Lake Eucumbene looked like glass and the morning fog was
lifting from all directions. What a tranquil part of the country made better by
the fact that there were only two other people in the area fishing, this was a
vast open area set down below the foothills.
I didn’t feel too bad physically, and I rushed to get ready
as I wanted to leave early knowing I had 65km to run over the hills to get to Yaouk,
and I knew it was going to take some time based on the two 50km days that had
come before it!
I had to carry my larger Black Diamond pack, as I needed the
extra gear, in case I needed a night out or the weather turned south. There
were many huts on the trail today, but I really didn’t want to be out in any of
them and wanted to rap the whole distance up in a day.
As ready as I was with the gear, mentally I wasn’t even
prepared. I really didn’t want to leave today, I felt sad at the fact that I
had to head off, and I felt like I had to, like a soldier off to war. I felt
like I was going and I may not be back!
I kissed Vickie good bye and whispered the words “I miss you
already today” and I sensed she felt the same. It’s a strange feeling that, I
was after all really just going off to work for the day, and I was coming back,
It just felt like doing 165km over three days in the mountains, with umpteen
marathons before that, that I could be going off for the last time!
The trail left the campsite and curved around the far side
of the lake. It was cold as this side was still in the shade. I had only been
running for two minutes before I welled up. I had no idea why? Was it because I
didn’t really want to go, was it that I knew the day was going to be a long and
tough one? Or was I proud of my achievement to date. I had no idea really? I
was just overwhelmed by everything.
I crossed over the river inlet to the lake, trying to not
get wet feet so early on for a change especially with it being so cold. I ran
through a caravan park the far side of the lake, before crossing the main
Alpine Way, and then started heading upwards on a single track trail that
followed the power lines.
So far, the trail was well marked with new BNT markers all
over the place. It’s comforting to know that you are on the right path. As,
like on this morning’s trail, you really could be heading anywhere!
The trail opened out in to a huge valley and followed the
river deeper into the wilderness, and once again I felt like a tiny speckle in
this huge landscape.
The grass was long and the trail hard to follow and as the
weather got warmer I feared of snakes in the long grass.
It was a lovely place to run, fairly flat, with 360 degree
views of mountain ranges, and I stumbled upon many mountain huts over the first
20km.
The dusty dry air out here makes your sinus’s clog up and
you find yourself constantly clearing your nose. This time there wasn’t just
the usual dirt, but a gush of blood to go with it! It streamed down my face and
I had nothing to curb the bleeding, except my t-shirt. Now, Arcteryx the brand
of my clothing has been more than fantastic to date. I was told by fellow outdoorsman
that the brand was like the Gucci of the outdoor clothing world, and as great
as it is, doing its job, it’s also fantastic at soaking up blood! Something
that you wouldn’t see on the catwalks of Milan!
The trail took a sharp turn in to a small wooded area and
the trail became exciting, a narrow single track carving its way through the
bush with the odd log to jump and low tree branch to duck under. My 20 minutes
of fun came to a halt, when I came head to head with a Brumby! I’m not sure who
was more scared of whom, but he made the first move and turned and bolted. Did
I look like Rambo coming out of the bush like that covered in dirt and blood all
over my face?
He ran over to a whole herd of them grazing in the sunshine
in a piece of open land. What a sight, the first time I had seen any type of
horse in the wild like that. Scared? A little, not sure how they would react? I
jogged closer and they bolted again, stopping once in a while to check where I
was and what I was up to.
I was once then back in the scrub dodging and weaving before
popping out the other side in to a campsite. There was no one around, just a
mob of kangaroos in and around the tents and four wheel drives that were there.
They must have headed out riding or something, so I moved on.
Another 5km down I come across the almighty Oldfields Hut!
I only had 20km to go from here, and going by the elevation
chart on my Garmin, there was going to be 50% of that uphill and a steep descent
the other side that would take me quickly back to the Maui Mother Ship and
Vickie that hours earlier I thought I wasn’t going to see again!
The sun dropped behind the mountain and it got cold, as I
climb for the last time today. The other side was almost too steep, but who’s
complaining!
I ran as fast as I could over what seemed like a floor of
marbles, trying to keep upright, and smashing in my quads.
I made the bottom of the mountain, and found a little piece
of heaven at there. It was the entrance to someone’s private property, and they
had planted out some European trees around a bubbling creek, that were yellow
and red, and stuck out compared to the rest of the Aussie bush. It was almost a
shame that I wasn’t finishing here.
8km to go through the farmland negotiating cattle, figuring
out if there cows or bulls? It was flat and a slog, but the end was just a
stones through away.
Once again I was back in the arms of Vickie, feeling safe
and warm. Tired and beaten up, It was great to be back. She had a treat for me
for dinner, who would of guessed, Sushi on the BNT!
This trail is really having its ups and downs, both with the
land and me. But this is what I wanted when I signed up for this…….Right?
Stay strong Rich!
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