Gill Goes... Trekking The Bibbulmun Track End to End... Mt Cooke Shelter

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Day 7

Monadnocks Shelter to Mt Cooke Shelter via Sullivan Rock

> 15.1 km (13.6 km + 1.5 Sullivan Rock Spur Trail + searching for Callum distance)

Timeline for today's adventure

07:37 Leave Monadnocks

08:30 Summit Mt Cuthbert (500m)

08:46 Descend Mt Cuthbert

09:20 Summit Mt Vincent (491m)

Lose Track of Time




Got to admit I am slightly nervous about today in that I am wondering how I'll go lugging my pack up and down "one of the more challenging sections of the track" (Bibb Track Guidebook 1). However, it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I guess my pack is lighter after eating 6 days of food AND I'm excited- one of my kids is coming to meet me at Sullivan Rock with lunch and my first resupply box. The trail is quite well marked and my efforts are rewarded with some good views as I ascend Mt Cuthbert. I really love being close to and on the granite outcrops that are so prevalent in the south west of Western Australia. The granites that I am climbing on and over are part of the Yilgarn Craton, which were formed 2600 to 2700 million years ago!! There are a million fascinating facts to be discovered about them if you want to research further, but what I love are the little plant and animal ecosystems you can find, some of which are found only in these locations. There are many gnammas (indentations in the granite forming rock pools) housing aquatic invertebrates and more than 1300 plant species on these rocks. Fascinating. The endemic ornate crevice dragon lizard is nowhere to be seen- still too cold and too early I think.

Anyway, having added a rock to every rock cairn I see and had a cup of coffee and snack and messaged Callum (btw- excellent reception up there, even with Optus) to make sure he's going to show (and received a response), I confidently head out to Sullivan Rock. I'm excited. I'm craving the ham and salad roll and fresh fruit that he's bringing me as a belated mother's day celebration. I have planned this meticulously. I have emailed him the google map directions, I have texted him google map directions, I have facebooked him google map directions, I have even printed out the google map directions and attached them to Resupply Box 1. AND, I have written extra hints on the google map directions printout.... and highlighter marked them. Cover the distance very quickly, get over Sullivans Rock, reach Albany Highway..... no Callum.

Hmmm.

No phone reception either.

Cross the road to the parking area... no Callum.

Wander around in the bush beyond the parking area ...no Callum.

Walk down to the next layby area...no Callum.

Still no phone reception.

I am thinking that despite all measures he's at some other random car parking spot closer to the Jarrahdale turn off. So, with limited options I decide to hitchike down to the next parking spot- OMG - I have never hitchhiked in my life. I have had it drilled into me that you will be probably be abducted and murdered. And... that the murderer will most likely be driving a white ute. I tentatively flag down the first car I see- he screeches to a halt... yep, white ute. I explain my predicament and don't ask for a lift but ask if he has a Telstra phone that I can call Callum on. He happily helps out and the call goes immediately through to message bank... Ian, driver of the white ute, offers me a lift up as far as the Jarrahdale rd turnoff. In I hop, my back pack chucked in the back of his truck (along with his swag and a bunch of other things including bottles and unknown covered items). Ian tells me he and his mates camped rough the night before and that he was a bit "under the weather" and "sorry for the smell"... OK. Spot Callum in the parking spot a few km's down the road and Ian comes to another screeching halt- helps me retrieve my pack, waves goodbye and screeches off! Thank You Ian, driver of the white ute!!

I WAKE Callum up (he has fallen asleep in the car)! Duly forgive him when he hauls out a huge ham and salad wrap, fruit, huge muffin and a dripping bottle of cold water out of a cooler bag! Best mother's day present I've had for some time.

Post lunch empty out Resupply Box 1, give him all of my rubbish and repack my pack. Callum drops me at the proper spot (that one so very well defined on google maps). Wonderful time, especially sitting in the car seat (comfortable seat, back support) for 5 minutes.



12:47 Say goodbye

12:58 Retrace Sullivan Rock (notice that the temperature seems to have risen dramatically)

13:30 Brains start boiling

14:19 Arrive Mt Cooke Shelter (about 700m further than the Mt Cooke Group Shelter

14:20 Lie prostrate in hut's wooden platform

I'm sooooo not a warm weather hiker. I tend to go faster when it's hot and sunny to get out of the sun faster so end up even hotter! Pam and Doug are at the campsite, they have decided not to press on to Nerang as originally planned. Mel turns up too, but nobody else, so it's a reunion of sorts. It suddenly gets chilly so everyone goes on a stick hunt. I eat the remaining half of my muffin (it was a massive muffin), fruit and ham and salad wrap (it was a massive ham and salad wrap) crossing my fingers that it hasn't gone off in the afternoon sun. Now I'm now officially carrying 1 too many dinners for the next leg of the journey. We spend another night chatting around the fire that Doug has made. It's interesting how fast you become friends while walking a journey like this. Luckily for me though Pam and Doug are exiting the track tomorrow- I say this because Doug won't let me poke the fire with my stick! I wait till his back is turned and take the opportunity, after all that's what campfires are for- poking sticks in!!! (Doug and Pam- if you are reading this, I say that with tongue firmly planted in cheek- I really look forward to staying in touch!!).

Late night. Starry sky. Chilly. I love it.





Impressions of Mt Cooke Shelter

Boot cleaning station close to the hut, interesting info just near the shelter on the bush fire that razed the original hut in 2003 (also a good spot to have a wash), Mt Cooke looms large not so far away

Body assessment- Surprisingly still good, zero problems once I'd cooled down

Total people seen for the day - absolutely can't remember how many but the 2 most significant were Ian of the white ute and Callum of the fresh food




** Items sent home from Box 1 - 4 trail mix, extra milk powder, 2 soups, 1 dinner, 1 dehydrated yogurt snack. Given away - 1/2 dinner portion of Thai Green Chicken Curry, 4 chocolate snack bars, 4 tsp milo**

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Photos

The Day Begins
Heading up the first big hill

Mt Cuthbert
That way

Gnamma
The microhabitats are incredible- fungi, mosses, grasses. Intense colour.

Sublime Dusk Sky
Taken from campfire position