Mt Feathertop Access and related reports...

[Ubiquitous Steve]

T.Bears went for wander up the Bungalow Spur .

The 9kms and gentle inclined track took us 3hours with very light pack of day provisions..

Ground frozen in parts but no snow at all on way up....Federation Hut site also has no snow at all..
We did the usual and cut up big bits of firewood so it fits in the wood stove ..another Nectre.

also anything on ground was put to use as firewood..
hut has a small saw looks like 21inch blade lease bring replacements.

there was also a small hatchet...tank water good..

left candles,firelighters,matches and dunny rolls..

many thanks to group of 4 that helped to put wood into hut and for their good humoured company
left 9pm and came down well defined track with small led torch in 2 and half hours..

the seat at Picture Point (approx. 2kms in from trail head) proved a good place to rest in middle of night while T.Bears had break and changed aaa batteries in little torch..

track condition very good with no major obstacles to get over or around....

 

[skifree]

I like the report US, but not the content. Please revise to confirm that Fed Hut is buried by snow and you have dug an access tunnel.

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

I like the report US, but not the content. Please revise to confirm that Fed Hut is buried by snow and you have dug an access tunnel.

yep unfortunately stuff all snow....was a delightful evening..still and starry but fog on middle of ridge coming down..

this is the 3rd weekend in a row of beautiful settled conditions...
but there is no snow!!!

note.**little spring about 3/4s of way along this track up to Federation Hut is running and could be used for a drink with out diverting from track

also noted work of Parks Vic they must have spent hours cutting fallen trees after the fire and in the following period..a huge effort must have been put in along this track by them...

 

[Pierre Andipatin]

Thanks Ubiquitous Steve and the T. Bears. By the way, what's the "backstory" on the T.Bears?

A mate and I went up Bungalow Spur yesterday. Went up at 6am - 2hrs 45 min up and 2 hrs down. There were a few people along the way: two separate couples, a beautiful Blue Heeler called "Rock' and a couple of blokes going up separately.

Hut looked well stocked (thanks), as desacribed already no snow to speak of, but conditions were perfect for taking a sunny stroll. See pics below.

https://plus.google.com/photos/100397220835497371645/albums/6165633607814441681?authkey=CKSVgY7e89LQrQE

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Thanks Ubiquitous Steve and the T. Bears. By the way, what's the "backstory" on the T.Bears?

A mate and I went up Bungalow Spur yesterday. Went up at 6am - 2hrs 45 min up and 2 hrs down. There were a few people along the way: two separate couples, a beautiful Blue Heeler called "Rock' and a couple of blokes going up separately.

Hut looked well stocked (thanks), as desacribed already no snow to speak of, but conditions were perfect for taking a sunny stroll. See pics below.

https://plus.google.com/photos/100397220835497371645/albums/6165633607814441681?authkey=CKSVgY7e89LQrQE

must have missed Rock....Bears bit scared of native dogs...

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Nice photos PA...we decided not to take up our 3mp camera cos of extra wt. bears nearly went off their trolley when Ubi couldnot take some pics of them at work!!

 

[Pierre Andipatin]

Nice photos PA...we decided not to take up our 3mp camera cos of extra wt. bears nearly went off their trolley when Ubi couldnot take some pics of them at work!!

Thanks Ubi. We were multipurposing the samsung galaxy, especially since my wife was calling us on the way down to ask why it was taking so long . How did you get the trolley up there?

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Photo thro snow gum of Mt F. is superb..

you probably saw a few cut bits on way up ...we just didnot have time to do any more as ascent was for firewood at hut..
our little 16in saw would have done any of the minor debri on track but we just had to leave some and walk over it unfortunately...it was nice to have a relative gentle slope compared to the Staircase and/or Eskdale Spur to motor along....

must be more difficult after a descent snow fall however...

 

[Chaeron]

Went up via Stony Tops to Fed hut on Sunday afternoon , returning yesterday morning - track still all clear - signs of DSE & Steve at work. The ground along the path is reasonably cold - should hold the snow (when it falls).

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Went up via Stony Tops to Fed hut on Sunday afternoon , returning yesterday morning - track still all clear - signs of DSE & Steve at work. The ground along the path is reasonably cold - should hold the snow (when it falls).

No cannot take credit for others work ..T.Bears not been up there for a couple months so DSE and other parties must have been doing good work...but we will go up there soon cos last 3week ends we have been crawling up long climbs for work purposes...

probably a season where DSE could leave seasons gate unlocked permitting people to drive to old helipad.....oh we did do some track clearing on walking track maybe 3mths ago but that was pretty easy work...
hope our Stoneytops Campsite is looking good...we were down in West Kiewa for many weeks .... before Dungey Track was closed off....

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Got up to Federation Hut on Saturday arvo...well sheltered route up the 9kms..
dropped 2 new 21inch blades into hut...tap was freezing on water tank so put old mittens/plastic bag on it to stop it freezing.

Walked to Little Feathertop sunday morning(was still,sunny with extensive views..can see cars on Hotham Rd just below summit.snow was about up to mid lower leg...another group walked up to MT Feathertop without snow shoes in this good window of weather..
Started snowing again at lunch time on sunday and was snowing down to Tobias Gap as I descended back down mid arvo..

Snow depth must be up to knee now at Federation Hut..say the Bears..

Snow Depth increasing rapidly ..snow shoes/skis will be required for any travel after next 24hours..
At 3pm
saw party of 3 that had crossed Razorback after spending Saturday night camped somewhere out there..they said weather not to bad (it snowed from 8pmtill midnight only on Saturday night...

so initially not too much snow from the Antartic Vortex but last night must have bumped depth up considerably...

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Oh the weekend of the antartic vortex described in above post....

sunday morning during the dreaded votex...Bears could see Hotham plus cars on the road




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[Ubiquitous Steve]

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

No doubt its raining now and bears are hoping that the clean filter is passing water into the rainwater tank.\

plenty of firewood up there too says bears

bears demonstrating sundays snow depth outside hut at noon

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Bears returned to Staircase for another work party and finished job on the problem log...
Team Bears could be heard yelling "Leave no trace" as they removed some large bits remaining in this blockage...

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Must have been putting posts in wrong places a few times Bears are saying...

so anyway for those travelling Bungalow Spur to Federation Hut ...the track is excellent after some minor works last sunday morning..tank water good and 21in blades were taken up as spares for the hand saw..
firewood supply in hut now is pretty scant...

 

[Myazma]

Love ya work Team Bears

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

A good weekend spent at Stoneytops Campsite....Team Bears spent weekend working to remove head/upper branches of a huge fallen old timer(smooth barked gum) that had fallen on the western aspect of the campsite...green tree that had been blown over...it had smacked a few things on the way down ...very dry up there considering its only early Spring and track to barrier was dry and had little debri to negotiate...some logs were trimmed back a bit on drive up especially on the last km before the barrier.

overall assessment is :good dry track to closed barrier at Stoneytops Campsite with very little debri to hinder rapid progress...

 

[neck_deep]

^^Good Work yet again!! On an access note, if your coming along the razorback expect a large amount of boot packing. The difference between Saturdays skin out to Twin Knobs and Sundays hike back was huge. Northern and north western slops basically gone.

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

yep visually there appears to be a major loss of snow up there...
and no snow at Stoneytops Gate and probably not much up to highest point(old helipad) on upper section of track..