This walk was organised and led by me as an irregular CBC Tuesday walk:
Tuesday 17 March - Snowy Flats, Mt Gingera and Brumbys Flats - L/M-R,partX. Ascend Stockyard Spur from Corin Dam. Wander south down Snowy Flats to meet the Mt Franklin Road. Up to Mt Gingera and, from half way along its ridge, west to Brumbys Flats. Return via Pryors Hut. Around 18km and 1300m climb. Map: Corin Dam 1:25000. Limit of 8. Leader: John Evans – jevans@pcug.org.au, (h) 6288 7235. Transport: ~$7. Further details at http://jevans.pcug.org.au.
6 of us met and drove to Corin Dam.
A closer look at Snowy Flats than time allowed on 9-10 Jan 09 and I've never been to Brumbys Flats. Seems like this area is the flavour of the week - the Wednesday Walk is going up Stockyard Spur and to the Falls on Stockyard Creek and I'm returning to Mt Gingera next Saturday. Next Tuesday's walk will be down Stockyard Spur then up Stockyard Creek and Max may take us back up a more challenging way soon - up Snowy Flat Creek from Corin Dam!
I seemed to have lost first gear, so dragged the chain going up the spur to Stockyard Spur. Still, a respectable 1hr10mins for the 2km and 550m climb to the little cairns. Autumn was in the early morning air so started in a mid-layer, but soon shed that. Disturbed two lyrebirds quite close, they must have been coming back from an early breakfast. The youngest member of the party was still warming up at the top. On a further 3.2km to the Graeme Barrow named 'Stockyard Spur Grandstand' - shelves of rocks on the NW side of the track with great views over the top of Stockyard Creek to Mt Ginini - for morning tea. Always worth a stop here for the views.
Back at it, Max pointed out the wire remains of a stockyard just by the side of the track. Are these the yards from which the spur got its name? (No, Barrow recounts in his book Namadgi & Tidbinbilla Classics: Tough Bushwalks in Canberra's High Country on page 35: "Stockyard Creek and Stockyard Spur take their names from a stockyard that once existed at Stockyard Gap. It was built by the Franklin family of Brindabella Station who once had grazing leases in the Brindabellas.") 650m on from morning tea we did a left turn and headed down through the bush - anywhere from this point towards the intersection with the Mt Franklin Road would do. S down across lovely mountain grasses, we soon broke out onto the N end of Snowy Flats (see here). It looked spectacular with Mt Gingera towering over it under a vivid blue sky (see pic 1). A consideration was to not carelessly trample the vegetation in the flats, so Max pointed out a narrower and rocky area to cross from the N side to the W side. It's from here that Snowy Flat Creek plunges down to Corin Dam and I'll be happy to see it again after Max walks us up the creek in a few weeks time. Up on the W side above the flats provided firm footing and a wonderful view of the area. We passed opposite the cleared area leading down from Pryors Hut where we'd entered last time. Today the flats didn't look so large and mysterious - the product of a second visit and perfectly clear day. Crossed a small W-E arm of the flats at the S end and so to the Mt Franklin Road. Wandered back to the U-bend where walking track to Mt Gingera starts.
It is a lovely track up the the pole on Mt Gingera, rising 170m over 1.1km. The views from NE to W are fabulous. Snowy Flats nestle close by to the NE (see here) and above them rear the Tidbinbilla Ridge marching S to Mt Domain. Mt Orroral is prominent in the middle distance with Split Rock to its S. Closer at hand is the granite strewn W side of Mt McKeahnie with Dutchies Peak nearby. The Tinderys are on the horizon whilst an adolescent Snow Gum clings grimly but successfully to the rocky slabs at hand (see here). S from Split Rock is the Mavis Ridge, leading the eye to Mt Namadgi (telephoto to Mt Namadgi from Mt Gingera (see here)), Mt Burbidge rearing by its shoulder, Mt Kelly and the Kelly Spur and so to the Scabby Range. Spectacular! To the SW were views across the Currango Plain to Mt Jagungal.
Too early for lunch, the next stop was to be Brumbys Flats. Previously I'd returned via the Gingera ridge but with Henry's knowledge we found a convenient spot a little way N along the ridge to sidle down W-ish to the Flats. Around 15mins and 500m later we broke out onto them (see here). I was keen to have the gnarled Snow Gums pointed out to me where folk used to lunch in the past, pre-fire. I was nostalgic for what I'd never experienced - what a wonderful place it must have been. There is a wonderful picture in Graeme Barrow's Namadgi & Tidbinbilla Classics: Tough Bushwalks in Canberra's High Country on page 38 with the Snow Gums in their glory. The old skeletons still exude dignity (see here). We walked N up the Flats to rock and shade for lunch. I tried to be a nature photographer by getting down and dirty to snap some flowers (see here and here). A pretty and colourful display.
After a full 45min lunch the way lay N to the Gingera ridge, then along it to SH1847, the northern point of Mt Gingera. Passed a border marker near the SH. NE off the top - actually tracing the route of the ACT-NSW border - down through open forest to join the Mt Franklin Road. Two more border markers a few tens of metres S of the arboretum, one defining the angled bend of the border at this point (see here). With time to spare a couple of us wandered around the W side of the arboretum. Left a note in the Pryors Hut logbook - one for the Wednesday walkers and one for the return on Saturday.
All that remained was to walk back. We stopped for view to the SE of the Stockyard Spur track this time, at the viewing platform just off the side of the track near SH1615. The leg from the cairns down to Corin Dam took 40mins, a bit over half the time coming up.
A perfect day. Great weather, great views, great company. Did the full length of Snowy Flats and I'd never been to Brumbys Flats before. My fellow walkers reckoned there was good variety in the route. Thanks Brian S, Chris R, Henry H, Ian S and Max S.
Distance: 18.3km Climb: 1250m. Time: 8.20am - 3.40pm (7hrs20mins), with 45mins of stops.
Grading: L/M-R,ptX; H(13)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Snowy Flats, Mt Gingera and Brumbys Flats
