Western Creek track

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Western Creek track

Postby Penguin » Sun 15 Jul, 2007 10:14 pm

We are just about to go up the Western Creek Track - rather than Higg's track - and head off to Ironstone Hut. We ahve stayed in Lady Lake hut in the past.

Any tips greatly appreciated.
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Western Creek Track

Postby Pompom » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 9:40 am

Hi Penguin, Have you been up there before? It's steep and scrambly as hell up the original track. Did you know that there is an alternative track. If not I can give you rough directions to find the alternate one.
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Postby Penguin » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 9:23 pm

Interested in any thoughts you may have Pompom. What is the alternative track that you mention?
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Western Creek Trac

Postby Pompom » Mon 16 Jul, 2007 10:07 pm

Hi Penguin. Well when you drive up the rough track just off the Westrope Road with the track start signed to the right,you keep going for a few more metres to where vehicles are obviously parked. Now instead of retracing ones steps back to the signed start, stand by your vehicles and face the tiers, now head for the bush through rough scrub with your eyes pealed and you will find[possibly through sighting footprints or the like] an obvious track heading into the bush and then rising very steeply up the tiers,after a short while it becomes a well trodden track that is easily followed. Eventually it joins the original track,[ about half to two thirds of the way up]. The track is then followed along the creek edge,this main creek is eventually crossed and about half a K after crossing this creek if you look out to your left across the open plain you should see the Lees Hut,one that is used quite often. The track now should still be easily followed to Westons Lake, from there you can get to Lake Nameless easily. On retracing your steps if you come down the same way you must keep your eyes open for the junction where the ascending track met the older one.If you miss it you will continue down the old one and you will see why the later one is better.
Now please bear with me especially if you are experienced walking in the above area,but as we have not met I would like to add a couple of cautionary notes to the above. If you are going very soon beware of the probable snow conditions and a map is essential as some of these Tier tracks can be very confusing and poorly marked.I have not been up them for about 5 years so conditions have probably changed and my advice should be tempered with all necessary caution.
Sorry for that sermon, enjoy your trip.
Bob Cooper
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Postby Penguin » Tue 17 Jul, 2007 5:48 pm

Bob

Thanks for the track notes. The two of us were intending to go this week end and we are keeping an eye on the weather. You cannot overstate the need for caution in the highlands at this time of year - todays Advocate bears testament to that. We were taking 1:25,000 map, compass (although we found the compass not work well near Lady Lake - I am assuming because of the ferrous content of the rocks) & a GPS. We are relative novices with the GPS, I have only used it seriously on one previous walk.

My hiking buddy really wants to go to Ironstone hut. we have been to Lady Lake a couple of times but never had the time/opportunity to explore further. We have three days this time and it is just the two of us so plenty of time for a fossick around.

We were hoping to go from Lake MacKenzie and then head to the Walls but with the weather closing in we felt discretion was the better than valour.

Thanks again and we will let you knw how we go.

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Westons Track

Postby Pompom » Wed 18 Jul, 2007 11:25 am

Hi Penguin, re your reply, I presume that you're walking on the Lake Mackenzie map No 4438. A rough bearing of the Lees Hut is 557 832. This is approximate so keep your eyes open for it,as it is pretty well camouflaged.I mention this as a possible refuge because if there is a snow cover or one comes up when you're in there, EVEN WITH A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW THE TRACK CAN DISAPPEAR and as there are not [to my knowledge] any track markers compass work may be the only way to get out safely. If snow arrives when you're in Ironstone Hut and must walk out take the Higgs track out and walk back to the Westons Track when you're out down the bottom.
As an alternative to the above I would have suggested going to Ironstone Hut via Lake Mackenzie but I'm not sure of the Lakes water level but more importantly the amount of water coming down the Fisher River as this has to be forded to get onto the Ironstone Track via Lake Explorer. At least this way,the rivers and lakes can be followed all the way back to the Mackenzie car park.
I'm not cheeky enough to advise you to wait for better weather but think on't
Take as many GPS bearings going in that you can.
Cheers
Bob Cooper
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Postby Penguin » Fri 20 Jul, 2007 5:52 pm

Bob

We have looked at the weather around Ironstone hut for the weekend. Too cold and too risky. We are off to Tiger Lake - never been there before either!
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Postby Pompom » Fri 20 Jul, 2007 11:14 pm

Penguin, I thought that I knew a few routes but where the hell is Tiger Lake?
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Postby Son of a Beach » Sat 21 Jul, 2007 3:30 pm

If it's the same Tiger Lake I know, it's just off the track on the way into the Walls of Jerusalem (using the alternate route from Trappers Hut). I've been past, but never had a good look around Tiger lake. There's meant to be a hut there, built by a Vietnam Veteran (according to the Kosiusko Huts Association). Is it still there? I've never seen it.
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Postby Penguin » Mon 23 Jul, 2007 1:50 pm

We just spent two fantastic days in and around the Walls of Jerusalem. Clear blue skies and deep snow. Most of the snow was about 20cm deep, but some up to a meter. It was good we did not try to go from Ironstone to the Walls - it would have been exhausting trapsing through the snow and difficult to navigate in places. Even comming out of the Walls along the main track would be hard with fresh snow as there are few track markers. You can easily see how people get into trouble.

Very few camping spots and side trip hard in the snow, so we spent two days up there rather than three.

Solitary hut is on Tiger Lake. You get there by going left at Trappers Hut rather than going right along the standard track. The hut was illegally built in the early 1980's. There are a number of stories about who built it, the traditional one is about a Vietnam Vet who wanted to get away from it all for 18 months. The hut is well built and would be welcome shelter in nasty weather. I have the GPS reference if anyone is interested.
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