Saturday’s walks were in fine weather on a mid 20’s day in the Mount Samaria State Park, and enjoyed by seven members.
The Park has beautiful shady forests of tall Blue Gums and Mountain Grey Gums, with an under-storey including wattles, dogwood, and bracken. Other trees include Stringybarks, Boxes and Peppermints.
Both the short and long walks started together at the Spring Creek Picnic Area, which has the sawmill kiln ruins from bygone logging days. We followed the Mount Samaria Road to Butchers Track, then on Butchers Track to the Tramline Track, which took us to the ruins of the braking station where we enjoyed our morning tea.
Returning along the Tramline Track to Butchers Track, we then took the Lightning Track to Rocky Knoll, which is an elevation of 983m.
The group of seven then divided into groups of three and four, with the group of three continuing along the Lightning Track, descending to the start of the walk at the Spring Creek Picnic Area to enjoy their lunch and afternoon tea cuppa. The short walk group completed a walk of approximately nine kilometres.
Meanwhile the group of four took the Mount Samaria Track to the Mount Samaria peak of 953m, stopping for lunch along the way.
After reaching the peak this group returned downhill via the Summit Link Track to the Wild Dog Creek Camping Area for a snack break, then continued onto the Spring Creek Picnic Area to complete their walk and enjoy afternoon tea. The long walk group completed a walk of approximately 14k.
[Jeanette]
…. and now for the entertaining news of the days walk: Mount Samaria walks info from MB.
Now to mention those in the group who had difficulty staying upright on today’s walk. The first to take a tumble was Pat on one of the more open vehicle management tracks. Remember Pat, it’s left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot… As always, she bounced back up again ready to continue before you knew it. Pride was her greatest injury at this time.
On the way to the summit while leading the group, Michael’s ability to stay upright was put to the test.
Although no one else witnessed the fall, he apparently came down quickly onto his knees and hands. His trusty walking poles doing little to prevent his close encounter with mother earth.
About five band-aids later he was patched up and ready to go. News of this was received by the other group in a text. They were most concerned, and almost ready to set off the personal locator beacon, and call in the search and rescue helicopter. All of this for a grazed shin which was going to be at its most painful when the band aids were ripped off from his hairy legs later that night.
Finally, our walks leader Jeanette. Admittedly she was trying to assist the group by holding down a troublesome branch to make the path easier for those following. What could possibly go wrong? Her next move, nothing like an Olympic dive, was a less than gracious backward tumble into bracken. Resembling something like a turtle on its back, it took more than one effort to get her back on her feet. Fortunately, she was unmarked from her misadventure. There were more falls on our walk than the Wild Dog Creek Falls.