Your correspondent in the field went out to scout out Mt. Murray( 1640 M. ASL ) , a major peak in the Barry Mountains section of the Alpine N.P. . It is located not that far from Mt. Hotham but hiking up there from the Buckland River is something I had never done before.
I did also survey it for BC XC skiing potential . It is an arduous trip from The Upper Buckland river ( 600 M. ASL) and it did not inspire me for B.C. ski applications. Moreover the terrain around the summit looked too steep for this rusty plodder on planks.
In January it often becomes too hot and dry to do active strenuous outdoors stuff here in Victoria. However skiing in Japan or elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere winter will have to wait at least 12 months due to the Pandemic. I hope the virus runs out of Greek letter names before that date comes.
I drove up to stay at my Friend's house in Myrtleford the day before.
I dropped in on her where she is caring for her ailing nonagenarian Mother in Eurobin , also in the Ovens Valley.
I was up early with the dawn chorus on Sunday January 16th. Driving through the Ovens valley fog and out along the Buckland Valley road it was cool and beautiful.
There are many pleasant campsites with pit loos situated along that stretch of the river. You may have to share them with cows though. Only Beveridge's station ( an old former livestock 'farm land' on the river flats ) offers a camping area sans pit loos and cows within the Alpine N.P. .
I parked at the junction of Selwyn Creek Road and the Mt. Murray North Track.
Once I was ready off then I went up the Mt. Murray North Track. There were at least 5 boots and gaiters on river / creek crossings on that rough 4 x 4 track. One or two of them were shin deep and fast flowing.
Later along the track it began to climb out of the creek and river flats and snake its way up to meet the Twins Track on the AAWT.
On the way up I had a quick chat with a Land Cruiser owner who was driving up to Mt. Hotham the back way with a lad in the passenger seat who I presumed to be his son.
There was water flowing across and under the jeep track at numerous points and the tree ferns and tall mountain ash made for some verdant soothing scenery.
As I drew closer to the Twins Track junction some views of the Buckland Valley opened up.
Since the Barry Mountains were badly burned in January 2020 most of the signs out that way have been replaced with new ones. It is an area I think that @Ramshead had to skip on his AAWT journey that led to his writing of the book " From snow to ash ".
So once again I am giving him a taste of what he missed on the Vic. AAWT and adjacent terrain.
Photos from Day one of the big January trek .
I did also survey it for BC XC skiing potential . It is an arduous trip from The Upper Buckland river ( 600 M. ASL) and it did not inspire me for B.C. ski applications. Moreover the terrain around the summit looked too steep for this rusty plodder on planks.
In January it often becomes too hot and dry to do active strenuous outdoors stuff here in Victoria. However skiing in Japan or elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere winter will have to wait at least 12 months due to the Pandemic. I hope the virus runs out of Greek letter names before that date comes.
I drove up to stay at my Friend's house in Myrtleford the day before.
I dropped in on her where she is caring for her ailing nonagenarian Mother in Eurobin , also in the Ovens Valley.
I was up early with the dawn chorus on Sunday January 16th. Driving through the Ovens valley fog and out along the Buckland Valley road it was cool and beautiful.
There are many pleasant campsites with pit loos situated along that stretch of the river. You may have to share them with cows though. Only Beveridge's station ( an old former livestock 'farm land' on the river flats ) offers a camping area sans pit loos and cows within the Alpine N.P. .
I parked at the junction of Selwyn Creek Road and the Mt. Murray North Track.
Once I was ready off then I went up the Mt. Murray North Track. There were at least 5 boots and gaiters on river / creek crossings on that rough 4 x 4 track. One or two of them were shin deep and fast flowing.
Later along the track it began to climb out of the creek and river flats and snake its way up to meet the Twins Track on the AAWT.
On the way up I had a quick chat with a Land Cruiser owner who was driving up to Mt. Hotham the back way with a lad in the passenger seat who I presumed to be his son.
There was water flowing across and under the jeep track at numerous points and the tree ferns and tall mountain ash made for some verdant soothing scenery.
As I drew closer to the Twins Track junction some views of the Buckland Valley opened up.
Since the Barry Mountains were badly burned in January 2020 most of the signs out that way have been replaced with new ones. It is an area I think that @Ramshead had to skip on his AAWT journey that led to his writing of the book " From snow to ash ".
So once again I am giving him a taste of what he missed on the Vic. AAWT and adjacent terrain.
Photos from Day one of the big January trek .
