History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion.
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Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby guyburns » Fri 17 Nov, 2017 1:08 pm

Over the next year or two, I plan on putting together an AV about Lake Pedder (if you have 8mm movies or slides that you'd like included, see viewtopic.php?f=3&t=23223). The AV can't just be pretty pictures about the lake, there's got to be an overall story arc. So, a part of the story will be how people walked in…

1. via the original side branch from the Port Davy track;
2. then via the Sentinel Range when the Gordon River Road opened up in the mid 1960s. Instead of walking in from Maydena, you could now drive most of the way, and walk over the Sentinels to the lake;
3. then via the Scotts Peak track when the HEC allowed car access to that area after about 1970. When the Scotts Peak track became accessible by car, I assume the Sentinel Range track was no longer a sensible option for walking into the lake.

I have several questions related to the Sentinel Range and Scotts Peak tracks:

Sentinel Range Track
Q1: Did the Sentinel Range Track exist before the Gordon River Rd?
Q2. Who cut the track?
Q3. What year was it put in?
Q4. Would the track have been used by anyone after the flooding of Lake Pedder in 1972?
Q5. When was it decided to revegetate the carpark at the start of the track?

Scotts Peak Track
Q6. Was the Scotts Peak Track the same as the side branch to Lake Pedder from the Port Davy Track?
Q7. When did the HEC first allow car access to the Scotts Peak Track?

Q8: Any suggestions as to old timers whom I could contact re the above? i.e. who had first-hand experience cutting the Sentinel Range track, or was one of the first people to use either track after HEC activities began in the area.
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby north-north-west » Sun 26 Nov, 2017 12:51 pm

Can't help, but this is related to a query I need to make to the old (-er than me) timers.

Back when we did the trip into the original Pedder, we had a good sketch map of routes from the lake to - amongst others - Scotts, Solitary, Terminal, Lloyd Jones, Jim Brown and Giblin, Frankland and Secheron. It's the last two in which I am particularly interested. Does anyone have any details of these old routes?
This definitely qualifies as 'sensitive off-track', so PM might be a better way to pass on the info.

Thank you all in advance.
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby Overlandman » Mon 27 Nov, 2017 6:35 pm

My trip into Lake Pedder was by light aircraft from Devonport
Definitely something I will remember forever.

One from Kieth Lancaster Diaries
Regards OLM
(hope I haven’t broken the sensitive areas with no tracks rule as there were not many tracks back in Kieths days)

http://dveltkamp.customer.netspace.net. ... Pedder.htm
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby guyburns » Fri 05 Jan, 2018 2:40 pm

Thanks for the responses.

I came across some info about the Sentinel Range track. It's in Peter Sim's Lake Pedder book (p118). Paraphrased:

The Scenery Preservation Board approved a new access track to be cut in to Lake Pedder from the Hydro's Gordon Road by the Hobart Walking Club… The decision was made at a meeting on 11 August 1967… The marking of this new track was undertaken by HWC members, including Frank Morley, who said after it was completed that it was "well marked"… It crossed the Sentinels over a low pass and after about a two-hour walk there was a "good vantage point" that enabled a view of the lake. The new walk took about 4 hours.

Anyone know if Frank Morley is still around?

I located the above-mentioned "good vantage point" on a recent recce. I avoided photographing the huge mess of water that's now behind the bushes:
Vantage Point A.jpg


And here it is in March 1969, showing the same rocks:
Vantage Point B.jpg


Overlandman –- and anyone else who has photos or films of Lake Pedder who'd like to see them included in an AV I'm working on (see viewtopic.php?f=3&t=23223) -- please gmail me at gdburns or 03 6428 2976.
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby guyburns » Fri 05 Jan, 2018 2:46 pm

I'm posting again because I forgot to tick the box "Notify me when a reply is posted".

Which brings up a question: how do I subscribe to a topic to which I haven't posted?
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby tastrax » Fri 05 Jan, 2018 4:42 pm

Frank Morley died some time ago. Well known for his track cutting (especially on the Tasman Track)

I have attached some info on the tracks way prior to all this work....

IMG_1852V2.JPG
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby guyburns » Sun 28 Jan, 2018 2:53 pm

I've recently scanned another 120 Pedder slides, mostly of the tracks into Lake Pedder, courtesy of Brian Haas and The Duttons. Brian walked in over the Sentinel Range track, and had photos of places I hadn't seen before, such as the crossing at Swampy Creek:

HB03.jpg


Q1: Does anyone know why that tree has axe cuts all the way around? Other photos showed a similar occurrence at the Maria Creek campsite.

Q2: Brian's brother told me that when he walked in via the Scotts Peak track, three trail bikes came in, and proceeded to roar along the beach. Anyone know of that incident, or other vehicles on Pedder's beach?

Fred and Lynne Dutton were involved with the first campaign to save the lake, and later with Peter Sims, Eric Sargent, and Dennis Maxwell, helped with tours to the lake:

DF91.jpg


And of course there were mishaps:

DF56.jpg
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby Nuts » Mon 29 Jan, 2018 2:44 pm

guyburns wrote:I'm posting again because I forgot to tick the box "Notify me when a reply is posted".

Which brings up a question: how do I subscribe to a topic to which I haven't posted?


It's at the bottom of the page Guy:

Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 3.41.37 pm.png
Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 3.41.37 pm.png (12.49 KiB) Viewed 10936 times


I really like the nostalgia, info and old pics in this and Tasmans forum thread, thanks.
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby tas-man » Fri 05 Apr, 2019 3:52 pm

The start of the Port Davey Track at Maydena was marked by Rylets Hut which had "Port Dayey Track" painted on one of the weather boards near the door. Here is a Kodachrome colour slide taken by early Launceston Walkng Club member Lindsay Crawford on his first pack carrying trip with the club to Mt Anne in December 1950. Lindsay's wife Ann has recently donated his colour and B&W slides to the LWC to be added to our historic records deposited with the QVMAG in Launceston. Lindsay prepared title slides to go with his photos when shown at a club Photo night and I have included them as well. The three B&W slides where followed by slide #4 of Rylet's hut. Many of he slides have shrunk and curled so conservation work needs to be done before the full set can be scanned. Enjoy!

Mt Anne 1950_0000.jpg


Mt Anne 1950_0001.jpg


Mt Anne 1950_0002.jpg


Mt Anne 1950_0003a.jpg
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby tas-man » Fri 05 Apr, 2019 4:08 pm

Here's another photo of Rylets Hut from the LWC Log Book No. 1 recording a trip to Lake Pedder in the early 1950's. Dave Pinkard is on the left, and Lindsay Crawford on the right in front holding his expensive "work" camera that he took on QVMAG field trips (and club trips!). Part of the "Port Davey Track" sign can be seen on the hut behind Dave Pinkard.

LWC group at Rilets Hut near Maydena.jpg
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Re: History of tracks to original Lake Pedder

Postby beardless » Sat 06 Apr, 2019 10:27 pm

From the Old Hand-drawn maps topic:

bogholesbuckethats wrote:I was lucky enough to be given an original copy of a sketch map of the entire SW Tas from ~1935.

Here is a link to a digital copy scanned from the A0 map
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OO3PhIDViD20go2oE2V7TI062qrqLxyf/view?usp=sharing

Some of the names on there are interesting for example what is now known as Pindars Peak is called Mt Leillateah and Mt Mueller is called High Rocky.
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