Yankee Hat S and Yankee Hat N from the Bogong Creek boardwalk

Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Yaouk 1:25000

Walk Description

This walk was organised and led by Ian H as an irregular CBC Tuesday walk:

Tuesday 3 September: Yankee Hats - M/R. Start from the Old Boboyan Rd car park and walk over both summits. This walk is off track and some regrowth is expected. Maps: Rendezvous Ck, Yaouk. Leader: Ian H. Transport: ~ 120 Km return. Limit: 8.

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Track

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Track Notes

Another terrific early Spring day. 23°C in the arvo. Blue skies.

We wandered along the Yankee Hat Walking Track to the rock art, 3km in 35mins. An inspection which included the second site, where Mark was able to point out the area of the wall that contained the art (thanks to him receiving a briefing from Adrian Brown).

From here Ian took us W to pick up the spur rising to Yankee Hat N. Relatively easy going at first, turning into a very steep climb with thick regrowth with a few pickup sticks.

An aside from this pedant. Yankee Hat is marked as SH1558 on the Yaouk 8626-2N 1:25000 topographic map (both 1st and 2nd editions). However, SH1447 is marked as Yankee Hat on the 1st edition Rendezvous Creek 8626-1S 1:25000 map. To supposedly avoid this confusion, some people refer to Yankee Hat 1 and Yankee Hat 2. To my mind, this adds nothing! Which is which? Far better is Yankee Hat North (SH1447) and Yankee Hat South (SH1558).

One of our party was suffering a little, so at around the 1410m contour we split. No sweat, as I'd been to Yankee Hat S and the nearby granite platforms with views over Bogong Creek on 22 Jun 10. 3 went on to complete the advertised round and 2 of us stopped for morning tea. We then continued on to Yankee Hat N (SH1447), catching up to the other 3 - who had found a damp log book on a knoll to the SE at GR 75687-42334 (MGA94) which I'd visited on 22 Oct 11 - just as they were leaving.

We had another short break, then headed SW trending S down the gully between the 2 Yankee Hats. A bit of regrowth at first, thinning out as we descended, with plenty of animal pads to help on the lower reaches. As the descent eased, we trended E and, by luck rather than good navigation, picked up an old fire trail near its corner.

N-ish along the FT, then across the edge of the eucalypt forest to the big boulder near the rock art. Lunch at the rock art.

Leaving at 1.10pm, we had plenty of time to go N along the footpads at the edge of the trees to pick up the old vehicle track up into the mouth of Middle Creek. We wandered along it up Middle Creek to the taped end, crossed said Creek via a narrow tree without falling in, and visited the Middle Creek indigenous rock shelter.

Back across Middle Creek, again with dry boots, we followed the vehicle track E-ish and called in to the Middle Creek cascades, with the grinding grooves. Back on the track, down to Jack Rustin's hut site and nearby grave, then across the Gudgenby grasslands in a direction thanks to the 'baby face' on the side of the Hospital Hill spur (my companion could recognise it, not like some others). We dodged nearly more rabbits than kangaroos!

Back at the cars I'm sure I had a sleep and a snore in the dappled shade as I listened to some music. At around 4.15pm I went for a wander S down the Old Boboyan Road and, within 10 minutes, met the returning party.

Summary

Distance: 17.0km Climb: 500m. Time: 7.40am - 4.35pm (8hrs 55 mins), with 2hrs of breaks.

Grading: L/R; H(12)

Walk Participants

5 walkers - Ian H (leader), Robert M, Mark R, Ian W, me.