Crosscut Saw hike.

[Thewaz]

Hi guys.
I am after some help regarding a planned 3 night hike that would start at Upper Howqua Camp Area late on a friday arvo in November. We would like to take in the crosscut saw and was thinking climbing it via Stanleys name spur as we have done Helicopter Spur/Mt Howett circuit and really want to walk the crosscut.
Is there camping and or water anywhere on Stanleys Name Spur or Queens spur as i think on night one thats about as far as we would get?
Any suggestions on a 3 night round trip?
Starting at Howitt Plains was an option but an extra few hours in the car each way so thought we would come in via Mt Buller.
Thanks.

[Xplora]

There is no water on SNS and only one campsite suitable from memory and it is past easily in the morning. I have done SNS from the circuit road to Mac Springs easily in a day (in November). There is a small vehicle track off the circuit road and you can leave your car there out of the way and start SNS. You can also start from the Upper Howqua camp area and make it to Mac Springs. There are some notes on Queens Spur to Mt Buggery to be found but you will need to carry a bit of water for that as well as there will be none (or hard to find) until Camp creek. Some have found the Queen spur route difficult to follow at times. It is possible to do the Crosscut from Spec to Upper Howqua or the circuit road in a day if you walk well. Given your other achievements I would say you would have no problem. I know it is crossing the same ground on day 2 but Mac Springs if the only option for water.

[Lophophaps]

Xplorer's advice is good. Another option is to start on the road just east of where the Circuit Road goes south to Bindaree Hut. This seems to be 603905, where SNS crosses the road. Leave the car here and walk about 5 km to King Spur. You could drive the packs and most people to the start, or do a small car shuffle if you have two cars. From the foot of King Spur go north and east to Koonika and Spec. There's very reliable water, sheltered campsites lower and good if slightly exposed campsites higher.

Day two is short, Crosscut to Mac Springs, maybe with a side-trip to Magdala. In November there should be water on Howitt on the south (right) side of the track as it drops off Howitt to Mac Springs. If so, it's possible to camp opposite that, a bit exposed. There's also campsites on the south and east sides of Howitt.

Day three is SNS to the car.

[peregrinator]

I found it tricky to pick up the route on Stanleys Name Spur from Queen Spur Track last February. Lots of spindly vegetation. Unless you get lucky, be prepared to walk around in circles for a while. Not good if you're starting late.

[eggs]

The thread at http://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19353 discusses a 3 day trip that may cover your requirements.
[The report was of a 2 day section on Cobbler followed by the 3 day walk covering your query]
Water was found at a couple spots between Stanleys Name and Queens Spurs.
But the first was a bit into the scrub from the track. There was a hint of moisture on a drain path, and a short 10-20m investigation led to a pool with plenty of water.
The second was a proper stream clearly going under the path in rocks at the sharp bend in the track.

[Thewaz]

Thanks guys, might explore the option of coming in via Kings spur and out SNS, will see.
Appreciate all the advice.

[scroggin]

What about the camp site just before the climb up to Crosscut Saw at the headwaters of the King River South Branch. I haven't been that way for about 10 years but I remember there being a good flow in summer.

A good 3 day hike I did was to start on Circuit Rd at the old Mt Thorn logging rd (could now be overgrown, as it was a little back then) walk to the aforementioned campsite (great eerie spot in the shadows of Hells Window) Over the Crosscut Saw, including a side trip to Mt Howitt, Camp at Mt Spec then over Mt Koonika down the King spur to King Hut then a trek back up the Rd or even better a car shuffle. We actually headed south off the King Spur down to an old logging track that led to Speculation Rd, But I'm almost certain that it is now overgrown.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I am planning to hike from the upper Howqua to camp creek via the CC saw during the Xmas break .
A good way to shave off an hour at the start is to hike in from the Upper Howqua campsite and camp at the place where the two branches of the upper Howqua river and hiking tracks bifurcate .One goes up the Howitt spur and the other is sign posted to " The Thorn Range".
It looks like a long day via the Stanley Name spur but seems to be possible esp. if it is n't too hot.
We will carry extra water and start early in any event. With all this spring rain I think Camp Creek and the upper King river will be flowing well in late Dec.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

There is a cross roads of sorts where the SNS track the Queens spur track meet. Is it is obvious or do I need a GPS and a machete? ;-P .

[eggs]

You won't need a machete for Queens Spur up to that point.
We didn't go up Stanleys Name Spur, but my recollection was that the junction was obvious.
It may have even been sign posted?
The logs across the track and increase in undergrowth occurred on Queens Spur track after that junction.

