Kim's Journey
  • Home
  • Hangetsu Yoga
  • Rock Construction
  • Stories
    • XMAS 2021
    • XMAS 2020
    • XMAS 2019
    • XMAS 2017/2018
    • XMAS 2016
    • XMAS 2015
    • XMAS 2014
    • Travels >
      • Maldives
      • 25th Anniversary - Fiji
      • Vietnam 2016
      • Europe 2016
      • Cambodia/Thailand
      • Japan 2013 the words
      • Japan 2012 the words
      • Mauritius
      • Uluru
      • Barossa Jaunt
    • Farewell to work email
    • Canberra Fires 2003
    • Annus Horribillis
  • Photos
    • Jetemia >
      • Jetemia's 2nd
    • RAAF Centenary
    • Europe 2016
    • Japan >
      • Japan 2013 photos
      • Japan 2012 Photos
      • Engrish
    • Arboretum
    • Birds
    • Best of the Commuting
    • Winter's Day
    • Childhood Memories
    • POTUS
    • New- Canberra Autumn - 2014
    • The Extension
  • Videos (new feature)
    • Finolhu
    • Japan
  • Bushwalking/Geocaching/Biking
  • Contact Me

Post Title.

13/6/2010

0 Comments

 
Picture
 
Picture
Pryors Hut - A Geocaching Adventure in One Act

 I was feeling that my fitness levels were slowing slipping away and it was time to do something about it.  Got up early, made breakfast, packed lunch and departed the house before the rest of the family stirred.  Drove up into the nearby Mountains and parked at Corin Dam.  It was interesting to watch the outside temperature plummet, the higher I drove. 

As I left the car, it was registering a balmy minus 5 degrees and my walk was going to be basically upwards so it wasn’t going to get any warmer.  As I started up Stockyard Spur, it was hard to regulate my temperature with the physical effort.  My beanie was off and on, as were my gloves but grasping my trekking pole with a bare hand illustrated that the air temperature was not getting any warmer.

The target for my walk was Pryors Hut, one of the few alpine huts to survive those dreadful fires of 2003.  The Hut has special meaning for me as I was a member of the ACT Bushfire Service during that season and my first operational experience was doing an overnight shift, with our mission being to protect the Hut and its nearby Arboretum.  I was a bit dismayed that the night as I only lit fires with a drip torch, under supervision of course.  On that smoky January morning, I ended up having a ceremonial pee on a smouldering log so I could feel I actually helped put something out.

As I climbed, I knew there was going to be Geocache hidden some 300 metres of the trail that was on my “to do” list.  I also noted the higher I climbed, the more snow there was on the ground.   I remembered there had been a filthy weather day earlier in the week that must have dumped a truckload of snow.

The narrow foot trail I had been following eventually eased into a more gradual climb and then doubled so that it resembled an overgrown fire trail.  However, when it came to leave the trail to find the Geocache, there was 100 % snow cover.  As I was travelling alone, I walked very carefully, prodding with my pole to ensure I didn’t fall down a wombat hole.  I do carry an EPIRB so I wasn’t being totally full-hardy.  The cache found and logged, I returned to the trail and pushed onwards and upwards.

My destination was found, looking lovely in the snow.  Found a spot to hide my own Geocache and then turned to retrace my steps.  By the time I got back to the car, I had covered over 16k in 7 hours and the air-temperature was a tropical zero degrees.

.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Bushwalking & Geocaching a match made in heaven.

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    April 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed