This walk was organised and led by Max S as an ad-hoc FBI Tuesday walk:

Boboyan Trig – 16 km Medium (11). From Yankee Hat car park we walk to Boboyan Trig via Little Dry Creek and then return via Hospital Creek. Total climb 500 m. Mostly off track with some scrub and rock scrambling. Excellent views. Cars 100 km ($10). Maps Yaouk and Colinton. Meet at: K – 8.00 am. Weather – not looking good – Shower or 2, windy, 5 – 12.

5 of us met at the very civilised hour of 8am and drove under promising skies (until we saw the tops out from Yankee Hat) to the Yankee Hat car park.

Civil twilight: 0645 - 1730

Walk

This was a great little walk, good reader. Max is running it again as an FBI walk on Saturday 19 July 2008. I'd recommend that, if you can handle this grade of walk, go!

It was sort of like 2 half-day walks on the same day, particularly in terms of the weather and also the points of interest. Little Dry Creek turned out to be a little gem. Max organised all sorts of weather for us. In the morning we enjoyed showers, snow, one or two brief glimpses of the sun and howling, gale force winds. The wind chill dropped the temperature from cold to bloody cold (the first day after Canberra's mildest June for fifty-odd years). It was a 4 hat, 3 glove morning, with the initial blue of the sky transferring to my only exposed skin, my knees. In the afternoon the sun came out, the wind abated a tad (but only a tad), but we needed to continue to walk in our shells.

We set off in the opposite direction to usual from the Yankee Hat car park, up past the Foresters Hut and E-ish across the regenerating gums. The 'smiley face' on the W side of the N spur of Hospital Hill was visible. Meeting Little Dry Creek, we followed it S, paralleling the Boboyan Road. When Max says we walk a creek, we walk the creek. Not well up the side, but as much as possible in the creek line, crossing from side to side when necessary. But this revealed plenty of little gems. Yes, thorny bushes, but also rock pools, mini-gorges, rock cascades, bare scree sides and interesting geological changes in the underlying rock. One area was quite Tasman-esque - our intrepid leader and a follower scaled the walls of a rocky area (see pic 1), but you can tell from the smile on his face it was not too testing, so don't let that put you off joining in on Saturday 19 July. The rest of the party took the wimps' way up. But we all met howling winds, white flowered heath, jagged rocks  and a few flakes of snow in the sleet, making us feel as though we were down in the Apple Isle. A quick stop for a bite of morning tea just below SH1238.

We continued to follow the creek under the E flank of Hospital Hill, through a couple of pretty creek flats, then turned W to head up to Boboyan Trig. Certainly a jollier route than the Yerrabi Walking Track, as you get to make your own way through the wattle regrowth and stones! We stopped for a quick photo at Boboyan Trig, as we were celebrating Canada Day and someone was in a lovely red ice-hockey jumper. But that was all. The wind was extra howling and we were a little cold and damp, so Max led us NW then W off the top, down through some magnificent granite (which can be seen from HC Hut) to Hospital Creek Hut for a little respite. We talked of wimping out back along the Old Boboyan Road, but some tucker and sunshine from a bright blue sky changed our minds.

So off again, this time down the flats of Hospital Creek. After some right and left turns we arrived at the cascades (see pic 2), the first time I've seen them with any water flowing at the bottom.

From here NW, as I'd convinced Max I needed a photo of Frank and Jacks sheep dip. Down to the track junction, then up to the hut. A new (old) dunny out the back?

Checked out a leveled area leading up to the front of the hut, as I think there was a previous hut here (see pic 3).

Yes, reference material (30 years old) says "Hut site - Oblong area cut into slope, granodiorite hearth. Frank and Jacks Hut 14.5m away at 245°. Valued at £40 in 1891."

Across to inspect the sheep dip (see pic 4). Headed back down the fire trail, with views up to good granite on the hill to the NE. We'll check this out on 22 Jul 08.

A bash back along the road, with views to snowy Mt Gudgenby, Mt Burbidge, Mt Namadgi and the Mavis Ridge.

Timings
 

Well chosen Max. Thanks for your company and to David and Meredith and Karen.

Distance: 18.1km  Climb: 600m.  Time: 8.50am - 4.15pm (call it 7.5hrs), with 1hr of stops.
Grading: L/M; M(11)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Boboyan Trig via Little Dry Creek and Hospital Creek