Bogong Access and related reports....

[weerab]

Looking at the crapito on the walls of the hut, the placcie chair does not look so out of place! It would be great if someone could build a couple of bush stools like the ones in Fitzy's hut. Speaking of Fitzy's someone has taken some green paint in and redone the roof. It looks great, pity that all the posters and signs have the red roof!

 

[surveyorcam]

But some petrochemicals are a thing of beauty, the plastic chair is unfortunately not one of them. It doesn't upset me that much, just seems unneccessary.
Steve, I'm confused about who you angry with?? If it is the person that put the chair in the toilet then you should direct your anger at them. I don't think Kitty or Sidetrack were responsible.

 

[surveyorcam]

Just thought of a good one. How about if you carry it in, you carry it out. That means if you want a chair to sit on you carry it with you.

 

[Darb]

you won't win surveyorcam.

 

[AndrewA]

A couple of "bush stools" would be fantastic there - just requires someone with a chainsaw, and some imagination...

I made some great bush furniture one morning on the Howqua - I carved away at a log with a chainy for an hour or so at 7am - right next to the tent habitated by the pricks who kept us awake until 5am with their loud music the night before... unfortunately I also tripped and spilled my morning cup of tea on their ghetto blaster, which they'd left out in the middle of their campsite...

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

syes that would be good.... some holistic snow gum furniture...

 

[Jay Woo]

By some of the responses in this thread, it is like a few people are either unaware that we are talking about a hut in a National Park or are unaware of the regulations when in a National Park.

http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/alpine-national-park/safety-and-regulations

Just in case the link doesn't work;

Regulations

• All the plants and animals in the park are protected. Leave the park as you find it.

• Bins are not provided. Please take your rubbish with you.

• Firearms are only permitted in the park according to hunting regulations. Please refer to the hunting page.

• Solid fuel stoves are not permitted. Use a portable gas stove instead.

• Campsites must be at least 20 metres from waterways.

• Toilet waste must be buried to a depth of at least 15cm and at least 100m away from waterways.

• Dispose of soap and detergent at least 50m from waterways.

• Keep to designated tracks.

• Vehicles and motorbikes may be used only on roads open to public vehicles. All vehicles must be registered and drivers licensed.

Weather you agree or disagree, these are the regulations.

 

[weerab]

No rules on plastic furniture?

 

[Jay Woo]

No, but I think this covers it;

"Leave the park as you find it"

By the responses in this thread, I'm pretty sure Parks didn't put it there.

 

[ladycamper]

petrochemical derivatives may not look all that inviting but sometimes they can be a life saver...
hope your not too outraged by the petrochemicals above the door!!!!

Some people I heard a while ago were concerned there's lots of rescue gear stowed at Cleve Cole, and spoke of it being the work of an older Alpine Rescue guy and ski patroller who lives in Melbourne and is involved in the Emergency Service Industry.

I've happened earlier on to meet the guy concerned, heard from him of some rescues and saw he's committed to his service to the community he provides considerable volunteer hours annually in keeping training up-to-date as well as participating in alpine rescues in all seasons - he'll go to great lengths to fulfil a mission.

 

[Majikthise]

ok way too much heat in here and getting unnescessarily personal.... I've editted the crap out of a range of posts, from a range of people . consider this a warning and I will be watching carefully, the next transgression from anyone gets banned form the thread for a time. This is BC, not BearPit.

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Team Bears say they will take up some sugar soap and bucket next time and will start to clean some graffiti..

 

[Majikthise]

Please take the hint!

 

[CaptainC]

There are always under prepared and inexperienced campers. Like in a late March on the overland track, the Pom I met who was wearing running shoes. And the German guy with no stove who put cans of food in the hut stove each night.

Reminds me of the only time I skied from Kiandra to Kosciusko. We met a Pom skiing it on his own. He had a map of the northern third and a map of the southern third but not a map of the bit in between and he had never been there before.

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Good working weekend by the Team..
Bears went for stroll up Staircase to Bivouc Hut and removed three major obstacles(two small fallen trees and one that stretched the resourcefulness of the little bears.
H20 tank filter was de=iced and cleaned and so rainwater falling now should top tank up.
Tank was already 99% full anyway..photos to follow later...

