View from White Horse Rocks
Saturday 11 November 2023: White Horse Rocks and beyond – S/R. A circuit off-track in the bush in the Smokers Flat area. Some wonderful old-growth trees, abundant bird life, rocky outcrops, patches of thick scrub, flowering vegetation … something for everyone.
Summary
From Garmin Connect (Epix Gen 2) – Distance: 10.96km | Climb: 440vm (Elev Corrections Enabled) | Time: 2:59 moving + 3:42 of stops = 6:41 | Grading: M/M-R; M(9).
Photographs
View photographs here.
gpx file
Download the gpx file here.
Track Map
Here’s where we went.
Track White Horse Rocks and beyond
Trip Report
I was last at White Horse Rocks on 7 Nov 17. A warm day in Canberra at 32°C. Obviously a few degrees cooler at around 1400m. A nice breeze at times, but it did get hot in the afternoon.
Walking at 8.50am after a few words with mate Rob McL, who had returned from Square Rock. We used the Smokers Trail Loop Track to get up to near the old Smokers Trail car park. Some new stone steps since I was last on it, on 12 Jul 22.
Climbing the steps on the new Smokers Trail loop
Reaching Smokers Trail, we turned north for a few metres, then headed off-track to the east.
Heading down to cross the top of Punch Bowl Creek
Some scrubby patches as we gained White Horse Rocks for grand views and morning tea.
View from White Horse Rocks
The next leg took us east of White Horse Rocks.
Open going just E of White Horse Rocks
Then south from near SH1378.
Native clematis S of White Horse Rocks
I seem to only have photos of open going, but there were certainly some slow, scrubby patches.
Crossing a feeder to Blue Gum Creek N of lunch
Another open and gentle climb took us to lunch.
Open going climbing up to lunch
We stopped early at 11.50am at an inviting spot.
Away again. We must have missed a stockyard site by a few metres.
Open going near the Stockyard site
A variety of flowers during the day.
Diggers Speedwell at 1420m E of Smokers Trail
We popped out onto Smokers Trail, then began heading for SH1457. Reasonable going at first, but we then ran into pickup sticks.
Pickup sticks turn us back from heading to SH1457
With the afternoon hot and time ticking away, we decided to cut our losses, return to Smokers Trail and return the way we’d come up.
Great little round, although I was off my oates a little after my seventh Covid jab yesterday. Thanks Rob and all!
Party
9 walkers – Monika B, Michael C, Jenny H, Rob H (leader), Richard H, Charles J, Craig L, Lam S, me.
AllTrails
The AllTrails map is here, where you can pan and zoom.
Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog FaceBook Page
I’ve started up a FaceBook page. Each trip report posts to it. It’s another way to get some info to get out and breathe a bit of fresh air. Why not pop over and Follow the page, or give a post a Like.