Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby sim1oz » Wed 06 Aug, 2014 12:36 pm

I agree, awesome photos Andrew. Thanks for sharing them. It's nice to get a feel for what to look out for as we head towards 'MD Village'.

Thanks also for the route details...following High Plains Road should be easy. I had wondered whether you varied things at all. I suspect it will take longer than 3 hours with kids. If we don't need a pulk to carry extra gear I think we'll catch the chairlift up.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby neilmny » Wed 06 Aug, 2014 4:56 pm

Thanks Andrew, great pictures. Moondog looks very at home doesn't he.
I can see now why the wind could be a big issue, not much protection in that spot.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Smeagle » Wed 06 Aug, 2014 8:59 pm

wheres moondogs camp at just wondering as im arriving at falls area tommoz, if this weather holds back?? sorry might have been explained before hand, tis a windy night where i am now :(
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Cecile » Wed 06 Aug, 2014 9:13 pm

Smeagle wrote:wheres moondogs camp at just wondering as im arriving at falls area tommoz, if this weather holds back?? sorry might have been explained before hand, tis a windy night where i am now :(


The camp is on the right side of the road just beyond Pretty Valley hut, in the horse yards and close to the toilet. You can't miss it. Andrew's post a few back has good instructions on how to get up there.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby andrewbish » Thu 07 Aug, 2014 10:47 am

Correction to my directions to Moondogville:

- Going in, get to Windy Corner, then follow the High plains Road, then the McKay Road, then the Pretty Valley Dam Track.[/list]

- Coming out, get to the junction of the McKay Link Road and Pretty Valley Dam Track ("the gate"), then drop down twds Rock Valley Storage. (This route is shown in the route tracking dgm from my SPOT3, below)

fallsroute.jpg
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Travis22 » Thu 07 Aug, 2014 10:57 am

Hi Andrew, can you recall what time interval you have your spot tracker set to?

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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby andrewbish » Thu 07 Aug, 2014 11:03 am

Travis22 wrote:Hi Andrew, can you recall what time interval you have your spot tracker set to?

Travis.


10 mins. The tracker was on for a little while at the start and finish. I was actually travelling from the #5 flag to the #23 flag. ie. 18 x 10mins = 180 mins or 3hrs.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Lophophaps » Thu 07 Aug, 2014 11:09 am

Depending on weather, snow conditions, and fitness, it will be about three hours either way. Both routes are quite exposed for much of the journey. The return journey is arguably easier to navigate as there's better handrails: up to the ridge, down the creek, stay on the track between the dam and the ski tows, left at the dam wall. The top of Ruined Castle can be hard to follow in poor weather.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Smeagle » Fri 08 Aug, 2014 11:51 am

bugger i must have walked straight past ya, im at falls now few days skiing just to add things to the mix, i think this trip has just turned into a fun month out rather than a hike hahaha
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby sim1oz » Sun 10 Aug, 2014 11:50 pm

We just got back from a weekend at Moondog Village. Overall it was lots of fun, though the snowshoe in and out with 8yo and 10yo was a little challenging. I'll write up a full trip report, but we got the lot, night snow shoeing, sitting round a camp fire, clear sky and moonlight on snow, wind and snow falling overnight, blue sky days, overcast day with snow falling (with blue sky every now and then).... Here are some photos. Note, all the photos are from today so you can see the changes in sky from overcast to blue to overcast!

Post here if you are planning to go up so MD knows you are coming. I think he might head home to his beloved for a while if no-one else is coming and then come back up for spring skiing.

Pretty Valley 2014 017 R.JPG
Our mode of transport - snowshoes with poles


Pretty Valley 2014 018 R.JPG
Moondog's basecamp - Sunday morning with snow falling


Pretty Valley 2014 033 R.JPG
Toilet had to be cleared of snow for entry


Pretty Valley 2014 044 R.JPG
Short cut back across horse yards from toilet to MD's camp


Pretty Valley 2014 103 R.JPG
This morning...Moondog, my hubby and girls - MD helped us move the girls along so we could get back to the chairlift while there was still visibility
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby andrewbish » Mon 11 Aug, 2014 1:51 am

Looks like you had decent conditions too, sim1oz. MD will have loved your company.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby neilmny » Mon 11 Aug, 2014 12:20 pm

Great pictures Simone, looking forward to your write up. Thanks for posting.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Tortoise » Mon 11 Aug, 2014 9:44 pm

And a high 5 for the girls!
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Cecile » Mon 11 Aug, 2014 10:37 pm

sim1oz wrote:Moondog Village


Love this description :-) Your girls are better troupers than I will ever be. Thanks for the phone call, and keeping him company for the weekend.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby FootTrack » Tue 12 Aug, 2014 12:10 am

Cecile wrote: I'm not really sure, to be honest. There are a group of folks going up tomorrow, and another for the weekend of 9/10 August. After that, I'm not really sure. I think he intended initially to stay for all of August, but after the horrible winds he may cut it shorter. As soon as I know anything I'll post here.


No worries Cecile. I'm going to be away this coming weekend but will likely be in Falls Creek the following weekend. If Moondog is still around I'd be very keen to drop in :) Of course I understand completely if he's looking to head home by then though - he's been up there a long time! :)
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Cecile » Tue 12 Aug, 2014 10:13 pm

OK everyone, MD is home for now, didn't expect him until tomorrow. He will return to the mountain at the end of the ski season to collect his gear.

