Thursday 6th April, 2017.
Higgs Track to Lady Lake, 8km return up and back.
*Safari track rating; Steep up, then down. Really well maintained, much used access trail to the Central Plateau & Highlands of Tasmania.
Another short walk this week. I have been busy hustling and working whenever I can, squirrelling away the pesos for my adventures later this year so the hiking right now has to be on the slim size time wise and quite speccy in quality. I'm either running, paddle boarding or wandering the woods when not chasing a buck. And this jaunt up to the edge of the high fun stuff was a recon for my upcoming Easter holiday mission.
So anyway, off to Deloraine once again. I headed out towards Meander, hung a right on Cheshunt Drive and found my way up Westrope Road in Western Creek where a bunch of walks begin that get you up onto the Central Plateau Conservation Area. The gravel logging road is in good nick to the signposted Higgs Track carpark.
The track pushes along and up, up, up the bluff along a very old stock trail through quite lovely myrtle forest.
After 1.5 to 2 hours depending on how hard you are smashing it, the plateau is achieved and a nice lookout is located on the left hand side looking over to Mother Cummings Peak and the Meander Valley.
Lady Lake Hut is a few hundred metres away and the Higgs Track continues off to the South East (go left) while Lady Lake is reached shortly heading right around the rocks.
A quick cook up in the hut for lunch and tea taking in the silence and bewitching alpine environment and it was back down to the carpark and reality. Too soon.
A lone hiker rocked up as I was skidaddling off, he was in for the night by himself and seemed chuffed to have sole use of the cabin. Fair enough!
The trail is in great shape thanks to the efforts of various volunteers and helpful folk over the years, there were no blowdowns or weather induced impediments at the time of our visit.
Higgs Track to Lady Lake, 8km return up and back.
*Safari track rating; Steep up, then down. Really well maintained, much used access trail to the Central Plateau & Highlands of Tasmania.
Map sourced from www.tasmap.tas.gov.au
Another short walk this week. I have been busy hustling and working whenever I can, squirrelling away the pesos for my adventures later this year so the hiking right now has to be on the slim size time wise and quite speccy in quality. I'm either running, paddle boarding or wandering the woods when not chasing a buck. And this jaunt up to the edge of the high fun stuff was a recon for my upcoming Easter holiday mission.
So anyway, off to Deloraine once again. I headed out towards Meander, hung a right on Cheshunt Drive and found my way up Westrope Road in Western Creek where a bunch of walks begin that get you up onto the Central Plateau Conservation Area. The gravel logging road is in good nick to the signposted Higgs Track carpark.
After 1.5 to 2 hours depending on how hard you are smashing it, the plateau is achieved and a nice lookout is located on the left hand side looking over to Mother Cummings Peak and the Meander Valley.
Lady Lake Hut is a few hundred metres away and the Higgs Track continues off to the South East (go left) while Lady Lake is reached shortly heading right around the rocks.
A quick cook up in the hut for lunch and tea taking in the silence and bewitching alpine environment and it was back down to the carpark and reality. Too soon.
A lone hiker rocked up as I was skidaddling off, he was in for the night by himself and seemed chuffed to have sole use of the cabin. Fair enough!
The trail is in great shape thanks to the efforts of various volunteers and helpful folk over the years, there were no blowdowns or weather induced impediments at the time of our visit.