Baw Baw to Mt St Phillack

[bigkev]

Last Saturday I went for a bit of a stroll from the Mt Baw Baw Village out to Mt St Phillack and back, using Mr Chapman's notes out of his Day Walks Victoria book. I was lucky enough to walk the circuit after a bit of snow had fallen over the previous couple of days, giving it a real winter wonderland feel.

On the way out I kept to the northernmost route, walking via Five Ways and Baragwanath Flat, before arriving at the AWT above Freemans Flat. The walking out was fairly easy even in the snowy conditions. My return route had me following an older pad across Freemans Flat and then over The Tors and to be honest I struggled to discern a pad for most of the way, it was mainly map, compass and GPS work that kept me heading the right way, every now and again I'd come across some signs that it used to be a maintained track but for the most part I was just pushing through the snowy scrub, all good fun!

Freemans Flat

On arrival back at Baragwanath Flat I picked up the Village XC Trail so I figured that the last few kilometres back to the village would be pretty cruisey, yeah I was wrong about that. Within a few hundred metres I arrived at a sign telling me that the Village Trail was closed for summer maintenance. Being fairly confident that there would be no summer maintenance in progress I pushed on. It looks like Village Trail will be closed for a long time, the track was fairly overgrown and while navigation wasn't an issue the track infrastructure was looking pretty tired, it looks like "closed for summer maintenance" is code for closed for good.

This might seem like a dumb question but can anyone tell me the name if this alpine shrub? The stuff I was pushing through was up to about chest height in places. I just call it scrub on my blog, not really the most descriptive name.

The stroll was just over 11 km and is a good walk, maybe the return pad would be more visible if it wasn't under snow, I'm not sure. As it was when I walked the return section isn't for the inexperienced. If anyone wants to check out some more photos here's a link to the post http://goinferalonedayatatime.blogspot. ... k-baw.html

[neilmny]

I think it's Candleheath Kev. There's heaps of it up there and it's fairly scratchy stuff too.

[bigkev]

Thanks for that Neil.

[neilmny]

Another enjoyable blog and photos Kev. Thanks for posting.
I agree, it is great to walk somewhere that has undamaged snow gums they are a fascinating tree.
I think the second last photo on your blog is one of a snow gum on St Phillack Saddle. It is a beauty.
If it is the one I've got a couple of photos of it myself. It looks very different covered in snow.

[north-north-west]

Your shrub is Richea continentis (candleheath in common language, as has already been noted), a close and gentler relative of the dreaded Tasmanian scoparia.

[bigkev]

Hi NNW. I was thinking it was a little like scoparia, you're right though it's a lot less anti-social! They must breed you guys tough down in Tassie pushing through that stuff.

Neil, I'm very impressed, you were spot on with the location. I think I put the best shot on my blog but here's another 3 shots from St Phillack Saddle.

[neilmny]

Hmmm....I've sat on that rock under the tree in the second photo a couple of times taking in the serenity and brewing a coffee.
It's a great spot Kev...........by the looks of things at any time of year

[sim1oz]

Hi Bigkev, thanks for sharing! We've done that walk in Autumn so beaut to see it under snow. We didn't find any clear pad on the return trip either, and tracks were closed for summer maintenance 2 (or was it 3?) years ago so I suspect your comment about letting it disappear is spot on. Lovely photos.

[neilmny]

I think your about right Simone we did a walk in March 2014 and it was closed for "maintenance" then.
It would be interesting to know why they are letting it overgrow.

[bigkev]

Hi Simone, sorry I missed your comment. Thanks for checking out my post, like Neil and you suggested I thought that the track may have been closed for more than one summer, head high scrub over the track was a bit of a giveaway I suspect it would probably be a budget issue Neil, but I may be wrong.
Cheers Kevin