123.9 km / 77 Miles
I woke up at 4am, to the sound of rain… pouring, pouring RAIN!
I guess they were right with the weather. So glad to be close to the end and have had pretty good weather throughout. I was a little gutted to not be able to do the Labyrinth this morning, but I knew the rain would have made the trail miserable and unsafe, and I was exhausted. I knew if I tried this trail it wasn’t going to end well, so I listened to my head and didn’t attempt it!
2 of the guys left early and just me and 1 other hung out for a bit and had a lazy slow morning. He left around 10, and I finally got my shit together to leave at 11. I had spent the morning journaling and hoping the rain would ease up! I was preparing for the day, and whether to walk out of the trail and do the whole 26km today, or to do my original plan of Narcissus tonight and Echo Point tomorrow. The rain wasn’t making me want to be on the trail much longer… So I was fully prepared to walk out if the rain didn’t ease up during the day, and depending on what the forecast was for tomorrow (I’d find out from the ranger at Narcissus)
I slept pretty well last night and was grateful for a slow and quiet morning. I enjoyed getting to have the hut totally to myself for a bit this morning. I also realised this morning that I had got what I wanted and needed from the trail… I was happy and fulfilled. I was ready to be off the trail, out of the rain and back into civilisation (that’s if coronavirus hasn’t wiped out the population) I had climbed up 5 summits, and walked over 100km of wilderness trail throughout one of the most unspoilt and beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.
Barn Bluff – Oakleigh – Ossa – Pelion East – Acropolis
I had left ‘baggage’ up the mountains, I had cried, I had cheered, I had hurt, I had conquered, and I was feeling fucking fantastic from it. I spent a lot of time emptying my mind, and filling my soul. Realising what it is I wanted from this year, where I wanted to be and who I wanted to be with. Ready to follow my heart and not just my head. I had the best start to 2020, a bit of a jolt throughout February when I was hit off my bike (That might have created more trauma that I thought it had – the mountains were good for dealing with that too.) March is about to start and I’m feeling great about it. I have a plan… sort of. And an exciting chapter to start, full of adventure. I’ve realised who and what is good for me, and slowly realising that some of the relationships I have are toxic for me and not worth keeping up with when they are not allowing me to be the best version of myself. Also realising that I have some incredible people in my life, who are awesome, and who encourage me to be who I am. I couldn’t be more grateful for these souls.
Back to Pine Valley….
So, back to the day… I pack up and get ready to leave at 11, the rain has eased but it’s a river out there! I was not excited about the hike out of the valley! My rain gear is on in full for the first time on this hike. And guess what.. the trail out was flooded! I ended up getting soaked. The rain came and went… the hail came and went… the sunshine was few and far between! The 5km out of Pine Valley was quite miserable, but my feet were happy that it was flat the rest of the way. The next 3.9km to Narcissus Hut was easy and the hut appeared sooner than I expected! I got here at 2pm, the hut was full of people, inside and out, the rain was light and people were drying off inside or gathering outside deciding on their day’s plan. Lots of people (some from my starting group) were waiting for the ferry to the end. I couldn’t bring myself to get the ferry although I REALLY wanted to. I had to do the trail. It was 2pm, still plenty of day light left. I was already soaked through so figured I would keep going… I was prepared to walk out this evening, but I would re-evaluate at Echo Point Hut (so in another couple of hours)
The walk to Echo Point Hut was okay, although more tree roots than I expected. But it was flat and I was making good time and distance. As I approached Echo I see the ferry heading to Narcissus. Now I was told Echo Point Hut was small, and in the info book it says sleeps 8… but I didn’t expect it to be that small!! I thought it was the toilet building at first. Anyway, I go in and already 7 people are there, and I’ve passed a few others on the trail who I know are also planning on staying… that would make 12 of us. I really wasn’t game for that… the hut was small and cramped full already with people and stuff. Also being told this hut gets full of mice at night, I wasn’t keen on staying. The ranger at Narcissus had told me the weather was suppose to get worse tomorrow with even more rain. I figured I wasn’t going to dry out tonight and I didn’t have any other dry or clean layers, so they decided it for me… I was finishing the trail today, and I was bashing out the whole 26km!
At Echo Point Hut I called the Lake St Clair lodge at the end to book a backpacker room! I was excited for a bed… a hot shower.. and to be dry, and to eat a huge burger!!! at $50 for the night… it wasn’t too bad! I had ‘saved’ $50 from not getting the ferry so I was okay with it. I was coming out 2 days early but I was good with it, I felt finished!
The next 3 hours felt long… and the trail just didn’t want to end. The rain and hail continued to be on and off, the trail was a little up and down and full of tree roots 🙁 my feet were hurting and I was wet and cold. You might be walking around the edge of Lake St Clair, but you’re not really seeing much of the lake as you’re just a few metres into the forest! With about 5km to go, the sky turns half blue and half black… The rain stops and a rainbow appears above, wishing I had got a photo, but at this point my focus is just the end. I didn’t take any photos on this last leg of the trail, nore did I even attempt to get my snacks out. I was too wet and feeling yuck, that I wasn’t stopping for anything (okay, maybe for a pee, once or twice)
The rainbow made me smile. Made me think of me LEJOG bike ride where on the hardest days there was always a rainbow. And today, right when I needed something to get me through those last few KM’s there it was! I wish I could have seen it over the lake, but through the trees and across the skies was enough to know it was there. Finally I see the sign for the Visitor’s centre… Now you would think that would be pretty close…. think again. The path did smoothen out, and was a wide gravel well used path, but there kept being more smaller side walks coming off it, more signs, more trails, and no Visitor’s centre in sight. It went on and on and on… for probably only a KM or 2, but felt like 50. It was almost 7pm at this point and low and behold…. the Visitor’s Centre. It did exist! and the end of the Overland Track.
I had Made it. Soaked through, cold, exhausted and my body hurting. But I had finished! Took a photo at the end sign and then went and checked into my bunk room, and the long awaited burger for dinner! I was done! Hot shower, and hung my clothes around the bunk room to dry, I crawl into bed and I’m ready to knock out. That mattress could have been the worst mattress in the world but right then, It felt amazing. I’ll never know really how good the mattress was! haha!
Good Night.
OVERLAND TRACK FEB 2020. Thank You.
123.9 km / 77 Miles
Next up… New Zealand cycle tour!
Watch this space…