It was a bit of a rude shock getting the legs working again on an overnight bushwalk. As usual, I started off with a plan that was far too ambitious for the time, energy and power endurance available but, after a little tweaking, we came up with a good circuit walk involving a couple of ACT summits, some bushwacking (to keep us honest) and some easy track walking.
The recent rain meant that the two fords at Hospital Creek were higher than normal so we opted to park before them and walk an extra two kilometres to the trail head. Then southwest along the Old Boboyan Road to a maze of old tracks. Taking the first to the north, we walked north to Bogong Creek and then followed another vague track southwest beside Bogong Creek until we hit the wilderness boundary and the bushwacking began.
John Evans, the guru on ACT bushwalking, mentions some flagging, cairns and even a vague footpad up to Gudgenby saddle but we found nothing. The area was all burnt in the 2019/2020 fires and, like so many other places, old footpads and tracks have disappeared under regrowth. The regrowth in the ACT, however, is much less verdant than that further east.
We got to Gudgenby saddle feeling a bit scuffed about from the bushwacking but dropped our overnight packs under a large boulder, and with a small backpack containing a few essentials we hiked up the southern slopes of Gudgenby. There are rock boulders and some large low angle granite slabs which are grippy underfoot as long as you stay off the wet areas. We wrapped around to the west a little to walk up some clean slabs and then one final very thick bushy scramble led to the large summit cairn and lovely views over the surrounding ridges and valleys.
Time, however, was getting on so it was a very short stop on top, not even sitting down, just snapping a couple of pictures and then working our way back down, stumbling through the scrubby bush and finally arriving back at Gudgenby saddle after 5.00 pm.
Our initial plan had been to walk down to Nass Creek to camp, but it was really feeling like time for a cup of tea and a longer than 10 minute break so we decided to camp at the saddle, which, owing to our wet summer, had plenty of water nearby. Plenty of mosquitoes too.
Next morning, we packed up a tent wet with heavy dew and walked through relatively open bush to Sams Creek fire trail. Or at least where Sams Creek fire trail used to be. In places, there is a vague old road bed, that fades in and out and we followed this as best we could to the major junction with Maurice Luton fire trail. There is a good campsite here, with water from the stream. We, however, walked a kilometre up Maurice Luton to a saddle near a confluence of many creeks and found a fine campsite in open forest beside a lovely fresh stream.
Feeling the work of the last day and a half, we had a longer break with a cup of tea and then with day packs, worked our way up steep boulder strewn slopes to where Sentry Box Rock sits atop a slabby ridge. This is not only part of the Scabby Range but the NSW/ACT border runs along the ridge top. The summit plateau is relatively clear right now, much scrub having been burnt in the fires, so we wandered along with lovely views until we could scramble up the final “sentry box” on Sentry Box Mountain. Here we took a pleasantly long half hour break before descending the way we had come.
A second night camped out with a super bright moon was much more enjoyable as we had a stream to wash the days sweat off, and very few mosquitoes. Next morning, we walked back down Maurice Luton firetrail and then turned south down Sams Creek fire trail walking down Nass Creek as misty light floated around the open plains of the Nass valley. Finally, turning north again and walking back to the car on the Old Boboyan fire trail under big spreading gums.
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