Keeping an eye on weather and the track

Welcome to Melbourne's winter!  The cold and wet has settled in for the season and I find myself accessing how this will effect Tim and I as we complete the Australian Alps Walking Track in November.

This week has been a real drenching, we have received a months worth of rain in the last day or two and flooding is scattered through some of the areas near the track.  You can see below that heavy rains have come through near Mt Baw Baw, Dinner Plain & Omeo, all areas we will be in or close to in November.  

On a positive note, if we have a wet winter the 3 litres each of fresh water both Tim & I will need everyday will become much easier to source!

On the downside, Tim & I have seen the destruction that flood can cause to bush areas.  The water may drain through but the rubbish it leaves makes life difficult.  When we camped at Black River (night 4 on our schedule) we could see up stream the massive log jams that clogged the area from the last flood.  Contractors have cleared from the camp down stream about 500m so that access is easier for the AAWT hikers but north of there is still jammed today.  I hope this fresh down pour doesn't flood the area with trees once more.

We recently read in a 4X4 magazine as well on Bush Victorias website ( thanks to Allan Gamble for letting us know about the article) that there has been significant clearing done in the areas we got bogged in last year.  Tim & I are both very excited to see what the place looks like now that its been cleared up.  Hopefully this winters weather doesn't destroy the area too much.

I also notice today that track legend John Chapman has updated his website with new track conditions.

See notes below as taken from John Chapman's site.  These notes work in with his trail book which can be purchased at http://www.osp.com.au/shop/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&keyword=australian+alps&search_in_description=1&categories_id=&manufacturers_id=&pfrom=&pto=&dfrom=&dto=

Anyone who wants to follow us while we are the trail can see through this book what we are experiencing day in and day out.

Current Track Conditions

It can be difficult to keep this up-to-date as storm damage and scrub regrowth from fires is unpredictable and also rangers and others may clear tracks without telling anyone else about it. This will be a summary of the latest I have heard about the condition of parts of the track and also planned track clearings.
Note - these changes all effect track times, if it has been cleared then expect to take less time and if a section is currently ovegrown expect it to take much longer. Its impossible to update track times as conditions keep changing and its hard enough just finding out what has recently changed.
Mt Baw Baw plateau - most of the plateau has been recently cleared of scrub by both volunteers and park staff, its now better than the photo on page 49.
Black River to Licola Road - was badly effected in 2006 fires and has been recently cleared by park staff.
Mt Sunday - the old vehicle track from the summit to Low Saddle has been cleared by park staff
Catherine Saddle to Barry Saddle - currently lots of treefall and VERY DENSE low regrowth scrub. Park staff have recently cleared and marked much of it but they expect more treefall and regrowth so dont expect the work to have made walking easy, at least you now should eb able to follow the track.
Barry Saddle to Harry Shepherds Track - burnt in 2003 fires, old track currently scrubby.
Van Damme Track to East Riley Road - burnt in 2003 fires, overgrown with some treefall - slow going, improved recently but expect to take longer.
Mt Bogong - burnt in 2003 fires, Duane and T-Spur have both been recently cleared, they have been cleared several times since the 2003 fire but keep overgrowing, this is a problem in many of the fire effected areas.
Mt Wills to Omeo Highway - burnt in 2003 fires, cleared and marked in January 2012 by volunteers
Omeo Highway to Gill Creek - page 128 - has been cleared and currently fairly easy.
Buenba Hut Site to Dead Horse Creek (page 140 to 146) was cleared and remarked in 2011, some by volunteers and some by contractors, should be fairly easy to follow for a few years.
Volunteer track clearings - Bushwalking Victoria organises voluntary clearing of many tracks including the AAWT. In recent years they (we often participate ourselves) have cleared Deadhorse Creek, Thomson River area, Baw Baw Plateau and Mt Will. Its mainly the same dozen people who come along and we really do need more to participate. Instead of complaining about overgrown tracks, why not assist to
Next track clearing for volunteers -2 clearings held in 2011/12 summer, one on Baw Baw Plateau to do a final cleanup, the other was at Mt Wills to reduce re-growth from 2003 fires, next clearings not yet announced.