TENT CRISIS!! TENT CRISIS!! STORMPOCALYPSE!! After a lovely blue-skied morning, the weather turned sour. The change began with torrential winds while I was puttering around away from my tent, and I returned to see that it had collapsed. I assumed the problem was a front stake(s) issue, but when I got there, I found that …
Tag: Backpacking
The Heysen 27: Resting + Nervous
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Rest day in Melrose. I picked up my resupply package at the PO, played cricket and footy with a family who fed me homemade bread and baked beans with tomato sauce, read a book from the campground's offerings, and chatted nervously with people about the weather. All of the caravanners from …
The Heysen 26: Mt. Remarkable Day
Monday, September 26, 2016 - 12.35 km Onwards and upwards! I was glad to be starting the day with a climb up Mt. Remarkable, because it's all downhill to Melrose after the summit and I could use a nice prolonged downhill. The path up was a road, quite steep in parts. The summit offered a …
The Heysen 25: Hilly McHillface
Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 13.98 km My current tent is a Zpacks Altaplex, bought to replace my Big Agnes Fly Creek. You know that saying, 'I hate every new tent less than my last one'? No one could hate the Altaplex in fair weather. It's light, spacious and offers a great view with the …
The Heysen 24: $6 Poncho
Saturday, September 24, 2016 - 25.15 km It rained steadily in the last few hours before dawn, but the downpour had dwindled into drizzle and a sky filled with patchy clouds by the time I started walking. I put on the $6 grocery store poncho I had bought to supplement my old rain jacket, which …
The Heysen 23: Maybe There’s Rum
Friday, September 23, 2016 - 16 km More stream crossings this morning. I counted six within the first half hour, but then was treated to a beautifully constructed trail up to the summit of Mt. Brown, where an observation tower offered a fantastic view. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49464888367/in/dateposted-public/ After the tower, the HT crossed a rocky piece of …
The Heysen 22: Return to Quorn
Thursday, September 22, 2016 - 21.27 km After toying with thoughts of the Bibbulmun, I decided to finish the remaining ~950 kilometres of the Heysen this fall/Australian spring. Though the scenery was usually pretty rather than spectacular, the Heysen always interested me in a 'drunk boss at office party displaying increasingly erratic behaviour' sort of …
The Heysen 21: Parachilna Gorge Road
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - 0.65 km Not much to say about today's walk, it being a whopping 0.65 km to the HT's northern terminus at Parachilna Gorge Road. My ride was due to arrive in the late afternoon, so I climbed some hills and lingered in my camping area before walking to the trailhead. …
The Heysen 20: Almost There
Monday, May 23, 2016 - 17.91 km https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49460341271/in/dateposted-public/ Beautiful views of the Heysen Range today. The trail was mostly double or single track and often formed from ruddy crushed/compacted shale, which I love as a walking surface since it's smooth and looks awesome. It also doesn't show the trail, but getting to this point and …
The Heysen 19: Carnage
Sunday, May 22, 2016 - 15.75 km Due to early starts on the HT, I've been wondering why I always got moving so late on the Arizona Trail. Today's frigid morning was a reminder. The AZT was fricking cold in the mornings, and today I huddled inside my sleeping bag until the sun rose high …
The Heysen 18: Moon River
Saturday, May 21, 2016 - 8.56 km Easy day today. 9 km all on dirt roads, except where the Heysen took a shortcut across a stream (apparently needing to fill some kind of stream-walking quota). Open scenery with ranges in the background. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49459878723/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49460563287/in/dateposted-public/ Emu tracks I arrived at Middlesight Water Hut shortly after noon …
The Heysen 17: Spiders!
Friday, May 20, 2016 - 21.98 km Despite having 22 kilometres to walk today, I didn't leave early, knowing that the HT would be on named trails and road all the way to the next campsite. My logic regarding the former was that 'if it's named, it can't be a dodgy Heysen non-trail'. Spoiler: Indeed …
The Heysen 16: Day Hiking
Thursday, May 19, 2016 Today I climbed Mt. Ohlssen-Bagge in a day hike from the caravan park. Somehow I failed to get a decent photo for this entry, but I swear there was a good view of Wilpena Pound. I swear it! https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49459881833/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49459880648/in/dateposted-public/ In the evening, an Aussie couple invited me over to their …
The Heysen 15: Pound
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Wilpena Pound is a natural amplitheatre formed from two mountain ranges. Unfortunately Bridle Gap had no views and nothing is visible from inside the forested pound, so I haven't gotten a good idea yet of its shape. I hope to get a view on a day hike tomorrow. Today was a …
The Heysen 14: Easy Walking?!
Tuesday, May 17, 2016 - 10.4 km I packed up my tent as soon as I woke up this morning, but lingered at Bridle Gap trying to inspire myself to eat breakfast. I'm feeling less sick now, but haven't had an appetite since Mayo Hut. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186593395@N08/49461708296/in/dateposted-public/ When I finally got on the trail, man was …
The Heysen 13: SINGLE TRACK
Monday, May 16, 2016 - 20 km The Heysen made me happy today with an entire morning of single track! The trail wasn't always well-defined and I lost it a few times, but I wasn't stream-following, so I'm a happy camper (clearly that expression originated with someone being overjoyed by an absence of stream-following). A …
The Heysen 12: Mernmerna & Slaty
Sunday, May 15, 2016 - 16.99 km I slept badly last night due to paranoia about mice/sleeping bag/tetanus shots - seeing a mouse scurrying down my bunk certainly didn't help - and woke feeling weak and nauseous this morning. Unsure whether it's because of the lack of sleep or something else. Maybe I need a …
The Heysen 11: Back to the Trail
Saturday, May 14, 2016 - 20 km Leaving Hawker this morning, I returned to the Heysen via a ~6 km highway walk. It was pleasanter than your average highway walk, with minimal traffic and a flat gravel shoulder of 1-1.5 metres lining the road. Roadkill was scattered around generously though and I could have lived …
The Heysen 10: Rest Day #2
Friday, May 13, 2016 As the only tenter, I attracted attention and a couple invited me over to talk this morning. They turned out to be trail angels, generously giving me a spare headnet and pen, buying me dinner and offering to drive me to Quorn to get a gas canister (I refused the last). …
The Heysen 9: In Town
Thursday, May 12, 2016 I decided to rest for two days in Hawker. Despite being a tiny town with a population of around 300 people, Hawker contains a police station and hospital... not to jinx future hikers by mentioning that. The biggest tourist attraction is a panoramic painting of the view from St. Mary's Peak …
BANE OF THE TRAIL 