Yankee River – Long Harry, 8.4 km

Wednesday, February 13: Heavy showers overnight, mostly sunny during the day, short showers in the afternoon

GPS Tour

The easy end of Smokey Beach

Had been latish into bed last night (around 10:00) and awoke just after 8:00. Feeling very sore from the last days’ hikes and can barely get around on the left foot. Packed everything up, cleared out the fireplace and swept the floor.

The track between Yankee River and Smokey Beach was possibly the worst in terms of mud. However, I was trying to take an easier pace, as I was in no hurry. Smokey Beach gave out a huge welcome, which I photographed, then it was a hard slog over the sand dunes down to the beach where the track continues along. At the end of the beach I was able to cross the creek directly, as it was low tide. Stopped for a bit to collect some saline and took off up the very steep hill to Long Harry. This also seemed to be within the estimated time, although the hut appears well before you arrive there, as you arrive on one ridge then have to go down to the beach to climb up the next one. I had started to collect some firewood which I dropped about halfway up to the hut, to be collected later. Was here about 1:00.

Then I set to work on lunch, alternating cracker, salami and prunes, and sipping on 10% saline. That seems to have done the job. Elected for a nap in the afternoon, and despite the wind blowing so furiously it caused the hut to creak, managed to get some shut-eye and awoke to start on a couple of projects. The washing seemed to be drying fairly well. Then I checked the camera cards, and one card is not preloaded with CHDK (loading was a bit of a problem today, eventually got the program to load again, but will have to include this when I start on my debriefing notes tonight). Cleared out the fireplace in preparation for my fire. Found a stone to stabilise the tripod and set it up to photograph a sunset series, just let’s see if the weather plays along.

Then started cooking dinner. The mixed veg were cooked separately in ½ saline for three minutes, and left in the bowl while the rice was cooking in a quarter saline. Then the veg and remaining water was mixed with the rice (this rice takes only fifteen minutes, with great difficulty in avoiding burning it) for a couple of minutes. The result is not overly salty, but not nearly as plain as yesterday; and the fizzy vitamin tablet solution is twice as sweet.

Doesn’t look like the sunset will be doing much so went out and retrieved the tripod – it had been blown over, despite being attached to a ~2 kg stone. Got the fire going in a jiffy here, so the place is warm. I am trying to boil some water for tomorrow.

Last human contact was yesterday at 11:00, so I have now been in outer space for 32 hours. Excluding anyone coming down the track in the other direction, I am now one day ahead of the Aussies and two days behind the last group. Doing the track clockwise might not be such a good idea after all, since finding the exit at Smokey Beach would be a bit of a problem.

Quite modern hut here; dormitory and kitchen in one, two sleeping levels at only five beds apiece. Oh, and electric sockets have been fitted, although as far as I can see, there is no solar (or other) power. People have written on them “Hair driers only” (as if you needed one when the wind is blowing so furiously – or were even carrying one) and “Save power, turn off after use.” Yeah, right.

Started on the debriefing section at the back of the diary.

Managed to brush my teeth tonight without yesterday’s hand spasms.