Aaaah, after many months of researching and purchasing gear and a few walks (never enough), I was made redundant last week. The weekend just gone was a planned overnighter into New Pelion along the Arm River Track and up to Pelion Gap or Ossa if conditions allowed.
I realised that I had no need to be back by Monday, so stocked up with some extra food last minute before leaving town and left my group at Pelion Gap and continued on my merry lonesome south along the Overland. I spent the next night alone perched on benches above the lake next to the insufficient heater in Windy Ridge hut whilst a fairly impressive weather system raged through. The storm subsided during the night allowing me to finally sleep (I'm a shockingly light sleeper). I awoke at 8.30 from a very deep sleep, i.e.NO IDEA WHERE I WAS for a few seconds. That hardly happens these days. Anyhoo, there was a fantastic cover of about 4 inches of snow outside and plenty more on the mountains above, it was magic. More snow gently fell in small flurries for the next few hours while I made porridge and coffee and just enjoyed my surrounds with no rush to be anywhere.
The pleasure of being on my own and experiencing snow falling from the sky for the first time was amazing. My childhood dreams of experiencing snowfall coming to reality at the age of 32 was quite profound and absurdly beautiful.
There is something about eucalypts and snow in the same landscape that makes my brain short-circuit in the most fantastic way.
I left the hut at about 12.30 bound for Echo Pt through the thaw. The slowly dissolving patches of white that were in my immediate surrounds lent a different touch to a portion of the Overland that I have become quite accustomed to over the course of this year in my discovery of the joy of bushwalking. Having already done the stretch between pine valley and Narcissus 3 times so recently, the white frosting of Winter's touch heavy upon the mountains was a very welcome and magnificent accent on what is a spectacular landscape already.
The weather that came through Saturday night must have been rough. There was several young healthy gum trees toppled across the track between Ducane and Narcissus and two huge old dead trees freshly toppled across the path alongside Lake St Claire.
It was great to be in a hut for the storm, especially after walking thru Pelion Gap for the first time earlier in the day and feeling a real sense of exposure in a wilderness setting.
All my shell wear worked as it should in testing conditions. The amount of water around was unbelievable. I was walking through calf deep streams in sections of track. Needless to say my feet were constantly wet, but always warm. I didn't get to sleep in my new tent, it seemed like such hard work when the huts were right there. I'll use it very soon, I'm sure. I have time to enjoy the fruits of my labour for a while, I intend to make the most of it.
Tassie is awesome and I love snow. I am the big kid in the outdoors lolly shop!