Mersey River Circuit

[tigercat]

Enjoyed a mostly sunny, rain-free, cold trip around the Mersey. The huts allowing a winter trip without being tent bound for 14 hours.

Left work 8.30 am, drove up and then walked through Lees paddocks onto the further paddocks. Much appreciative of the landholders who allow us use of their huts.

Next day a delightful walk, initially through frosted paddocks and then Myrtle forests alongside the Mersey and up to the Overland, crossing the Mersey below Fergusson Falls and walking offtrack through forests until picking up a pad above McCoy Falls in the Never Never and walking on to Junction Lake Hut.

After a long pack day it was time for an easier day. I set off with a day pack to the Mountains of Jupiter via Lake Artemis, knowing that the Abels guide suggested 1+1/2 hrs for the trip one way. 6 hours later I returned to the hut rather weary having found some scrub on the mountain! Admittedly it was a leisurely trip with a picnic at the lake and an unnecessarily circuitous route up the mountain.

Walked out on the Moses Creek track which I found much easier than expected. I had walked the track previously in the reverse direction missed the track around Grail falls and scrub bashed several hundred metres at the cost of considerable suffering!

Some photos

Frost in the Paddocks

Mersey

Near Hartnett falls

Upper Clarke falls

Ice on Junction Lake

[tigercat]

More photos

Sunrise at Junction lake

Ice puddle

Mist at Cloister lagoon

[philm]

Looks like a great trip with some perfect (but cold) weather! Some great photo's.

Lake Artemis is a great spot. An easy walk from Junction Hut and a good overnight camp. Sounds like some scrub bashing to the Mountains of Jupiter! We came across to Artemis over the Traveller range from Du Cane gap and met some serious scrub around Lake Metrope - took us about 2 hours to do 1 KM!

[tibboh]

Nice frosty fun from the sounds of it. The weather has been nICE over the last few days

[naturelover]

I really loved the frost on the grass in the first photo. Wasn't the frost just spectacular this last weekend! LOVED it.

[tigercat]

I really loved the frost on the grass in the first photo. Wasn't the frost just spectacular this last weekend! LOVED it.

The Frost and ice were gorgeous.

[naturelover]

Murchison was pretty icy too

Attachments

[tigercat]

Lovely photos, was Murchison difficult in these conditions? I am keen to explore Murchison one of these days.

[naturelover]

Yes, it was pretty tricky, but doable. I'll include a photo of the summit trig, and of my husband waiting far below perched on a picturesque rock. It was too tricky for him. I just took it carefully after the narrow bit, as the final climb was very icy - I guess it doesn't get any sun. That said, it was icy all the way once we emerged from the rainforest, and my husband got thirsty as all the creeks he planned to drink from were frozen solid. After the narrow ledge, I did a pattern of walk 10 steps, take 10 photos whilst plotting the next safest ten steps etc and I was there. The views were astronomical.

Attachments

B perched on rock in distance below

[tigercat]

Wow!

[tibboh]

Wow!

+1 ......Nice icey slope to negotiate