Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

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Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby phs » Tue 13 Mar, 2018 11:21 am

Hi,

I have done a lot of the tracks around Mackenzie except this one, I know if the water level is up it is not really advisable but I am chasing a GPX file of the walk as we won't be heading off till 1-2pm and would be a lot more confident if we had a gps plot to fall back on
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby Tas Tom » Tue 13 Mar, 2018 11:41 am

No need to worry about water levels- they are very low at the moment
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby Rick » Mon 19 Mar, 2018 12:50 pm

Pretty easy to follow on the Mackenzie 1:25000.
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby Mammoth » Mon 19 Mar, 2018 1:57 pm

I was up there 2 weeks ago and the water level is extremely low won’t have any trouble walking around or across


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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby phs » Mon 19 Mar, 2018 8:16 pm

Thanks for all the replies, I have 25k and 100k topo maps that I use on my iPhone via memory map, just given the time we are heading off I though a GPS track file would help incase the weather turns

But all good

Thanks again
Phil
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby taswegian » Mon 19 Mar, 2018 9:04 pm

Phil are you familiar with our LIST?
https://maps.thelist.tas.gov.au/listmap/app/list/map
Search Lake MacKenzie and turn on whatever map background suits. Default shows the track in parts.
Just don't keep heading too far south once past the south end Lake MacKenzie else you'll walk for ages up a very pretty valley and then have to duck back across the scrub to Nameless.
It's actually a nice walk up the Fisher River and then head across via lakes Fox & Chambers, Forty Lakes Peak (recognisable peak) to south end Lake Nameless.

You can draw your own track and export as a kml.
Attached is a very rough one I made off my tablet.
So could have a shortcut across the edge of Lake :o
You maybe able to load that up to your device then.
Explorer_RS.kml
Rough track via Lake Explorer with caution!
(1.87 KiB) Downloaded 297 times
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby phs » Tue 20 Mar, 2018 10:13 am

Hi,

Thanks for that, looking at the the Tasmap link it shows ritters track is that accurate to where it actually runs ?
And is there a track that goes over the top of 40 lakes peak? We always go about mid way up to the west side and usually is fairly rough.
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby whynotwalk » Tue 20 Mar, 2018 11:00 am

Hi phs - Ritters Track is essentially a few identifiable rock cairns with very little actual track visible in between them. The cairns aren't always easy to find, and can get confused with other cairns that have any number of other purposes.

If you search "Ritters Track" on this forum you'll find plenty of references to it, and most say what we recently found: it's easier to just find your own route in that country. And what delightful country it is! My only caveat would be to take great care in snowy or fogged-in weather. Otherwise look at where you want to go, and go there, weaving your way around any lakes and avoiding what little scrub there is,

cheers

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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby MrWalker » Tue 20 Mar, 2018 6:42 pm

phs wrote:And is there a track that goes over the top of 40 lakes peak? We always go about mid way up to the west side and usually is fairly rough.

There is a cairned track up 40 Lakes Peak. It starts from just past the toilet near the Hut at lake Nameless and is easy to follow.
The track ends at the top (but not at the best lookout a bit further west. I don't think it continues across to anywhere else.
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby phs » Tue 20 Mar, 2018 7:49 pm

Thanks again for all the replies guys,

Very helpful information, as you have mentioned the weather up there can turn at the drop of a hat, as I have experience first hand, Thank god for my magnetic compasss -lol took me a few years to work that out, and hence why I am asking so many questions just like to obtain as much info as possible incase the weather turns
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby MrWalker » Wed 21 Mar, 2018 7:26 am

If you check ListMap (noted above) you will see that the track seems to end partway along Lake Explorer. This is correct.
After you lose the obvious track, don't keep looking for it, just follow any easy route through mostly open country keeping Lake Explorer and Snake Lake on your left. You should head for a saddle between 40 Lakes Peak and the small hill between Snake Lake and Lake Nameless. When you get over the saddle you can see the hut and poles for Higgs Track, and take any route from there.
This assumes that the visibility is good enough to see the lakes and peaks. If you are in deep water you are too far left. If you are climbing uphill you are too far right.
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby phs » Wed 21 Mar, 2018 10:00 pm

Thanks mr Walker,

We have walked higgs to ironstone to lake explorer a few times, the first time we went from ironstone to explorer we thought we were at snake lake, does not take much to loose your orientation.
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Re: Explorer Creek track Lake Mackenzie

Postby phs » Fri 06 Apr, 2018 6:16 pm

Hi,

We just returned from lake explorer track, mosltly good crossing the fisher river was fairly hard and was done close to where it meets the lake both there and the way back, any one know of a better option ?
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