Breakfast creek, coxs, mt dingo, blackhorse conditions

[strifetime]

I’m think about spending a few days around the Coxs in a couple of weeks. Something like Dunphys -> Carlons -> Breakfast creek -> Coxs -> Knights -> Dingo -> Blackhorse and back out via Ironmonger or Carlons depending on how much light we have left on the third day. Someone told me that regrowth on Carlons made it impassible, but that was a couple of years ago after the fires. What are conditions like at the moment? Is it easier to come in via Medlow Gap?

[jonnosan]

I did a trip down Carlons Creek and up Bellbird a few months ago. The floods have washed out the track in a few places, although there were new footpads forming. A bit slower going than on previous trips but definately not impassable. But Bellbird ridge had very thick scrub.

[irrgent]

A few months ago I attempted to do go to Knights Deck via Breakfast Creek and Cattle Dog. Breakfast Creek was fine. A few sections where there had been landslides that you had to negotiate but otherwise relatively easy going. The climb up Cattle Dog ridge was also mostly fine and free of scrub until near the end. Once you had reached the top of the spur and were on the ridge line however there was unrelenting and very dense scrub. Young trees growing very close together made forward progress very slow and frustrating while long grass would wrap around your ankles and get you stuck while trying to push through the dense stands of wattle. We gave up on Knights Deck after only a small amount of time scrub bashing as it was quite unpleasant and also assuming it didn't get any better it was going to take a very long time to complete the walk. We instead headed south then east towards the K2K route below Mt Warrigal. The track is still easy to follow but is at times walled on either side by very dense regrowth so you won't see the track until you are standing right on it.

I'm not particularly keen to head back out there any time soon. It's a shame as it used to be one of my favorite areas to explore. I would be interested in hearing if conditions are any different in other nearby areas. My thinking is that it will be pretty bad in most places. If heading out there definitely allow a lot of extra time.

[strifetime]

Thanks fellas. We're going to give it a go. If it's impassible we'll explore the creek and river for a day or so and turn around.

[Chamullo]

Thanks fellas. We're going to give it a go. If it's impassible we'll explore the creek and river for a day or so and turn around.

Hi Strifetime,

Just wondering if you have time for a quick trip report? Thinking about heading to that area in the next couple of weeks.

Cheers!

[jonnosan]

thought I would post a little update on some of the routes in the area in case anyone is planning an Anzac day trip.
Just did Dunphys/Carlons Creek/Blackhorse ridge/mobbs swamp/medlow gap and back via firetrail

The track down carlons creek is pretty rough at the moment, looks like the old bridal track has been washed out in several places and theres a few spots where you need to clamber down steepish slopes to get into or across the creek. Not as many stinging nettles as I remember, but took me say 50% longer than it did pre-2020.

Plenty of water in breakfast creek.

Blackhorse ridge a tale of two sections. The lower (steeper) section up to the 700m conglomerates was not bad at all (apart from being steep and long of course). A little bit of regrowth but not too thick and very easy if you stick to the pad. But where it flattens out (above the congomerate lookout ~700m contour) the regrowth starts getting very thick. We were able to follow a fairly distinct pad, which made things bearable. I think it will be even easier if a few large groups go through. The few times we lost the pad, it was very annoying pushing through the scrub. I would not enjoy doing either Carlon nor the upper section of Black horse by torch at all.

Once we hit the Kennels Flat track, the pad to Mobbs Swamp is still a little crowded in on the side, and there are quite a few fallen trees to navigate under/over/around, but easy enough to follow and would be OK by torch I think.

There was a pool of water in front of the cave at Mobbs that looked clear, but it wasn't flowing.

I cant give update on the tracks between mobbs and splendour rock, because we were so knackered by blackhorse that we piked on going all the way

[jai2000]

We were up there 2 weekends ago, without mentioning particular ridges or spurs, we found any of the less traversed spurs without a clear foot pad had pretty thick regrowth except for the last say 50-100 m above the cox.