Black Bluff December 2008

[sthughes]

!worromot eseht lebal ll'I ebyam os sdrawkcab si txet ym dna dam enog sah retupmoc yM

Edit: Okay I'm at work now andd this computer is happily typing forwards so here goes!

Winterbrook Falls


The newest "stroller" checking out the falls while Speculator checks out a bush!


Scrub got pretty thick in one short section.


Views on the way up.


It's about now we all realised #$%^ it's windy!


This guy was struggling with heis tent down on Paddys Lake in the strong wind (crap blurry pic)


The expression says it all. Well actually it wasn't that impressive.


At least one of us got in the Xmas spirit anyway!


The summit panorama from southeast to west (or so). Black clouds to the south obscured the rest.


Anyone would think it was cold and windy!


Paddys Lake on the descent.


Paddys Lake with Black Bluff in the background - really doesn't show how windy it was.


The BWT Strollers at days end with Oscar and Frank.


We all met at Speculator's place at 8.01 and headed up in two cars. Four of us went to the Winterbrook end and dropped of DA and Geoskid to go ahead and do their geocaching thing. Corvus and I headed back to pick up the other three from the Loongana end. The short cut marked on the 1:100k map is no good anymore unless you have a "real" 4x4 and even then you'd need to be keen unless the creek was down as it has been washed out somewhat. So we went the long way (25km) to pick up the others. When we got to the turn off at Loongana Corvus and I decided there was no rush and so continued on another 7.5km up a windy gravel road towards South Riana. Satisfied we'd left them wating long enough we then turned around and went back to the end of Brookes track and picked up the other three. By the time we got back to Winterbrook it was just after 10.00am! When we got to Winterbrook Falls the geochachers had been waiting almost 1hr 45min - for some reason they were both wearing almost everything thay had with them - softies . We then charged up to the plateau where we were met by a gentle 43 knot breeze - enough to bring out a windproof layer. After some more geocaching we climed to the summit (not far). After yet more geocaching, some pics and a heap of wind we hastily headed back down. I swear the wind was stronger at the north end of Paddys Lake than anywhere, several of us ended up walking like drunks and laying down in the bushes on the north side of the track. Anyway we charged down Brookes Track and were in Loongana in good time. Back to Devonport by about 6 after a bit of r & r on the banks of the Leven River.
It was a nice walk and no where near as hard as I expected - be great on a clear day. The company was great and improved by the addition of another West Coast Eagles fan who is most certainly not a "Smithton Boy" - my bad!
Merry xmas everyone - I have a feeling the Strollers will be back in the new year!

Last edited by sthughes on Tue 09 Dec, 2008 9:59 am, edited 2 times in total.

[johnw]

:? !worromot eseht lebal ll'I ebyam os sdrawkcab si txet ym dna dam enog sah retupmoc yM

.uoy knahT .stohs taerG

man, it's too early in the morning for backwards text- but nice pictures. Thanks for sharing

[Kainas]

.ybboh a pu gnikat tseggus I yam .sdnah ruoy no emit fo tol a evah ot mees uoy

[Penguin]

Sorry I missed the walk. Flipping burgers for friends of my wife instead of walking in the great Tassie bush. And I don't even eat meat.

Sthughes, good personal photos as usual. Shame about the cloud cover.

Maybe next time.

[sthughes]

.ybboh a pu gnikat tseggus I yam .sdnah ruoy no emit fo tol a evah ot mees uoy

Coming from the one typing backwards by choice!

[Speculator]

Hey, great photos STH! They tell the story rather nicely!

I have a few to add. There are still more in this album in our gallery (note - anyone who's not comfortable with having their picture online please let me know).

The view East:


Presumably, this is where the "Eye of the Needle" track gets it's name:


At least there was a good view of Paddys!:


Three pansies and one brave soldier (four pansies if you include the one behind the camera)!:


Erm... tricks of the trade... or not!:


L8r.

Last edited by Speculator on Sun 17 Apr, 2011 8:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[MrCAMEL]

No one ever calls me a pansy

It was a good fun adventure. I thankyou all much for your drives and how everyone made the walk so very relaxing and enjoyable.
It was quite cold. But not too bad,. I only had one frozen hand, but was more rugged up walking to work this morning, while wearing more clothes, but was still colder than on the top of the hill.

It's a pity we couldnt get some sort of brief heatwave while we were on top, similar to what Liawenee experienced this morning . http://www.weatherzone.com.au/station.j ... 33&list=ob

[Taurë-rana]

Just adding my one decent photo from the trip.

Winterbrook Falls

[Graham17]

Falls really humming

[iaindtiler]

So you are happy shaming someone struggling with a tent in high winds. Says more about you as a person really!!

[Speculator]

So you are happy shaming someone struggling with a tent in high winds. Says more about you as a person really!!

WT...F???

[CasualNerd]

Could have waited a few days to make this an epic 10year thread bump.