Overland Track Day 2 - Waterfall Valley to Lake Windermere

Date: 15th December, 2011

Distance: 7.0 km

Time:  3 h 30 min

Side trip: Lake Will ~2.4 km, 1 h 10 min

Total: ~9.4 km, 4 h 40 min

Today was muddy. Well, muddy by our standards at least. It was also one of the shortest days of our trip, and flat the whole way. Some heavy clouds rolled over during the middle of the day but our dry streak continued as we marched onward toward Lake St Clair.

We started a tradition today of getting up late, having a late breakfast and heading off after everyone else had gone. This strategy helped us avoid the crowds for most of our time on the Overland Track.

Breakfast time in the hut. Emily is happy because there is
tea in that mug

Waterfall Valley Hut

Much of the scenery this morning was dominated by Barn's Bluff as the track ran south alongside its distinctive rocky summit.

It was not long before our track, the reliable shiny new duckboard, became an older decaying duckboard, which then became old planks of wood that readily sank into the underlying mud when trodden upon. When I correctly guessed Emily's I Spy "P" word as puddle, it was not long before she fell into one:

By the time we had reached the Lake Will turnoff, about 1.5 hours from Waterfall Valley Hut, we had sloshed through more mud than we had cumulatively seen in our lives until this point.

Because it was such a short day we went in for the side trip to Lake Will, which runs around behind Barn's Bluff. It wasn't a particularly exciting walk (the grey skies probably didn't help) but sitting on the lake was a nice spot for lunch.

Back on the Overland Track, the path rolled over a slight bulge that provided us with nice panoramic views of the peaks already encountered, and of those yet to come.

Barn's Bluff and Cradle Mountain linger behind us

A mountainous horizon lies ahead

The hut at Lake Windermere is huge, so we figured we would have little trouble in securing a sleeping spot inside. Turns out our dawdling had cost us this luxury, so instead we set up our hot new tent on one of the raised platforms nearby.

Our campsite near Lake Windermere

We met some of the hairy locals before seeking shelter indoors to avoid the massing swarms of mozzies that had attacked us relentlessly while we assembled our tent. A ranger who was present gave a short talk, and indicated tomorrow would be 6-7 hours long, despite what the optimistic signs might say.

Emily narrowly suffering defeat in German Rummy.
This super easy card game entertained us a lot in Tassie

Windermere Hut

Day 1 - Cradle Valley to Waterfall Valley
Day 3 - Lake Windermere to Pelion Hut