[Xplora]

Queen spur is still a road at the junction which is the same road up from Upper Howqua camping area and Howitt spur. SNS may not be obvious leading off that road and may not be signposted so a waypoint could be helpful.

[peregrinator]

Queen spur is still a road at the junction which is the same road up from Upper Howqua camping area and Howitt spur. SNS may not be obvious leading off that road and may not be signposted so a waypoint could be helpful.

There is an old collapsed and illegible sign on the west side of Queens Spur Track indicating where Stanleys Name Spur Track intersects. The SNS track is obvious enough heading east from there at a clearing. But only for a couple of minutes. After that there is some head-high regrowth and it gets tricky.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

My plan is to descend SNS and walk to the Upper Howqua campsite coming from Mt. Spec. I have not walked this route before and would like to know if it is obvious when you hit the route /junction back to the Upper Howqua , when you are coming down the Stanley name spur track from the Cross cut saw.

[eggs]

As suggested - I would think the Queens Spur road would be quite obvious there. It is a proper road, even if a little grassed up in places.

[peregrinator]

As suggested - I would think the Queens Spur road would be quite obvious there. It is a proper road, even if a little grassed up in places.

To be strictly accurate, you might describe it as "a proper road" for a motorcycle, not a car. That is, it is a one-wheel, not a two-wheel track. Or better still, it's a walking track! Where it is definitely "grassed up" in a big way, is at its continuation north from the Stanleys Name Spur intersection, so that's confirmation you've reached the right spot. And at that point, you'll arrive at a small clearing with this view south to Mt Magdala and Hells Window.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I may even change my plan so I come in from Licola and start fresh from Mac Springs over the Crosscut saw to Camp Creek. The walk back means I get to see the same scenery but different.However my wee car does n't like the Howitt road at all.
In the past on previous summer ascents of the Howitt spur , it kind of wiped me out ;-P .Then doing the whole of the Crosscut saw the next day seemed less enticing after arriving at Mac. Springs quite tired and emotional with the equivalent weight of a small family car strapped to my back.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Due to high heat the Upper Howqua approach has been swapped for a Howitt Plains approach. More driving , less walking in steamy valley heat.I might have a look at Bryce's gorge on the way back.

[Hisham]

^ you're smarter than me.

I just did Upper Howqua to Mt Spec via Stanley Name Spur (day 1 - christmas eve) and back down to Upper Howqua via Queens Spur the next day (christmas day).

I tell you what. I bit off more than I could chew. and day 1 killed me.

It was actually an attempt at the viking circuit, but I retreated from Camp creek/Mt spec due to being wrecked and the forecast hot days which risked leaving me in wilderness in not good shape. For the record, it was mid 30s outside of the alpine region. Day 1 was mid-20s up there, and I was over heating with all that up hill. Day 2 at 9am near mt spec was 20 degrees.

1. So it was too hot, especially afternoon along the Xcut saw after ascending via SNS track. I would have sweated litres (my hairy arms were dripping) and I got dehydrated, even though I had a gatorade in the car on the ay up and 3.5 litres of water (including 3 cups of water with hydrolyte powder) along the trail. When I got into Camp Creek i quickly tried to rehydrate and get food in, but I wasn't feeling crash hot. It took me almost 3.5 hours up to xcut saw (10ks) feeling ok, but then 4.5 hours for the remaining 6 kilometres or so to camp creek. I was walking very slowly, even down hill, cos of how I was feeling (stomach felt weak, head felt light and body was getting sore).
2. fitness was ok, but could have been a lot better
3. Queens Spur "road" - relentless bashing through scrub and grown up sapplings. It's true, it's fairly easy to know you're on the track, because of the levelling of the old 4wd road - ie.you're always on flat ground the width of a 4wd track). but tripping over sticks while charging head first through branches and bush for ~4 kilometres until the intersection with SNS was not enjoyable - I did it in 2 hours (mostly flat with a slight descent/ascent), only because I didn't want to stop - there weren't many places to stop anyway. I lost my map and water proof casing in there towards the end as it wasn't secure enough in my front pack pocket. The intersection with SNS was easy to find coming this way, but the Queens spur track may have been a (little) bit harder to find going the other way. Suggest someone go through there with a chainsaw or machete.
4. on the way up SNS to Xcu saw on day 1, I came across a german lad camping in a nice little opening (that I called German saddle) under the start of the steep ascent at around 1300+ metres. It's just below S 37.16264 E 146.63629. There was a running stream down the north side - you could hear it from the track if you paid attention and that's where the german guy was topping up his h2o.
5. the track up to the intersection with Queens Spur and SNS is really pleasant. Track up SNS to xcut saw gets a little slimmer, but pretty good. Obvioulsy up the spur to the top so can't get lost anyway.
6. spring was flowing at Camp Creek. There's water along Queens Spur track as you cross the streams. I have no idea what these are like later in Summer.
7. xcut saw is probably well commented on this forum. it was my first time up there. Much more exposed in places with more ascents and descents than razorback ridge near feathertop. In fact, the ups and downs add quite a bit of effort to the walk, particularly if you've come up from upper howqua! to get to queens spur from mt spec I thought about cutting around mt buggery from horrible gap as my body really didn't feel very good going up hill (another 200m) after day 1. But the bush looked too thick, and there are some steep sections around there which I could have hit, so I pulled back pretty quickly and ended up walking up mt buggery. bugger.

