still works. And when I have more energy I have a plan for mending it.

I had a goal of 60 kms today. More than I usually do, but I have a rough schedule in my head for getting to Perth. I expected to be in Longreach tomorrow. And I probably will. But I pedaled until after 5 before quitting at 62 kms! Wahoo! And then I collapsed. My skin tingles. I'm brown as a berry. I'm exhausted. I'm weak from hunger, but not hungry...and these freaking flies won't leave me alone! The headnet is so hot and I can't see well. Arrgghhhhh! No patience left.

Time for well deserved sleep. I'll bet I sleep tonight:))



I closed up and turned off the iPad to go enjoy these brownies a mate gave me yesterday when he stopped to chat. They were in a ziplock sitting just outside my tent door. Zipped. I picked up the bag and brought it in the tent, but right away noticed a creature, long with lots of legs in the bag. Oh no! My brownies! I threw it back outside and managed to unzip it, and this thing about 6 inches long crawled out and scampered away! (I just squashed an ant crawling across my mat.). Getting my last taste of the outback, I guess. I'm eating the brownies!!! How bad can they be?

Goodnight, again.



A friend I found on the road. He was about 6 inches long. I'll be the never held a conversation with a human before. Then a car came along and almost squished him right in front of my eyes.



An eagle. There are lots of them. The soar over me checking me out!



I only wish!



The flies are so annoying!



Kinda flat out here. Even the road is red!

Livin' the life!

BagLady

A Day in the Life of Me

August 20, 2015
Nearing Blackall, QLD, Australia




Dawn is breaking bright orange on the horizon outside my tent and I gotta pee, again. I situated my tent so that I would have morning sun to warm me up. It gets vodka at night in the Outback, although last night was the warmest it's been in months...most of the night...gets chilliest closer to dawn. I get up and take my socks off. Don't want to walk through the brush with them on in my sandals or they'll just get all dirty and prickery. Off to take care of business. I have lots of stories I could share on what I've learned on that topic, but not right now. It's morning and I'm sitting in the early sun enjoying a cup of Milo coffee, getting warm. Milo coffee is my own concoction. When visiting people and not wanting caffeine in the evening (before giving it up altogether again, for my heart) they would offer Milo. It's a barley chocolate drink. And quite yummy. And quite popular here. In the morning, I add a bit of instant decaf coffee to it with a bit of sugar. Yum!

I sometimes sit and read or knit or as this morning, write in my blog. I feel quite rushed most days. Gotta get going. Getting nowhere if I'm not pedaling. Feeling guilty. That's really when the fact that Blaze is slower than bicycles bothers me. Not when I'm pedaling and can enjoy the scenery more. Never then.

Time to pack up. There's a ritual. Get dressed first. Same clothes as yesterday. No decisions. Easy peasy. Then run a comb through my hair. Once a day, whether it needs it or not. (I have to remind myself every morning because it's something I forget to do since I never see myself in a mirror.) Stuff my warm sleeping bag in a sac. Stuff both bags into the bottom of the pannier, one wrapping around the other to reduce space, I hope. Then goes my clothes stuff sac. All of this is in a plastic pack liner (covered in duct tape as new rips appear) to keep it cleaner and drier, I hope. Then the plastic is rolled and my toiletries, book and notebook and maps, headlamp, pee jar (which is rinsed with soapy water every morning) in plastic bag, knitting. All the things I need at night. As I think about it, the toiletries bag (for showers) could go some place else, properly, as my toothbrush and stuff used daily are separate. Hmm I'll have to think where else would be good so I don't have to touch it every day. That's the rule. Guess I've slipped on that one. But another rule I have is don't change where you put things because I'll forget where it is. And if I go looking for something and it's not in the first place I looked, where I thought it should be, I put it there when I do find it because that's the first place I looked for it. Yes, things do get lost in this small space.