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

the Team in action...working with precision:bears were very clinical in this their biggest operation for some time..


Bears couldnot roll this big son of bitch out of the way totally and are relying on others stronger parties to roll it some more

they did their best to maximize the gap thro here but cutting a bit more too

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

and a couple of more minor players where dispatched as we climbed up on Saturday arvo


they torpedoed off down slope...we approached them carefully as they can be understress and will spring back possibilly
Bears let out a cry "oh yes"

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Note also track to first snowpole below Castor /Pollux has been inspected and is clear of fallen debri...

also two new 30inch bush blades were taken to Bivouc Hut and old ones taken back down.
all is good within hut....running water from tank is a real winner too...
when you reach tree above you have 20min max before hut is reached
snow level on ground was about 50metre below Bivouc Hut on weekend...

 

[ladycamper]

The tank inlet, is it easy for bears to get up that high?

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

The tank inlet, is it easy for bears to get up that high?

having tank water is such a good thing....beautiful clean water...and its good to wash hands after using loo..

again Parks have done very well with this and other locations...we also see the back braking work they have undertaken in erosion control and safety with little steps and drains with wooden planks...

Staircase track looks better than in past years.a credit to Parks..Bears don't give out much praise to Parks Vic but ocassionally they perform their work well...

 

[Endless_Winter]

I went up bogong to 1900m on Eskdale ridge today (24/8) and to say conditions are unfriendly for touring (particularly in the alpine) would be an understatement. There are some days you let the mountain win.

Near gale force SSE winds and zero visibility once you get above granite flat spur intersection.

Due to the warm, moist air the snow is actually lovely spring corn. There's been no overnight freeze for several nights and the potential for small wet slides magnified by terrain traps may be a concern although why you'd be in the alpine right now I don't know.

Light snow above michell hut as I came down.

Camp creek rd is a little slushy at the camp creek end, but I had No problems getting in and out in my Subaru Impreza

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Team Bears returned from weekend at Federation Hut and freed up Bungalow Spur Track with little saw.. trip up late Saturday was in warm conditions:tropical Qld conditions say bears..sat/sunday had little wind....snow line starts about Old Federation/Bungalow Hut Ruin...

all fallen obstacles as of sunday arvo are gone nothing to slow anybody down...nothing to crawl over or under...

firewood at Fed Hut is now poor but we left some new 21inch blades for the saw..
and it would be good if parties spent a couple hours replenishing firewood so next miserable party can fire up Nectre and thaw out.There was no rain on sat arvo or on sunday which surprised the Bears as they were scarred after the Pineapple ravings on the weather prediction thread.

summary : track excellent but firewood supply depends on u.....
water tank running too..

 

[Endless_Winter]

Staircase Ridge (from Eskdale Ridge) just before this last mini-storm - this was about as clear as it got that day - I got to about 200m below the summit before the gale winds and whiteout became somewhat unenjoyable

 

[AndrewA]

Looks quite pleasant! At least there was a view. Have only managed one trip up this winter, and only put skis on to flatten off tent site. There was no point going up the top in wind, white out and rain, so we bailed. Have had 3 "diarised" trips so far, and weather has been lousy for all - it'll be interesting to see whether the weather will be lousy on the next planned one in a fortnight...

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Nice pic EW...looks a bit wild up there...

 

[PiedPiper]

Was up eskdale (and down) on saturday, and the road to camp creek is in good nick, - even my AWD subaru impreza managed it easily, didn't even need low range, only 1 section with a medium branch sticking out into road, but not so much i and others couldn't get around it. Track up eskdale is free of obstacles too, many thanks to those that help keep it that way.

 

[Pierre Andipatin]

Hi all - anyone been up in the last week or so? Where's the snowline at?

Cheers

 

[Endless_Winter]

Snow line about michell hut elevation, some booting probably required above the hut (I managed to tussock skin without booting last week), had to unclip and walk down a little on the way back. Eastern side of eskdale spur and cairn gully riding beautifully - be careful early morning if there hasn't been a solid re-freeze (and later in the day) on steeper solar aspects.