I was siezing up a little by the time I got back to the car. It was over 30 degrees at that stage, but the last section is a nice walk down and then along the river. I had a nice bath in the river and scrubbed myself clean. That was perfect. Now I know why you should treat the water at Ritchies Hut downstream, just in case hairy, sweaty guys like me are taking a bath at upper howqua camping ground.

can someone remind me how to post images from my hard drive here please?

Last edited by Hisham on Tue 27 Dec, 2016 2:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Rlgm12]

I'm getting nervous about doing a similar hike to these ones in January. :/

https://www.trailhiking.com.au/buller-huts-trail/
This is essentially the walk I'm looking to do....but maybe I should change my plans?

[damoprz]

I'm getting nervous about doing a similar hike to these ones in January. :/

https://www.trailhiking.com.au/buller-huts-trail/
This is essentially the walk I'm looking to do....but maybe I should change my plans?

I've done most of that walk, there is still a fair bit of water around this year so I wouldn't worry too much. Make sure you know all the places you can get water. If the temperature is high make sure you are able to adjust your distance and difficulty. 30C+ in the sun with a pack is not the time to be pushing your limits.

[north-north-west]

can someone remind me how to post images from my hard drive here please?

Top right of the page there's a FAQ link. One of the topics there is posting images.

As long as your individual images are less than 3mb, it should be possible to simply click on the 'upload attachment' tab below the reply dialogue box, then click on browse, and search through the linked files to find the image/s you want to upload.

[neilmny]

can someone remind me how to post images from my hard drive here please?

Try - viewtopic.php?f=9&t=562

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I just got back from Mac. Springs via Licola. The weather looked ominous when I rocked up in my wee jap mobile at Howitt plains Car Park on 27/12/16.
Yesterday , 28/12/16 was scarily windy on the Mt. Howitt summit.I had to fight with my poles to remain upright. I had to get out of there. I pressed on across the X cut saw with a day pack full of goodies. When I arrived at the gap before the drop down and back up to Mt. Buggery a gust of wind came up so forcefully that it scared me . I was not going any further. Being physically blown off the ridge was not in the plan.
It was very windy , overcast and humid. It looked like rain was coming too.I didn't want to be too far away from the Gantner hut if things became even more feral.
Today at breakfast time it was wet and very foggy. In fact visibility was quite poor indeed. I pulled the pin and walked back out to the Mac. springs car park. The Howitt road could have become impassable if the flash flooding that hit later on also struck that lonely old high elevation mud, potholes and rock surface.
The old snow gums covered in hairy lichen looked ancient and spooky in the rolling fog and mist.
So the 2nd bona fide attempt to reach Mt . Spec. from Mac. springs was thwarted by extremely poor and nasty weather.
The heat is the killer when coming up from the upper Howqua in summer .
The ups and downs and scrambly bits make the x cut saw from mac. Springs to the elusive Mt. Spec. seem longer and harder than most 8-10 kms mountain treks.

I went and had lunch at the Bryce's gorge car park. I went and had a look at Guy's hut but it was raining and still fly blown in the rain and fog . So the Conglomerate falls loop walk was put on hold until next time. Ditto for the walk to Kelly's hut walk from the Gorge car park.
I am not done yet.This is unfinished business!.If I try again in Jan., then I will camp the night before at the Upper Howqua and start at day break to beat the heat.

Last edited by paidal_chalne_vala on Mon 02 Jan, 2017 6:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Hisham]

Thanks for the posts about putting up pics. My pics are big at the moment, but may get around to putting some up.

paidal_chalne_vala - wouldn't mind joining you, but wife is due soon and I think that's the end of my bushwalking season already.

[north-north-west]

[quote="Hisham"]My pics are big at the moment, but may get around to putting some up. /quote]
Yeah, many of us have to resize before posting.