WOJ request for any updates

[benoloughlin]

Hi everyone,
I'm planning on taking a couple of older but experienced walkers into the WOJ in early February. (Ex Olympic Mountains (Wa), Lake Superior Track, part-PCT)
Fortunately, we are being dropped off and picked up.
If access to Trappers Hut track is still out of the question (no, I'm not going to pay a $500 bond for a forestry key!), my plan was to walk in via Lake Ada -> Lake Fanny -> Central Walls area. (two days to walk in, two days explore, two days out)

I have a couple of questions...
- Can anyone recommend an alternative (but not super-hard) exit route other than retrace back to Lake Ada via Lake Fanny?
- Can anyone provide updated conditions of tracks and off-track routes?
Thanks
Ben

[norts]

You can do this walk as a circuit.
The way I do it is, go in via Lake Antimony and Bernes Valley then come out via zion Gate.
You still have to walk both ways to nearly Talleh Lagoons. The turn off to Antimony is as you descend to Talleh.

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[north-north-west]

I went in once on the track to Talleh Lagoons, then followed the south side of the Lagoons to Quail Gully, and followed that and the general line of the NP boundary to Butters (it's easy and sensible nav if you have a map), before going up on to Richea Ridge and thence to Mersey Crag. Easy day from there to upper Fish River, Wild Dog and King Davids. Return was via Great Pine Tier to Lake Fanny, Powena Ck to Antimony (it gets a bit scrubby lower down so best to pick up the Antimony track) as a side trip, and back out on the track again. You're only retracing your steps for a couple of hours.

Bernes in and Great Pine Tier out make a good option too.

[benoloughlin]

Norts and north-north-west,

Thank you for your input and excellent advice. It is greatly appreciated!

Ben

[tastrekker]

If you have someone to drop off & pick up then you could do a through walk rather than a circuit. Six days should be oodles.
I would recommend considering Lake Mackenzie and the Blue Peaks Track as an alternate start or finish to your walk. It is delightful off-track walking From Little Throne, past Turrana Heights, Lake Lexie, Pencil Pine Tarn, Long Tarns, Daisy Lakes & Lake Tyre. Allow 1.5 days from Mackenzie Dam wall to Dixons Kingdom. A strong, fast group could do it in a long day but it would easily stretch out to 2 days at a leisurely pace.
The Higgs Track is another northern access. Higgs would take half a day longer than the Lake Mackenzie Option. You can either head to Little Throne from Lake Nameless or follow the Ritters Track (historic cairned route described in a Simon Cubit blog post) through to Mount Jerusalem.
Both above options require meticulous navigation from lake to lake using the Jerusalem 1:50,000 map. Without excellent off-track navigation it is easy to get lost in this land of a thousand lakes especially if cloud descends!

[taswegian]

I'd been thinking similar and echo everything tastrekker says.
Some describe that walk as a "bit boring", but that's subjective.

There's also many opportunities for other sidetracks to mountains, features along the way.
Whet your appetite for a return trip.

Your 2 days exploring and 2 days walk out could see this accomplished easily, or 1 day in immediate Walls and a rambling 3 days out taking in side trips.
Mersey Crag, Turrana Bluff, Fisher Bluff, Mt Ironstone.
Certainly grab copy of map or jump onto LIST and TasMap and look at it online, print out sections, laminate and make your own.
Default background is Topographic but you can change to suit.
Not sure if I'm "teaching a grandmother to suck eggs" so aplogise if such re map.

[north-north-west]

Higgs and through would be great. Plenty of options for sidetrips and it's wonderfully varied country.

[benoloughlin]

Tastrekker and Taswegian and north-north-west,
Thank you for your kind advice. And I do apologize for my tardiness in acknowledging your input.
kind regards,
Ben