Huon (Yo-Yo) Track conditions 2023?

[headwerkn]

As the title says, anyone been down the Huon Track in the past 6-12 months? Curious as to what sort of condition it's in. We're giving it consideration for a trip later this summer.

I've heard conflicting info as to whether it was cleared up after the fires or not, but that was almost a year ago now. With Farmhouse Creek an ever-increasing walk in thanks to broken roads, has anyone been tempted to take a look?

[doogs]

Hobart walking club have been clearing the start of the track towards Blake's Opening. It sounds like that section was/is a mess.
Five years ago, the section prior to the Cracroft Crossing was a mess of a multitude of fallen trees. I would doubt that this is any better today. I couldn't even hazard a guess on the condition of the large middle section!
Unfortunately Parks aren't focused on this sort of track. The money is going to fancy tracks that they'll never recoup the money costs from building and upkeep.

[headwerkn]

Thanks Doogs. Sounds like any visit for the time being will be a trip unto itself, rather than a convenient highway into the 'middle' Arthurs.
Not necessarily a bad thing, might be worth taking a small saw and some tape

[TentPeg]

Hobart Walking Club, with assistance from Parks, will be clearing the remaining western section of the Huon Track late next week.

[headwerkn]

Hobart Walking Club, with assistance from Parks, will be clearing the remaining western section of the Huon Track late next week.

Thanks, that's great news.
Will be tempting to go in via that way rather than via McKays/Promontory when we head to West Portal in a couple of months' time. Though my understanding of the Huon Track is that a full push from the trail head to Cracroft Crossing was more than a single days' effort even when the track was in good condition?

[pazzar]

Hobart Walking Club, with assistance from Parks, will be clearing the remaining western section of the Huon Track late next week.

Thanks, that's great news.
Will be tempting to go in via that way rather than via McKays/Promontory when we head to West Portal in a couple of months' time. Though my understanding of the Huon Track is that a full push from the trail head to Cracroft Crossing was more than a reasonable days' effort even when the track was in good condition?

Even with trees down, walking through to Cracroft in a single day is definitely achievable. It's about 27 kms, which is mostly good underfoot, being a former vehicle track. There is a section just past Blakes Opening that was a bit boggy, but the rest was pretty good.

It took me about 6 or 7 hours to walk a few years ago, with hundreds of trees down.

[headwerkn]

Oh ok, that's good to know. We've done Scott's Peak to just shy of Pass Creek in a single day, something like 33km in about 10 hrs. Not difficult - just quite boring!

[L_Cham_67]

We've done Scott's Peak to just shy of Pass Creek in a single day, something like 33km in about 10 hrs. Not difficult - just quite boring!

Not difficult!? I seem to recall bailing on the trip up West Portal because of how fatigued we were!

[north-north-west]

We've done Scott's Peak to just shy of Pass Creek in a single day, something like 33km in about 10 hrs. Not difficult - just quite boring!

Not difficult!? I seem to recall bailing on the trip up West Portal because of how fatigued we were!

I did Scotts to Cracroft and then had to continue up onto the Razorback because the campsite at the crossing was full. Again, something like 33km in stinking hot weather, with some badly overgrown sections of track.
Managed that OK and then the next day struggled to haul the gear up to Rosanne. Luckily time wasn't an issue so most of that second day was recovery and then it was on to West Portal and Centaurus Ridge, eventually camping in the saddle just before the Phoenix.

[headwerkn]

Not difficult!? I seem to recall bailing on the trip up West Portal because of how fatigued we were!

That first day was fine. The second day up the Needles in the rain and snow, not so much

[alanm]

I saw this post and the name, and not to hijack the thread, but the name Yo Yo track bought back memories..... I can't help you with the current condition, however, when I hiked it around 39 / 40 years ago, I remember thinking it was aptly named.... and there were some seriously big trees downed that we had to climb over. Two friends and I trotted off from Lake Pedder down to the Arthur Range, then along the top of that until we picked up the Yo Yo and then out via the logging tracks. Man it makes me realise how old I'm getting..... Good luck with the hike. Enjoy.

[headwerkn]

Just an update based on a conversation with two interstate walkers we came across on McKays Track over the weekend.

They'd come in via the Huon Track. Verdict: great until Blake's Opening (where HWC have cleared over the past weeks/months), then 'diabolical' thereafter. Tonnes of treefall. Took them three days to get to Cracroft Crossing, only to be met with upturned camp platforms and general destruction that sounds like 3-4 years of cumulative flooding. Anyway they decided they'd rather walk out via Scotts Peak Dam and hitch their way back to their car at West Picton Road, rather than return back through it.

So yeah, if you're planning on heading out there, don't expect to do it in a day. And maybe take a chainsaw

[Mechanic-AL]

Am I reading this right ? 3 days from Blakes Opening to Cracroft Crossing ??

[headwerkn]

Three days from Riveaux/Quartz Quarry Rd was my understanding of their trip. They didn't particularly enjoy themselves

I've since heard from Parks: their crew took 10hrs to get into Cracroft early this year, but had a report from another walker about two weeks ago who took 25hrs. Sounds like many of the dead trees from the fires have been blown over in winter. The flipped platforms are temporary ones which will be removed this summer.

