Back Yard Rain & Snow

Up and down tracks of my Pearl Izumis
(...and the 4WD tracks of a techo working on the TV towers)

A couple of runs to report in the past week.  Last Sunday some rain had switched on the New Town Rivulet at the Clapper Bridge.  This was a pleasant contrast from last week when we found the stream unseasonably dry. Puddles, light rainfall, wet forest smells and soft ground underfoot were all welcome on a lively loop.  Not our quickest time but not slowest either.

Clapper Bridge with water this week

On Wednesday fresh snow bedecked kunanyi / Mount Wellington making a spectacular sight from our back yard.  Late morning I headed out on the usual back yard loop.  After crossing the Clapper I turned right and headed uphill.  Light sleet greeted me just after the sandstone outcrops on Old Hobartians and a full-on snow flurry greeted me at The Chalet marking 1,000 metres above sea level.

Snow falling at the 1,000 metre level

From there on settled snow ensured I would have the road legs either side of the Panorama Track to myself.  A couple of winters ago a huge dump of snow famously hit Hobart.  On that occasion snow drifts were over 3 metres deep when Kylie and I followed the deep swathe freshly cut by the snow plough.  Back then there was no way Panorama could be an option.  In contrast this week's run was barely ankle deep at the most and Panorama was eminently 'followable.'

Panorama Track

At the summit I paid the obligatory visit to the trig point and, in the complete absence of other people, I also jogged out to each of the lookout points.  With a keen breeze blowing over the top and the mercury hovering around -2°C it was not time to linger so I scooted back down and completed the remainder of the back yard loop followed with the usual warm-down stroll up the hill to home.

Summit view to the north-east

Summit view to the south-east

Some vital statistics for the backyard loop with summit side trip:

Duration 3:24:38

Distance 22.4km

Avg pace 9:09 min/km

Ascent 1,096m

Descent 1,122m

Summit selfie

Back Yard Loop - Bridges

Yesterday was a relaxing home day - perfect for getting back into running with a gentle back yard loop.

Mini troll's bridge

I mentioned the loop in my first bog post (Inspiration).  There are many facets to our loop which I could describe in more detail.  No prize for guessing what trail features caught my attention on this particular run.

Clapper bridge

As I took the photos I had to remind myself what season it is.  In summer, sections of the rivulet (pictured above) flow below ground... and July it would seem.  Many places in Eastern Tasmania have just had their record lowest June rainfall.  Sure, it's been cold and there have been days with snow on the mountains but there's plenty of talk about the dry.  Farmers are worried the ground will be too dry to sow their crops.  The Hydro are watching their dam levels* with fresh memories of our power connection to Victoria breaking during a record dry spell in 2015.

Ford

So, local trail runners, can you recognise any of these locations?  Apart from the first photo, all the other river crossings pictured are on the same watercourse.

Wooden bridge

From an engineering perspective the most interesting crossing would be the clapper bridge where a large slab of rock has been carefully perched.  For trail runners, the ford and stepping stones are a lively aspect of the run when (normal) winter snowfall and rain swell the rivulet to overflow these features.

Stepping stones

* Earlier this month I saw a Mercury headline claiming Hydro were worried about storages.  I tried to link the article but decided against it due to the pay wall.  When I looked for another news outlet reporting the story I found this correction from the Hydro (also linked above).  While the Hydro may not be 'nervously' watching storage levels, I stand by my statement that the Basslink failure would still be fresh in many people's minds.

Windermere to Pelion

Heading south to Pine Forest Moor just before sunrise.  Mt Oakleigh brooding in the distance.

Snowy walk, saturated run, even snowier walk.  What a way to spend a few days on Tasmania's iconic Overland Track!  This was my first time combining trail running with an overnight bushwalk.  On day one Kylie and I enjoyed a snowy wander from Dove Lake to Windermere Hut via Waterfall Valley (17.5km).  On day three we walked through even more snow back to Dove Lake via Lake Rodway (20km). Day two was our soggy but thoroughly enjoyable 32km jog to Pelion Hut and back.

Sun rising over the eastern Windermere Plains

Weather forecast for our running day was rain falling as snow above 1,000 metres.  We would be running the lowest section of the Overland Track dropping from 990m at Windermere down to 730m at Frog Flats then up to 850m at Pelion Hut.  This meant our day would feature the wet, heavy form of precipitation rather than the soft fluffy stuff.

Henry Creek Lookout*

Setting out was delightful.  No precipitation as we trotted over undulating snowy trails past Lake Curran and on to Pine Forest Moor and the Henry Creek Lookout*.  The sun rose on this section and the mists rising from the Lemonthyme Valley below were devine.

Kylie at Frog Flats

After crossing Pelion Creek the heavens opened.  Our gradual descent to the Forth River at Frog Flats was dominated by rain falling from above and snow melt running beneath our feet from every gully and rill.  We were making good time so high spirits carried us up the steady climb to Pelion Plains.  Just before reaching the Old Pelion Hut turn-off I spotted the start of the Thetis Ridge Track which was wiped off the National Park Map many moons ago.  Good to see it's still identifiable to those 'in-the-know'.

Mount Oakleigh and Pelion Plains from our halfway point

A long lunch break at Pelion Hut featured warm conversation to make up for the lack of gas heating - a broken valve we we led to believe.  After taking the obligatory veranda pic of Mount Oakleigh to prove we were there we headed back into the rain.

At the Frog Flats the juvenile Forth River was at exactly bank-full and ready to stretch its legs over the plain.  We passed our hut-mates from the previous night and set off up the hill.  The recent(ish - about 20 years ago) landslide and the distinct westerly turn of the track heralded our arrival at Pelion Creek before-which I identified the Pelion West Track - another dotted line wiped from recent versions of maps.

Pelion Falls

Here I made a side-trip to Pelion Falls just above the old Pelion Creek campsite.  As a member of the Tasmanian Waterfalls Facebook group I felt it would be irresponsible for me to cruise past twice in such soggy conditions without paying a visit.  The falls did not disappoint.  Perhaps I should not be promoting such off-track antics but waterfall fans will find it well worth a visit for the fun of scrambling directly behind the column of water (while staying dry).

Looking out from behind Pelion Falls

The last leg of our jog took us back over the exposed plains of Pine Forest Moor and Windermere through several icy showers.  Just before reaching the hut the showers turned back to full on drifty snow - a good sign for tomorrow's walk out which would be well and truly above the snow line most of the way.

* Henry Creek Lookout is actually signposted and officially named the Forth Valley Lookout.  However, it is dominated by the side-valley of Henry Creek which leads the eye towards the distant Forth Valley.  The name Henry Creek appeared on a Mines Department Map in 1930 and is therefore a reminder of the mining activity which sprung up around the Upper Forth Valley and Windermere Plains around that time.