Bushwalk Australia

In keeping with the simulation of going on a bush walk, I'm wondering about the muddiest trip people have been on. My recollection is that the sodden Loddens used to be a treat when going into Frenchmans Cap. Mud half way up the thigh was not uncommon. Can remember going in one time when there was literally dust being kicked up on each footfall.
Keith

For the longest stretches of mud, mine would be the Arthur plains, en-route Morraine K.

But for the deepest boggiest bogs, I'd have to agree with the sodden Loden Plains. I went up to groin deep there, and required assistance to pull me out (I'm sure I would have gone deeper if my legs were longer). It was that trip where I learned to not walk in long trousers, but to always wear shorts, and thermals if cold. Wet muddy trousers are very difficult to walk in.

I've not done the south coast track, but from the pictures I've seen, the bogs there look at least as bad as the Lodden.

The walk from south Cape Rivulet to Shoemaker Bay is pretty boggy but nothing like the sodden Loddens. Fly fishermen are a bit interested as New River Lagoon has trout. The scenery down there is magnificent, fabulous beaches and beautiful little Bays. Well worth the trip in.

Frenchmans for me too... Been there 3 times.
1st trip - my mate was in to his waist, and laughing about it... Autumn (Easter, early 90's).
2nd trip - between Christmas & new years, forget the year, maybe '92 or '93. Dry, maybe ankle deep if I was unlucky.
3rd trip, 2005. Had 25 or more kg's on my back, took a big step off a pad and went up to my knee. It wasn't that deep, but it was SOLID and I mean like concrete almost set...
I was really stuck, using all my effort with both arms and leg muscle to retrieve my leg from the mud.
I didn't think of it at the time, but if I had gone face down here, I reckon I would have been in a serious, serious bit of bother...
And my wife takes a photo.....



I walk with my plastic pants over the top...
A full inventory of the lower half is -
Scarpa SL boots with as much snow seal as they will take (applied with hair dryer), 2 pairs of explorer socks (one long pair to my knees folded down), jocks, long johns, a light pair of walking trousers, gaiters, and the plastic pants with rubber bands around the ankles.
My feet stayed dry the whole trip (except the swim across the Irenabyss)

The above photo reminds me of Lost World Plateau on the Port Davey track. It was a particularly wet time of year and i'm sure i could have drowned in some places. Mmm drowning in mud (what a way to go!).

I'm a newbie to this forum, but this post and the Mt Anne post in the Walks and Locations section made me think of a wet walk to Lake Judd a couple of years ago.

It was my first and worst experience with Tasmanian mud - stumbled into a pit up to my bum and came out with dozens of leeches all over my thighs (that's the last time I wear shorts on a muddy track!). The mud I can live with, but I never want to spend 10 minutes solid picking leeches off again. Uggh!

My muddiest was the old Port Davey track, en route to the South Coast Track, about *mumble* years ago. The camera stayed in the pack the entire time, I wasn't game to get it out for fear a giant mutant leech would make off with it. Good decision. Our average speed was about 1kph, average depth was groin level. Mind, I'm a bit of a shortarse, so that's not necessarily as deep as it could be . . .
Of course, I've so far not had the pleasure of all that soddin' ploddin' across the sodden Loddens - came close last month, but bus timetables intervened - so maybe that can be topped.

Many muddy trips, Loddens, Arthur Plains, Cracroft etc.
I do know the deepest mud hole I've been in, next to the Anne River coming off MT. Sarah Jane.
I'm glad it stopped at the waist otherwise I may still be there; I dumped my pack & went & sat in the Anne River after these pics.
It was quite cooling on a hot summers day, not sure about wallowing with the mud leeches tho

Hi all,
was going to mention back in 2000 I went down the Old Port Davey Track and it
was like a 2 day version of the Lodden Plains until I saw Stu's photo
and laughed out loud. That is serious S**T. Deepest I've ever seen.
Does make a walk memorable though!!!
Cheers

Hey folks,
Stu, that's hilarious, my experience was similar on the way into Lake Judd but only half as deep, three times though(once with leeches).
I managed to follow it up with a slip on a tree root in the forest above the lake and 10 metre slide/tumble/fall before coming to rest in the branches of a Myrtle tree
Bruises all over cuts to the face and filthy head to toe along with one of those is this wise to be on my own feelings alluded to in the Walking Alone forum,
has to rate as one of my favourite walks of all time, and the beer at the end of the day tasted soooo good
Cheers

Although the track has now been re-routed, there used to be a horrendous section of mud on the start of the track from Pine Valley hut to the Labyrinth.

The eastern side of the Ironbound Range would be worth a mention, not for depth of the bogs, but for the difficulty of combining mud with climbing and big steps.

Wello

Stu, I know exactly where that hole it. Fortunately neither of us had cameras out at the time (mine would not have survived if it had gone in the mud, and my mate's would not have survived if he had taken a photo of me).

Wow, some awesome stories there; very impressed.
I can relate to the Lake Judd/Anne River stuff, having been there earlier this year. Only the second time I've quit on a walk, it was horrible, but I'm still hoping to go back some day.
Cheers all.

If you turned around at that spot, you missed the really good bit. And it's even better if it's raining at the time . . . which is was when I came down from Sarah Jane . . . and to think I always wondered why some mates refered to it as 'Lake Mudd' . . .

I actually went past the spot I took the photo at. I went around it then decided to quit and turned back because I was getting hypothermia. Unfortunately I got lost for about 20 minutes (did a 180 degree) and ended up at the Anne River crossing which led me to turning around and eventually finding the right way back. Lake Mudd indeed!
Cheers

I reckon the Port Davey track has the most frustrating mud. It's not as deep as the Loddens or the Lake Judd track, but its harder and very easy to get stuck in. I can recall literally not being able to get my stuck foot out of a bog on one section. The mud on the South Coast track also grinds the gears a bit as it is continual, 7 days - almost a waist deep patch every day.

Lake Judd track is gnarly, but its short and sharp, no major worries - most people doing the Anne circuit are nearly at the car by then.

I love the Loddens. Unlike other annoying mud sections, you know the Lodden's is coming, you know what to expect and you just laugh and enjoy. The mud isn't a tough compact mud, which makes it easier to stride through.

Love mud.

I remember one of the muddiest places on the Overland track was Pine Forest Moor. In those days we always use to stay at Old Pelion and a swim and wash was mandatory after coming from Windermere.It use to be terrible, much better now that you go over that little hill rather than round it. Although the views arent as good.

Roger

NickD wrote:I reckon the Port Davey track has the most frustrating mud. It's not as deep as the Loddens or the Lake Judd track, but its harder and very easy to get stuck in. I can recall literally not being able to get my stuck foot out of a bog on one section.

That first time I did it, one of the mob came out of their first bog minus a boot. *snigger* No gaiters, of course. *chortle* And they insisted on leading, so they didn't get to see someone else have trouble with that patch. *guffaw*
Oddly enough, no-one volunteered any help in retrieving the boot . . .

Also I just saw some pretty snazzy photos of Mt Oakleigh mud which triggered my memory. I also remember some very deep sections of button grass plain water. Waist high in many spots.