Day 10: O’Keefe’s Hut to Whites River Hut 7/12/19

What a massive day! I ended up hiking 29.5kms. Originally I planned to get to Valentine’s Hut, but that would have made for a big day tomorrow in what I assume will be mountainous country. So I decided I’d see if I could get to Schlink Hut or even better, Whites River Hut.

The wind has dropped right off which is such a relief. It’s so great to not be walking into a gale for a change.

I set out before 8 and pushed myself. I spent the morning skirting around Mt Jagungal. Funny to be walking around one of the mountains you’ve been watching and walking towards for days. At the foot of the mountain there’s a funny little weather station.

There are lots of crows nests in the dead trees. Seems very exposed, but l guess where else are they going to have their babies since all the tall trees are dead. The fires in 2003 absolutely devastated so much of the national parks in NSW and Victoria. I’d never realised how slow growing these trees are. You can see in all the photos that even the trees that have come up in the last 16 years are nowhere near as tall as the ones that were destroyed in those fires.  Apparently residents cried at the fires, knowing they wouldn’t live to see the bush that same way again due to the slow growing nature.

Another random thing – this patch of emerald green in the middle of nowhere.

And this skull of whatever. Maybe a rodent. Being picked completely clean by the ants.

I stopped for morning tea looking back at Mt Jagungal before heading off again.

My hair is starting to do crazy things. It’s day 3 with no hair wash and it’s starting to show!

Grey Mare Hut is 400m uphill off the track. It was so nice to leave my pack at the bottom of the hill to go and check it out.

Shortly after leaving the hut, I left Grey Mare Trail that I’d been on for a day and a half and started on Valentine’s Trail. Don’t be fooled by the name. The first half was long and hard and full of flies. They constantly swarmed around me for the rest of the day. That’s the downside of the relief from the wind.

Soon I came to a creek crossing that needed river waders. I happily changed, crossed, dried feet, rebooted and got on my walk. To turn a corner and have to cross the same creek again. Really?? Yes, really. So boots off, river waders on, hoik backpack up, cross, reboot and get going again. To round another corner and have to cross the same creek. Luckily this time there was a rock I could step across on. It was like nature went “and again. No, just tricking”. I got around another corner and there it was again. In the end I had to cross the same creek, Back Flat Creek, five times, four of which needed river waders! I could see Grey Mare Hut back in the distance on the hill and could imagine it looking down laughing.

The trail has become much more mountainous. Lots of ups and downs. The down into Geehi Creek and up the other side were particularly steep. The kind of steep that hurts your quads on the way down. It was another boots off creek crossing too before plodding back up the other side.

At Valentine’s Hut I managed to cross the fairly wide river by stones which l was pretty proud of.

Climbing up the other side to the hut I met David, the leader of a Duke of Ed group. Sixteen kids camping at Valentine’s Hut. Thank goodness I’d decided to push on! The hut was very cute though.

There were lots of ups and downs on the 7km hike to Shlink Hut. The landscape has definitely changed, but the dead trees remain.

I exited the Jagungal Wilderness onto Shlink Road. It was nice to plod along a road for awhile. I was in my own world when a couple of guys came up behind me and scared the hell out of me! Turned out it was another Duke of Ed group staying at Shlink Hut. Mark and l had a great chat which l really appreciated. After 25kms, l was running out of steam and it was great to chat with someone to take my mind off the walking. All of a sudden, we were at the hut. Thanks Mark!

I headed off pretty quickly, keen to make Whites River Hut and set up before dark. Again, it was a nice change walking along a slightly uphill road.

Whites River Hut site is fantastic! The hut is ok, but the great thing is the lovely soft grass out the front right next to a river running down rocks. My tent is pitched close to the river, so I’ll fall asleep to the sound of running water.

There’s a group of six guys camping here. They’ve just finished year 12 and are away for a few days. They seem like such lovely boys. One told me if l wanted to put my tent anywhere they were already set up to just let them know and they’ll move! They were very focused on keeping their rubbish together and were super polite.

I set up my tent, had rehydrated split pea soup for dinner – l was starving after not having eaten since lunch, had a quick chat with the guys then went to bed. I’m exhausted!