[north-north-west]

I might leave this for another year. Or possibly another life ...

[Mechanic-AL]

That's such a shame......it's a beautiful area to walk through. or was.

[Letstryagain]

That's such a shame......it's a beautiful area to walk through. or was.

Yes. But that's today's PWS.
An awful shame.
Just a convenient excuse to close off another area that doesn't create revenue.

[mccaj]

I meant to post this earlier, but never got around to it. Better late than never! We did the Eastern Arthurs in the last week of November, 2023, in via the Huon and out Farmhouse. As mentioned in this thread, the path to Blake's Opening was clear, and made for a delightful Sunday afternoon stroll. Little did we know what lay ahead for Monday: in short, it was rough, and absolutely agree with the diabolical as quoted from others. I had read on this very post that there were hundreds of trees down, and the walk through to Cracroft crossing was only 6 to 7 hours. It took us bang on 12 hours from Blake's to Cracroft, and it was very tough going. The track was mostly easy to follow, but the number of fallen trees numbered well into the many thousands. In my head, I had imagined lots of big trees downed, but the vast majority were intermediate-sized, and had fallen from both sides of the path, with the upper branches creating interlocking, impenetrable, and unavoidable obstacles. There was a lot of crawling, and scrambling over the layers of trees that at some points we were probably 5 or 6 metres off the ground, just walking on trees; genuinely wild stuff, and likely the worst kind of walking I have ever experienced. It was also pretty mentally taxing, as the severity of blockages just ramped up throughout the walk - it occasionally eased up with a few clear sections, but the trend was from pretty ordinary -> poo..., right up to the end.

Not quite sure how you spend multiple days on the track; I have no idea where you would camp, I am not convinced that I could have pitched a tent anywhere! Still, I do not anyone that has spent any time on the track.

The rest of the hike was delightful, with the primo weather for getting up Fedders especially appreciated. As it happened, when we were just setting out for the Arthurs proper, we crossed a couple that was just coming down, and they mentioned that they were planning to exit via the Huon track; I hope they made it out okay - we didn't do a good job of communicating just how rubbish the walk was. I hope something is done to preserve the route - it provides fantastic access to the area - but given its current state, I simply cannot imagine it returning to something reasonable without serious measures of both determination, and dingoes.

[Blue Jacket Hiker]

Great info in here thanks...knowing the track conditions can change reasonably quickly, was wondering if anyone had a more recent update than Nov/Dec 2023 please?

We're planning to do a mission next Friday called PEDDER HOME. The idea is that usually when we go adventuring we drive to the wilderness walk a loop (or A to B) then drive back to civilisation. To try and improve wilderness connection we thought we might start at Pedder and go all the way home under human power. Starting Friday night with 60km trek/jog where we can along Mckays and Huon tracks to the Picton, we'll jump in some kayaks and paddle 30kms downstream to Judbury. Then on the mountain bikes up through White Timber Country, EW Fire Trail around the Mountains and down through Tolosa, home along the bike track...in maybe 24 hours or so. The biggest variance being the trekking leg, depending on creek levels and track conditions - thanks as always in advance!

[Last]

I'd be interested to hear how you go?

[Blue Jacket Hiker]

I'd be interested to hear how you go?

Love being a Guinea Pig...still assessing whether or not we will "GO"! WOULD LOVE ANY INFO AT ALL...???

...I think we will, with the option of shortening the kayak and mountain bike routes to still be home for kids' sport coaching duties on Sunday morning!!!

[Blue Jacket Hiker]

I'd be interested to hear how you go?

Love being a Guinea Pig...still assessing whether or not we will "GO"! WOULD LOVE ANY INFO AT ALL...???

...I think we will, with the option of shortening the kayak and mountain bike routes to still be home for kids' sport coaching duties on Sunday morning!!!

So it's taken me a couple of weeks to be able to write about this...Is it Diabolical? Yeah, it was a bit. Just really, really slow...and a little demoralising at times but still beautiful company and a good adventure nonetheless.

JUNE 2024, HUON "YOYO" TRACK: pretty much from Cracroft River to Blakes Opening (and a bit further east too) there are thousands and thousands and thousands of trees down. Most of the trees would be less than 20 years old and I suspect have died/fallen over due to the root rot disease and subsequent storms/flooding (keen to learn more about this disease and what the status is in this region). Sometimes it's as simple as over/under 3 or 4 trees and that's it, other times it was 20-30 metres of climbing 2-3 metres above the track over multiple medium to large trees, through the foliage and slippery limbs without trying to fall and snap a leg.

It's a real shame that this track is in such poor condition and as a result of the disease (suspected) is so challenging to maintain to any reasonable degree. After the sun came up and the relentlessness of scrambles in the dark subsided, it was such a beautiful area to weave along the undulating country of the river with the slowly rising sun, misty forests and rocky river edges.

I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on the future for this track...?



