Hike from Hell

Today we chose a hike around Dove Canyon that most people don’t take, according to the documentation in our cabin. We read the description, and it sounded very pleasant, moderately difficult but outside the National Park so not included in our detailed map, though it does appear if you look carefully. Moderate sounds good because we did a lot of climbing yesterday so we’re up for a pleasant stroll around the canyon. After following the Overland Track departing from the Interpretation Centre, after about 15 minutes  we reach the turn off point. There is a red sign warning that this part of the track is not maintained, and we know that because it is not one of the national park trails. We figure that means it will be mucky and won’t have the neat boardwalk, stairs etc., but we expect that - it will be more like the trails we are accustomed to in Canada.  Sure enough the first part has muck but we soldier on always thinking we can turn back if it’s too awful, this is why we’ve trudged through airports wearing our hiking boots – just for trails like this. We figure it will get us in shape for New Zealand where the tracks are definitely NOT for sissies!  I keep comparing it to the tracks in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York that we hiked in our more youthful years. In fact we were stuck on Mt. Marcy, the highest point in the state, in the middle of a thunderstorm with Keila and Henri, our Kuranda friends. As I had only just met Duncan, I figured it would be the end of our relationship when he tripped and fell and had to limp and slip down the mountain to the first shelter we could find. Compared to that, this trail is not difficult at all.

We begin to descend down into a fairly dense eucalypt forest where the mud starts to disappear replaced by rocks and tree roots, a bit easier going. Soon we hear the welcome sound of water and know we are approaching the gorge.  This is good because our map is quite basic, but does show the gorge. There is a disconcerting sign warning hikers to stay behind wires as there are steep cliffs ahead. I am reminded this is a moderate trail - “How hard can it be?.”  Before too long we see the steep cliffs and begin to descend into the deep gorge via granite boulders. Hmmm, this requires crouching, sitting on the rocks, sliding down - very carefully.  I am in the lead thinking that we can still turn back if it’s too hard. I warn Duncan to descend slowly to avoid slipping and give me LOTS of time so I don’t feel pressured to move at a faster pace. I wonder when we will find these infamous barrier wires. It takes about ten minutes more threading our way down – VERY slowly and carefully.  I’m reminded of Elvira, my mule in Moloka’i; she didn’t take a step until she was secure. Thanks for setting such a good example Elvira.

By now, the wind has picked up and it looks like it’s going to rain, so going back is out of the question. I wouldn’t want to reverse this process and climb up that ridge in the rain.  Finally the barrier wire, I traverse horizontally behind it and wait at the end for Duncan to catch up. I’m so glad he wears a red anorak, I can see him quite clearly back on the trail.  The rain starts, and we are on a fairly level part so we don our rain pants and soldier ahead. 

Finally the trail gets easier and as we are descending into another heavily wooded area, and lo and behold, we see two people approaching us from below. These are the first people we’ve seen on this ‘moderate’ trail. As the young couple pass, they reassure us the rest of the trail is slow over mossy roots but not too bad. As they are wearing only running shoes, we warn them about the steep climb they have ahead of them, up granite boulders.  We wish them well (and I say a little prayer).

We lose the trail  in a densely wooded area and see another couple below who say they’ve lost it too so we retrace our steps to find the markers, climb higher and find ourselves in a  sunny wildflower meadow. Whew, it looks like we are coming out and nearly finished so we decide to retrace our steps of the last fifteen minutes or so to look for a lunch spot near the waterfall that we had bypassed. We haven’t taken any photos on this trail, we’ve been too busy taking one step at a time just to stay upright.  But, no luck, no lunch spot, so we return to the meadow and enjoy our lunch admiring the flowers. I look down at my wrist and see that’ve I’ve cut it on some rocks, but wait, no actually I’ve picked up a leech somewhere. Duncan starts examining himself and finds a much bigger leech on his knee. I guess it’s just been on him a bit longer. Feeling lucky that we found them early on, we examine ourselves all over before starting out again. How much further? Fifteen or twenty minutes across a buttongrass meadow, I figure.

We hike further into the meadow and it becomes close, dense and muddier, any minute I expect we’ll find the buttongrass meadow and we’ll be out. But then I realize we are circling back into the gorge, and  I start to become concerned. Will we be required to scale those granite cliffs after all? We descend and actually cross the gorge so that the water is on our right again. Hmmm, not the buttongrass meadow or the exit as I expected.   Are we heading into the outback somewhere? Then I spy a bridge in the near distance. Civilization!  We pass another red sign warning about the unmaintained track, but this is for those going in the opposite direction so we know we are now on one of the tracks near Cradle Mountain Lodge. We pass Knyvet Falls, follow the Pencil Pine River and finally come out at the Cradle Mountain Store as described in the literature in our cabin.  At this point, we read all the signs for those who are embarking on this trail in the opposite direction. There are warning signs that this trail is rated as difficult NOT moderate, requires a HIGH level of fitness and ADVANCED navigational skills.  Well I guess so! Had we approached the trail from this direction rather than as described in our room, we would have avoided it completely! Totally whacked, we head over to the Cradle Mountain Lodge Tavern to sample their frosty Boag’s beer, both types, ale and lager – recompense for the past three hours.  Back at Pademelon Cabin I describe the hike from hell and scratch out ‘moderate’ saving some poor souls this experience in future.
Click Below to See Map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Cradle+Mountain+Lodge,+Cradle+Mountain,+Australia&hl=en&ll=-41.508577,145.898438&spn=101.613143,226.054688&sll=-43.651975,172.705078&sspn=3.28316,7.064209&vpsrc=6&hq=Cradle+Mountain+Lodge,+Cradle+Mountain,+Australia&t=m&z=2