Meanwhile I've been making a pile of my bum bag, camera case, solar panel, anything that doesn't get packed. Next I pack my rear stuff sac with my camp chair, air mattress, sleep sac, fleece, rain jacket, and exercise strap. There are other things in there that never came out: town or other season clothes, backpack, art supplies, extra maps for other areas of Australia than where I am, hiking sandals, tent stuff sac that I don't use...and maybe one or two other things I can't remember:).



Out of the tent. Hang panniers on trike. The other pannier is solely food. Usually odds and ends of things like pasta, ramen, quinoa, lentils, spices, nearly empty jam and peanut butter jars, and whatever's left from the last grocery stop. I carry a lot of food. Always worried I'll get stranded with stores closed or something goes wrong. Always more than I need. So hard to plan. Have I told ya how much I hate planning? Well I do!

Down comes the tent. I load the large stuff sack, hiking pole, and tent on the top of the rack. The two waterproof panniers are on rack. I have two large pods that hang off the seat. One has 2 stoves and fuel (petrol for Muka stove and gas canister for Pocket Rocket that I use in morning...overkill to be sure, but I never know...) and my water bladder. The other pod has repair kits for me and my gear and the trike, as well as all the cables, plug converters, extension cord for my electronics, and bug net, suntan lotion, bike pump, cables and ties for transporting Blaze.

I hang my 3 liter water bottle to one of the flag posts; tie my pee rag to the back of the seat; tie my sac of night water bottle, eating dish with utensils and lid, and the days snacks and vitamins to a flag post, and tie on my trash bag. Then brush my teeth. Done. One last "stupid check" to see what I've left on the ground...after I've pushed Blaze away a bit...and we're off! Another day on the road. And my heart starts to sing!

It's now the next morning and I'm in a campground. There's good and bad with civilization: yes, I had a hot shower and power and people, but also street lights and barking dogs and roosters crowing...and I can't see the sunset or the sunrise:(.

I'll describe yesterday's ride, as best I remember it. The terrain is fairly flat, with undulations. Dusty pastures, scattered scrubby brush. A drought. The mornings have road trains and grey nomads. Then I find the road gets quiet. That's when I like it best. Then my mind starts to work. Hmm. Got this hike coming up. Yup the plan is to get to Longreach (about 200 kms away) then fly to Brisbane, spend a few days touring there, then fly to Perth where I'll store Blaze and extra gear and go hike the longest Australian track, the Bibbulmun Track. It's 1000 kms (600 miles) from outside Perth down to the southern coast at Albany. Much like the Appalachian Trail with shelters all along the way.

So while pedaling, I'm thinking about things like what can I be eating that weighs nothing and is healthy, not junk...nada...nothing. How can I carry so little that it all fits into this large day pack I have with me and used on the Camino and Kepler? What do I need to pack? I need to repair my pack because it's tearing from carrying too much weight. As I thing new things, new ideas, new to-do's, I stop and write them on the list on my phone.

Then I think about getting a flight out of Longreach. Don't want to book until I know they'll take the bike. These are small planes. I decide to go to the airport with it unloaded and ask. I think with it left unfolded, but the seat removed it would fit through any cargo door and I think they'll be helpful. It's the Outback, for crying out loud. Everybody helps everybody out here!!

I think about where to stay in Brisbane and what I want/need to do there. Warmshowers? Hostel? Near airport? In city? When should I book flight to Perth. When should I book it for? Decisions! Decisions!

I think about what I need to toss from my gear to get it ready to fly. All the food stuff. Anything else? What about that blood pressure monitor? Do you really need to keep that? Pressure's still up. Oh well. Maybe hiking will be good for it? Hmmm? Then I probably want to check it when I finish hiking. Give it up. It'll be what it will be. And you're not doing anything more about it out here. Tried all your old tricks and they haven't helped. Ignore it now. That sometimes fixes things:)

And on and on. I think about coming back to the States and try to figure out what I would do there. Do I come back for the winter and get my thumbs operated on? The basil joints are getting worse and worse. Quite inflamed. I wouldn't want to do they surgery in summer. Is it bad enough she would do it now? What's the criteria for surgery? I have two friends that have had it done. I should write them and ask. There must be a million other things flying through too. Oh, look at that eagle flying overhead! It's checking me out!! And watch out for the dead kangaroo. Oh the smell of the Outback is rotting meat. Yuck! Then I just stare across the expanse and feel the wonder of it all. Feel it in my core where there are no words.















