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Meander Falls 21-AUG-2010
Sun 29 Aug, 2010 1:22 pm
We wanted to do a nice day walk to a specky location last weekend for my birthday. Meander Falls fitted the bill and some snow had fallen in the previous week and 14mm of rain fell on Friday night on the highlands so expectations where high for a good flow over the falls and maybe some frozen stuff at the bottom. Quamby Bluff had snow about half way down in the morning but it was all gone when we returned.
We were greeted to a small covering of snow in the car park and wondered if we would make it in all the way. Turned out to be a very long and slippery day, especially all the downhill on the way back with the snow and lots of snow melt running everywhere.
The falls looked great with all the snow around and icicles at the bottom. The snow depth was around knee deep at the falls base and no more than about ankle deep along most of the track. Places on the track had no snow at all where the sun had melted it. Lots of falling snow out of the tree canopy as it melted in the sun. It snowed for about 20 minutes while at the falls and a few squally rain showers over the day. Took us a total of 7 hours today due to too many photo stops on the way in and the snow making progress a bit slower than normal and we arrived back at the car park just on dusk.
The track is easy to follow with with a few short steep bits and a pretty much constant grade for the last 3/4 of the track. One section was a bit hard to follow as all the trees were covering the track with the snow load on them but extensive tree markers would make it difficult for anybody to get lost on this walk. You will find yourself saying 'are we there yet!' as it seems to go on a bit. You come over a saddle only to find a couple more to cross as the falls are a lot further up the valley that you first thought.
If you get the chance to get the right conditions to get in here while it is cold and a bit of snow around it really is a magnificent walk. The snow covered amphitheatre around the falls was a very nice view. Good shoes are a must especially on the way out. The loop via split rock would have been impossible as the rock cairns over the saddle where invisible under the snow so we did a retrace.
We were greeted to a small covering of snow in the car park and wondered if we would make it in all the way. Turned out to be a very long and slippery day, especially all the downhill on the way back with the snow and lots of snow melt running everywhere.
The falls looked great with all the snow around and icicles at the bottom. The snow depth was around knee deep at the falls base and no more than about ankle deep along most of the track. Places on the track had no snow at all where the sun had melted it. Lots of falling snow out of the tree canopy as it melted in the sun. It snowed for about 20 minutes while at the falls and a few squally rain showers over the day. Took us a total of 7 hours today due to too many photo stops on the way in and the snow making progress a bit slower than normal and we arrived back at the car park just on dusk.
The track is easy to follow with with a few short steep bits and a pretty much constant grade for the last 3/4 of the track. One section was a bit hard to follow as all the trees were covering the track with the snow load on them but extensive tree markers would make it difficult for anybody to get lost on this walk. You will find yourself saying 'are we there yet!' as it seems to go on a bit. You come over a saddle only to find a couple more to cross as the falls are a lot further up the valley that you first thought.
If you get the chance to get the right conditions to get in here while it is cold and a bit of snow around it really is a magnificent walk. The snow covered amphitheatre around the falls was a very nice view. Good shoes are a must especially on the way out. The loop via split rock would have been impossible as the rock cairns over the saddle where invisible under the snow so we did a retrace.
- Meander Falls car park snow
- CarparkSnow.jpg (77.17 KiB) Viewed 3652 times
- Meander Falls track snow depth half way in
- SnowDepthHalfWayIn.jpg (48.93 KiB) Viewed 3652 times
- Meander Falls base ice formation
- Ice.jpg (76.43 KiB) Viewed 3652 times
- Attachments
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- Meander Falls base ice slurry
- IceSlurryFallsBase.jpg (63.5 KiB) Viewed 3652 times
Re: Meander Falls 21-AUG-2010
Sun 29 Aug, 2010 7:14 pm
Love the icy tree shot.
I remember the first time I did Meander, the campsite area before the falls was a flowing creek, knee deep and about twenty feet across. Great place. Didn't recognise it next time, when everything was dry.
I remember the first time I did Meander, the campsite area before the falls was a flowing creek, knee deep and about twenty feet across. Great place. Didn't recognise it next time, when everything was dry.
Re: Meander Falls 21-AUG-2010
Tue 31 Aug, 2010 1:58 pm
Very nice, any shots of the Falls?
I was actually planning on heading up this weekend coming or more likely the next, hopefully still reasonably frozen by then.
I was actually planning on heading up this weekend coming or more likely the next, hopefully still reasonably frozen by then.
Re: Meander Falls 21-AUG-2010
Tue 31 Aug, 2010 10:40 pm
A few pictures of the falls but they were not frozen unfortunately so I did not bother posting any. I might post one if I get time tomorrow.
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