Little video of the adventure here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8UVw7LPhGr/?igsh=MWRtNGJjZThoeXJzdg==

More detail:
We were attempting a "Pedder Home" mission to try and connect the wilderness that we so often experience in a bubble, with our everday lives in Hobart with a 60km from Pedder on Mckay and Huon Tracks, then a 30km Huon River paddle to Judbury before riding 60km over the mountain to Tolosa/Glenorchy and home.
But as we suspected, after starting at 7pm on Friday night, our Pedder Home Mission was modified after the generous 15 hour timeframe for the 60k trek blew out to 19 hours with the slower than anticipated boggy first 30, and the sheer unrelenting spaghetti of thousands of fallen trees on the Huon. We still kayaked from Tahune but with limited daylight only went as far as Southwood bridge and then jumped in the car to Grove to then ride an alternate route through longley and Lesley vale home instead of over the mountain in snow and ice after a long day. Managed to get home around 8pm, tired but smiling.
Great times and resilience with our crew and loved the camaraderie of knowing we had fellow lunatics out there with us in Becca (aka Rock Monkey) and Tim’s crew enduring the same behind us.

[headwerkn]

I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on the future for this track...?

Yes, but none particularly encouraging. Basic gist of my convo with PWS was that even if there were in a position to spend however-many days/weeks out there cutting and clearing the track to a good standard, by the time they'd have the job done, they've have to start over. Those trees are going to continue to fall over every time there's strong winds for many years to come.

Maintaining tracks is always a case of continuous work of course, trees are always falling down, but from what I gather the thought process is that it would be a case of 'one step forward, two steps back' and that the amount of effort required to maintain a 'viable' open route is well beyond the manpower available. I suspect it's the reason HWC have gone only as far as Blake's Opening too (anyone know if they have plans to clear any further in).

It is a real shame regardless, especially as the Farmhouse Creek route keeps becoming longer and longer and, as the only route in from that end, suffers increased use and erosion as a result.

[Tortoise]

Basic gist of my convo with PWS was that even if there were in a position to spend however-many days/weeks out there cutting and clearing the track to a good standard, by the time they'd have the job done, they've have to start over. Those trees are going to continue to fall over every time there's strong winds for many years to come.

Did PWS mention why the treefall is so much worse than it used to be (if I understand that correctly). Phytophera? Fire-affected? Other?

[north-north-west]

Basic gist of my convo with PWS was that even if there were in a position to spend however-many days/weeks out there cutting and clearing the track to a good standard, by the time they'd have the job done, they've have to start over. Those trees are going to continue to fall over every time there's strong winds for many years to come.

Did PWS mention why the treefall is so much worse than it used to be (if I understand that correctly). Phytophera? Fire-affected? Other?

At least some is fire damage. Don't know about Phytopthera.

[Last]

I recall that there were problems a few years ago with quad bikes attempting to access this track. Maybe it should not be cleared too much. That said, it would be good if it were a little more accessible. It looks like post fire damage from here.

[headwerkn]

Did PWS mention why the treefall is so much worse than it used to be (if I understand that correctly). Phytophera? Fire-affected? Other?

I believe just the fire’s intensity killing most of the trees, but I’m not 100% sure. PWS were very surprised just how bad the damage to the area has been.

Mention of phytophthora was limited to further west and south of Cracroft Crossing, where the problem was exacerbated badly by the fires hence all the new elevated duck-boarding to get boots off the soil.

Kinda a crappy situation. You’d think keeping the track navigable would be a priority both from an historic and an access/emergency POV, even if it did require an annual post-winter cleanup for the next decade-plus. Then again, if PWS/STT can’t even keep the road and bridge down to Farmhouse Creek functional, clearly there’s a desire to manage numbers by keeping the barrier to access high.

[Tortoise]

[north-north-west]

Then again, if PWS/STT can’t even keep the road and bridge down to Farmhouse Creek functional, clearly there’s a desire to manage numbers by keeping the barrier to access high.

TasPAWS has major funding issues at the moment. There is a possibility of getting extra $$$ for maintenance with proper documentation of major issues. As soon as I have the sharable form, I'll post it here. Actually, probably as a separate topic. Might even see if we can pin it.

[tastrekker]

In the spirit of deviating from the OP...
My one and only adventure on Yo-yo was a 'run' to Cracroft n back in September 2018. Here's a couple of links to my FB album and Strava posts:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 010&type=3
https://www.strava.com/activities/1836462031
Apart from being a stunning blue-sky day a highlight was seeing a single large eucalypt which had fallen with such precision that it completely obliterated any sign of the track for over 50 metres. Another 'highlight' was crawling beneath a patch of tea trees near Cracroft and finding what I suspect was the furthest point reached by the quad ATVs a few decades ago. My understanding is a group of locals quietly cut their way further and further along the track and almost reached Arthur Plains before Parks discovered them and stronglty discouraged their project.
I hope to get back there soon and see the fruit of the HWC efforts. It is a beautiful valley and gives access to some lovely reaches of the Huon albeit without the flow which gets gobbled up by the Huon-Serpentine impoundment and diverted over to Macquarie Harbour.