Then I think about how far it is to Blackall, 35 kms. What time will I get there. Are there any campgrounds? Do I want to stay in a campground? I stop and check WikiCamps. Yup. Expensive. $25 for a tent site. Camp dinner for $23. They sounds fun. Why not check it out. No rush today. I like that. The Outback is winding down too fast. Only 4 more cycling days:( I'm not ready for the city again. But it's getting hot out here, so it's time to leave. The heat will be unbearable. Then I think that I shouldn't have stayed 3 weeks in Toowoomba. Guilt. Shoulda pushed on. But it was fun. A great break. Wonderful family. Kids to play with. Nope it was right. This is right. New things are a-coming!


I'm hungry. 10:30. Time for breakfast. Pull to roadside, in ditch. Lay hi viz jacket on ground for sit cloth. Get out apple half, peanut butter, tortillas, raisins and nuts. Makes a great breakfast wrap.

And away I go again. Until I see a rest stop where I can pull in for lunch around 12:30. There's a campervan that's just pulled in ahead of me. And a lady hops out. "Crazy lady!" Or something like that, she says. And that's how I meet Karaleen and Glenith (I think) from Perth. Such fun sharing stories. They told me I can get a stagecoach ride in Longreach. I'm doing that!! I got contact info so we can connect up in Perth after my hike. They probably won't be back before I start walking. After an hour and a half break, no hurry today, I pedal off.

And run into a mob of cattle and horses grazing "the long paddock". Because of the drought up north, some ranchers are having to take their cattle to graze the wide sides of the road. They have to keep them moving, about 10 kms a day. And they stay out here indefinitely. It was wild! Cows and horses wandering on each side of the road, crossing over. Cars and trucks slowly creeping through the mob.












And then I come into town:


Tambo entrance.


Tambo Public Library



Blackall hotel.

My day usually ends with me looking for a bush campsite. I like to find a side road I can go up a bit to get away from the noise of the road trains. I start looking about 5 pm now with it not getting dark until after 6. That's a relief.




So I pull up and set up my tent. I need to find a spot with dirt not pokers that could prick through my tent or clumps of dried grass. It's not easy out here finding a spot, that's for sure. If there are trees around I try and figure where the dun will set and rise so I can maximize its warmth. That's always a guess too. After it's up, I crawl in and check again for anything that could puncture my sir mattress and remove it. Then I unpack Blaze putting everything inside that I'll need for the night and getting out my chair. Ahhh! Funny how it feels good to sit down after fitting all day. But I'm not pedaling! I usually read a bit just to unwind. Now that it's lighter, longer, I usually do a quick wash up with a cup of water and my bandana, just to rinse off the grime and dust from the day. Then I change into my long johns for sleeping. Refreshed and warm as the day is cooling.

Then I start some dinner.



Veggies mostly. Either a cold salad or a stir fry over pasta or polenta. Simple. Tasty. My salads have egg and avocado and feta cheese mixed with chopped whatever I have on hand. A bit of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, some salt...oh, my mouth is watering now! My favorite supper!

If it's warm I sit outside a bit and watch the stars come out. It's so dark. And so quiet. And I'm so happy.

Then I crawl in, inflate my air mattress, put it in a silk sleeping sac, stuff my pillow case with one sleeping bag, fluff the other one over me, and grab my book to read or play games on my phone. And rest. And sleep 10+ hours!



Livin' the life!

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