Wild dog whirlwind...

[puredingo]

Regular subscribers of my column will recall a recent walk I did in the wild dogs where I was slightly unprepared. Well this time I was not to be found wanting….this time I even brought a map!

Parking at Dunphy’s at around 12.30pm I making my way down Carlon Ck where I came across a most unlikely companion, a small white dog. I doled out a severe rousing as to discourage it following me but this had no effect, it just kept a 10mtr buffer zone and if I stopped it stopped if I walked on so did it at the same pace.

Soon I arrived at the Carlon/Breakfast Ck junction and glancing behind me I noticed my little white shadow was still with me but I had bigger problems than that to consider…Black horse ridge was afoot.
I had just recently got back from a 2 week surfing holiday in Bali and whilst some surfing did go down so did a staggering amount of Bintangs not to mention a fair share of Malboro lights (Hey, at $1.70 a pack you’re robbing yourself if not smoking in Indo) and that unforgiving ridge climb made me pay for every minute of decadence I enjoyed. By the time I had summated the hill I was a slathering, sweating, gasping wreck. Fairing infinitely better was little scrappy who seemed to effortlessly hop up.
A quick viewing from the top and I was away along the ridge which thankfully flattened out to make it an easy stroll. Soon I was at the 5 way junction and took a left down yellow dog ridge and on to mobbs soak. This place was an absolute rubbish tip with a bundle of toilet paper at the base of nearly every tree and even strewn down the small cascade where the stream crosses the track. Not to mention the Sealy bags, tent pegs, muesli bar wrappers etc. really disappointing.

I got a fire going and burned what I dared to pick up of the rubbish, cooked dinner and thought to myself little scrappy seems to deep in to turn back now so I set the table for two. After our main course of chicken and noodles we chewed some freshly jerked venison straight from my back yard before turning in for a pretty early night.

Next morn I was up and at it early, to my surprise scrappy was neither incased in a block of ice nor torn asunder by the wild dog population…so onwards we pressed to splendour rock. About half way between Mobbs and the S rock turn of I struck to fellas coming back towards Dunphy’s. They agreed to take scrappy off my hands so in a bid to fool my little white shadow I hid in the scrub while they coaxed her towards home. Once out of site I thought success and continued on my merry way but it wasn’t long before I heard the familiar panting bringing up the rear.

Heading up the S rock turn off and taking the low road around to Thommo’s chains, there are excellent camp cave under this cliff line. After a bit of deliberating I decide to take the chains on and get about halfway up when I hear a mourningfull whimper from below, scrappy can’t make it. So down I go which was WAY harder than going up and back around to the usual pass we trudged.
Scrappy couldn’t quite make it up here either, good, I thought I’ll set up camp up above and do some exploring and she can rest down here. Up on the tops I walked on to black horse gap and back taking in magnificent views both sides of the valleys. On returning to my site I found a man near the tent looking concerned, he had found scrappy and assumed I’d lost her. After the explanation we agreed the best thing for her would be to walk out with them that afternoon. So with that I bid my little mate a fond fair well and for the first time on my trip I felt….Alone.

Next morning it was time to pack up and head on home so back to yellow dog ridge then left at the Blue dog ridge cairn. This ridge is an absolute delight to walk along although I did have 2 confusing moments,
1 I mistook the cliff line above cattle dog ridge for knights deck. But I reasoned although a great view was to be had from these boulders it wasn’t quite the regal setting to garner such a title. The thing that kept me wondering though was I couldn’t find any cairn or reflector maker that I had read about which gives this spot it’s location BUT I did see an anthill which was also mentioned…So close enough?

2 At knights deck proper once I returned back to the BIG cairn I dropped off the S/W side of the ridge down a trackish looking ramp which probably would of led onto Blue dog buttress but I realized my mistake before too much energy had been exerted and before long I was grinding whatever cartledge I have left into pulp on the seemingly vertical face of Blue dog spur.

Finally at the Cox/breakfast junction I come across 3 trout fishermen. They begin to regale me with a story of a funny sight they witnessed last evening, “go on” I prompt no Knowing full well where the storys going. Happens they seem a couple of walkers pass through, one had a *&%$#! small white dog in this backpack!

So up all the irons from here, first spur then hill and finally mountain and not without the odd spell I must confess. Then It was a standard cruise back to Dunphy’s and the car and being only 1pm I wasn’t going to get stuck in that crappy traffic…


Actually this was more of a meander than a whirlwind but I'm running out of Adjectives.

[GPSGuided]

Wonderful read with that "little white dog". I want to know more!

[tom_brennan]

Carried out by an SBW party of 3. Dog's name is "Honey", lives somewhere near the top cattle gate on the way in to Carlon's Farm. Apparently wanders around a fair bit...

[puredingo]

That's right Tom. I've since had contact with Alan and I'm happy to report that scrappy/honey is home safe and sound but with wandering habits like that who knows for how long?

[kanangra]

Pure dingo that is gold. What a way to start the day. I agree with you on Blue dog spur though. Much steeper than Ironmonger. And that is saying something.

K.

[LandSailor]

Great story! Would be fascinating to put a dog collar camera on the little white dog to see what it gets up to.

[citationx]

I almost ran "Honey" over one evening driving out to carlons last year as she bolted across the road into the shadows behind a tree. Found the number on the collar and called, she lives near the most northerly gate (ie the first on the way in to carlons). Adventurous!
Anyway, I was actually on this thread due to searching the term "Blue Dog Buttress" (as opposed to BD Spur or BD Ridge etc) but seemingly the OP never made it down!
Is this "easily" (read: not scrubby/overgrown or with rock climbs) walkable to get up/down between coxs and blue dog ridge? I'm interested in wandering around those ridges/spurs. Am interested in knowing if i can walk up blue dog buttress, blue pup spur, brindle dog ridge, brindle pup ridge. I'm assuming that most of these "go"? Ta.
(Now that I read these posts shouldn't request info... PM me how I delete this post!)

[puredingo]

I'd say Ol' Honey is living on borrowed time.

All i can tell you about Blue dog buttress is if you make it to the top there is a nice, gentle ramp up to the top. I actually thought it was a track when i walked accidently the 50mts down. After that I don't know.

[Bushgirl]

Hi Puredingo
We met the trio carrying Honey on their walk out after taking her from you, they had her in the back pack. At that stage she didn't have tag and we were all a bit perplexed. Two weeks later, planning to walk in the moonlight, we stopped at the first gate at around 9pm and she appeared. We drove up to Dunphy's only to find she'd followed the car all the way. She became distracted by people setting up for the North Face 100 so we bolted up the firetrail hoping to lose her. As we were setting up the tent at Breakfast Creek at around 11pm she appeared out of the darkness and must have followed us at a safe distance all the way. We went to bed assuming she'd wander home - obviously she knew the way and must have a nice warm kennel, but on rising after a freezing night there she was shivering and looking very pleased to see us. We warmed her by the fire and found the tag with name and phone number but alas, no reception. So now we either have a dog with us on our walk down White Dog Ridge or we walk her back to Green Gully and miss our walk altogether - very frustrating. Fortunately a kind person working with the NF100 drove along to tell us about the imminent arrival of runners and agreed to take her with them. We walked for two days on the weekend just gone (Sept) and no white dog - relief.

[puredingo]

Yep Bushgirl there's no shaking her once she has her mind set...Honey is truly like the terminator of dogs, she just keeps coming!

In all seriousness something needs to be done about it as it puts people in a dilemma, muck up a trip that's been planned for ages of carry on and possible lure the dog to it's death. But I guess as long as the area she chooses to bushwalk in has a fairly well used population she'll ride her luck and continue to be carried out?