100km on the Heysen Trail

Desert backpacking is a new experience for me. Unless you count the brief stretch of the PNT that goes through dry cattle country, my backpacking experience has been in lush forests or alpine mountains with abundant streams. 

The Heysen Trail is a 1200km (750mi) trail that runs from the South Australian coast to the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. Near the northern end is where we start our 100km section hike. And we get to join my brother in law who is thru-hiking approximately half the trail over the next month.

The scenery of the Flinders Ranges is more varied than the barren red Australian dirt I was expecting - mountains, pine forests, rocky ridgelines, and even water in a few glassy pools. It’s winter, which helps make the landscape lusher than in the brutal summer season. In fact, the Heysen Trail is only hikable in the winter because of the extreme summer heat.

Our hike is turning into a real family affair. My inlaws are camping at Wilpena Pound, our first camp spot. This means three things: A free car shuttle, a pre-set-up tent, and (most important) a hot meal waiting for us at the end of the day. This is good because the first day is 34km (21mi) of hiking. 

We start along a flat 4x4 road that stretches into infinity through the red dirt. Around lunch, we leave the plain and crest a ridge with views surrounding mountains. The rocks are some of the oldest on earth stretching back millions of years. The folds show just how much they’ve twisted and shifted over the eons.

Still no sign of Zac as we descend into a lightly forested valley. Around sunset, we arrive at camp. Zac has just beaten us there. There’s enough food here for a dozen people. Perfect. 😋

The next day we start with a walk across the Wilpena Pound. The pound is legendary for its steep sides and only 2 entry points. The circular geography makes navigation tricky. Tales of settlers (and hikers) who entered the pound and never came out are on all the signage. Exiting the pound gives us views over the southern ranges. The rest of the day’s walking is up and down over the haphazard terrain.

The next day we walk along a dry and scrabbly rocky river bed. It’s flat but slow going. We reach the Mayo Hut in the late afternoon. The old stone hut has been lovingly restored by the trail association and makes for a nice place to steep overnight. And no need to pitch the tent!

More riverbed walking. Ugh. But the payoff in the afternoon is worth it. Walking the ridge of Jarvis Hill is a stunning mix of scrambling, trail, and jaw-dropping views. It’s also the end of our walk. We take our time soaking in the red expanse stretching out miles into the distance.

It felt good to sling my pack over my shoulder for the first time since last fall in the Pecos Wilderness. The muscle memory of eat, sleep, hike repeat kicked in and got me fired up for a thru-hike again… someday.

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A Pandemic Escape

Surprise, I’m down under! 

With the ability to work remotely and facing a long, lonely covid winter it seemed like the best option to make it down here for a bonus summer… and maybe longer?

On a bus to an unknown location

Do we tip the army for the concierge service?

It still feels a bit unreal that I’m here. Flights were near impossible to get. Australia is only allowing citizens and their spouses in (I’m lucky to be the latter). Upon arrival, we were whisked away by the army straight into hotel quarantine. They deposited us and our bags into a hotel room and said “see you in two weeks.”

For the next two weeks, the only time we were allowed to open the door to our tiny hotel room was when food was dropped at our door. At first, we tried daily exercises (running laps around the room, pushups) but then abandoned that for laying in bed. Honestly, it was good we both had work to keep us occupied. 

Feeding time at the zoo

Thru-hiker sink laundry skills coming in handy

It seems there is still a world out there

Good views though

Finally, two weeks passed and we were let out into the world. And what a world it is. Australia has had almost no COVID cases for the last 6 months. With the border shut, life has resumed to pre-covid normality. No masks, no distancing. I’m hugging people and going to crowded indoor spaces. It took a while to process and feel ok with this sudden change. But now it seems normal. 

We’ve been staying in North Adelaide, just steps from the parklands, the enormous green spaces that ring Adelaide’s downtown. For a city that (much to my dismay) sprawls in every direction, having abundant nature around is a very welcome sight. 

Inviting…

The River Torrens Linear Trail cuts through the heart of the parklands spanning 35km from the hills to the coast. On the coastal side, it connects to the 70km Coast Park Path. On the hills side, it connects to countless hiking options. For urban walkers it’s a true paradise. 

After a tumultuous 2020, I’m thankful to start 2021 off with a more sedate (and sunny!) atmosphere exploring all these new trails.

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Waterfall Gully & Mt Lofty Hike

Adelaide’s a hot, dry city, but the hills offer respite on a sweltering day. And the aptly named Waterfall Gully offers waterfalls tucked in amongst the greenery. It’s part of a larger trail network that weaves through the Adelaide hills.

For this hike we started at Measday’s Lookout and hiked down the second and first falls. After that we steeply climbed up to Castle Rock and got a nice view down the valley. Then we worked our way past Cleland Wildlife Park and up to the summit of Mt Lofty.

It was hot out and we appreciated grabbing a cold drink at the full service cafe at the Mt Lofty lookout. Sadly the views from the top were hazy. The way down was through shaded gum trees with occasional views of the city and ocean below. Overall a fun 5.75 mile hike and I’d certainly love to come back and hike the other trails in the area.

If you go: