Overnight tramp up Mount Arthur

 

It was planned in a bit of a rush.  Thursday evening, I looked out at the Mt Arthur range and thought, "I need to be up there somewhere in the next few days".  There was no reason behind the thought.  I just wanted to return to Mt Arthur.  Last time I had been there was about half a decade ago; I was quite unfit, very foolhardy and didn't appreciate it as much as I would now.
I rang my old friend Colin and asked if he would be available over the next week-- he wasn't, but said that Friday and Saturday would work quite fine, which was a pleasant surprise.

So we took off Friday avo, and got tothe Flora carpark about 5:15.  This signpost was about ten minutes along, beside a fork in the four-wheel-drive track; I think you can read it okay... We weren't going anywhere there, so why did I even post this picture...
No, it was two hours to Mt. Arthur hut, where we proposed to stay overnight.  Being Friday, we were sure there would be a crowd of trampers and other people clamouring for space there.

This is the best of three terrible shots I took of my first morpork.  He was not a wild fellow and let us approach, but my camera let me down.
All the way up to the hut was beech forest/native bush.

We got to the hut and found, with no little surprise it was empty.  I remained so the whole night-- I know this because I couldn't go to sleep and spent the entire night playing Majora's Mask.
Funny thing, when I checked my 3DS after I got home, it had recorded over 20,000 steps and I had earnt 40 play coins.

SUNSET-!!
This was really the only proper reason I could think of about being there.  This is the best of about two dozen I took.

...and a not so good one.

Sunrise!  They're never as colourful as sunsets, but they generally have much cloud, which is also nice.
On Saturday we started walking about 9:15.  It was three and a bit hours to the top.  Observe my accurate times.

Gorden's Pyramid, where we thought about going but did not in the end.

For most of the year, these sinkholes are full of snow.  In the middle of February, there was none.

An example of the landscape.  I like this barren, treeless, Twilight Princess-type terrain.

Oh yes, I found a pill-bug.  At sea level we have slaters, but this is an actual pill-bug.

The summit was not much to look at, but here it is anyway.  Over the years, people have been adding to a crescent-shaped formation for some shelter against the wind which only ever blows east.

From here I got a good shot of our route, or at least, most of it.  We followed the top of that green ridge and then you should be able to see a path across the scree.

I forgot to get photos of us at the summit, so here's the second best thing; me 300 metres from the top.

I'm not sure what this is... It may have to do with this survey mark we saw at the top.

All up, we spent 22 hours either on the mountain or driving.  It was a long two days, but it was fantastic.  I'll be returning there some day.

D