I'll leave this thread for now, and let him take up the narrative a little later.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Moondog55 » Tue 12 Aug, 2014 10:36 pm

OK I'm back for a while
I'll post photos [ if they are worthy] tomorrow
I met up with Paul but I was simply too tired and a little run down to walk with him
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby sim1oz » Tue 12 Aug, 2014 11:02 pm

Tortoise wrote:And a high 5 for the girls!


Absolutely! The whole experience made me realise how infrequently my girls are truly challenged physically and have to persevere through mental and physical barriers. There was malingering, there were tears, there were strong comments, and even the threat of a pole poke in the back to get them going. The younger turned to me on the way back from PV and said "If you ever ask me to come to the snow with you again, I'll say no!". It was tough getting them to keep moving, especially as the sky clouded over and the wind picked up... and we started to worry about safety. But now that they are back home they are very proud of themselves and I am proud of them too because it may have been the first time I pushed them past their limits... and they got there in the end. Ironically, once they could see the chairlifts all of a sudden they picked up their pace of their own accord.

Many thanks to Moondog who took over the coaxing when he could see we [parents] were not being very effective!
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Moondog55 » Wed 13 Aug, 2014 8:12 am

Well Sim I didn't see any tantrums
Not many of the pictures I took with Ceciles camera are worth posting.
I weighed myself this AM and I'm sitting just above 84kilos, I haven't been this lean for a long time.
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Giddy_up » Thu 14 Aug, 2014 5:51 pm

Hi Moondog,

Thanks for the hospitality and a good old chat mate. I ended up pushing on to "Ryders" then "Youngs" then a back track to "Cope" and out today via "Wallaces". Blue bird days the lot, with a morning fog at "Ryders".

My legs know they have done it!!!!!!!

Snow was starting to get pretty soft in places but it looks like more snow on the way for the weekend as a top up.

Thanks again Moondog for providing a safe landing ground for us newbies at the snow. It's greatly appreciated.

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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Moondog55 » Fri 15 Aug, 2014 3:33 pm

I appreciate the thanx but I really don't think I did that much.
As for a trip report there isn't much to relate; apart from one miserable trip back to camp in the blinding wind and rain and getting bushed one night when my batteries failed and my lamp died [ I retreated to the hut following my footprints before they disappeared] there isn't much to tell.
My days were spent either skiing the lift serviced runs or general camp housekeeping and sometimes a mix of both
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Moondog55 » Sat 16 Aug, 2014 10:43 pm

A few pictures of Andrew and the nice weather he had
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IMG_7448.JPG
Nice Macpac Minaret
IMG_7465.JPG
First time on skis in 14 years
IMG_7495.JPG
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Moondog55 » Sat 16 Aug, 2014 10:51 pm

We had quite a blow while I was there and the tent suffered some damage, combination of old age [ 20+ years] and very strong winds; gusts exceeding 120/140kph

My old Plateau just keeps going tho and Sim1oz borrowed it for a couple of nights; but I really liked the new Hilleberg she bought
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IMG_7440.JPG
IMG_7525.JPG
Just one storm and the tarp is in shreds
IMG_7496.JPG
Stove kept the big tent reasonably warm though it did use a good bit of firewood
IMG_7434.JPG
IMG_7501.JPG
Needs a longer flue to be really effective
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby raider » Sun 17 Aug, 2014 10:07 pm

Andrew Bish needs to wear sunscreen more often !
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby sim1oz » Sun 17 Aug, 2014 10:39 pm

I gave up waiting for the Caffin tunnel tent to be produced and bought a Hilleberg Kaitum 2GT which will mainly be used for snow camping or VERY inclement weather. We love our tarptents and will stick with them for our 3-season walks, but the Hilleberg (despite it's volume and weight) is brilliant :) for snow camping. Both the Hilleberg and Moondog's Fairydown Plateau stood up well to a windy night followed by snow (especially since I didn't peg out all the guy lines). MD, what do you think the wind speed was?

Pretty Valley 2014 021 R.JPG
Hilleberg in the foreground with Moondog's Fairydown Plateau behind
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Moondog55 » Sun 17 Aug, 2014 11:06 pm

raider wrote:Andrew Bish needs to wear sunscreen more often !


You should see my nose then LOL
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby Moondog55 » Sun 17 Aug, 2014 11:08 pm

Sim I doubt the wind was any greater than about 20kph with an occasional gust a little higher
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby icefest » Sun 17 Aug, 2014 11:12 pm

When I finally get a winter tent, this is the tent I'll get.

Good to see it held up to your expectations!
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby sim1oz » Sun 17 Aug, 2014 11:30 pm

MD, wow, all that noise for only 20kph. I guess we normally camp in more sheltered spots or we've never been in wind before. And I will guy out all my lines from now on... What does 50-100kph sounds like? An aircraft taking off?

Icefest, it is a cruzy tent. Very easy to put up, as tunnel tents are, and very spacious. If I was stuck in there for a few days there would be enough space to cook, sleep, , move about a bit, etc. without needing to venture out. It is certainly more spacious than any of our other tents...
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Re: Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

Postby icefest » Sun 17 Aug, 2014 11:45 pm

I've been in a Nallo and Nammatj when it was blowing 60-70kmh. It wasn't fun, I'm too tall for them couldn't stretch out without getting my bag wet.
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