Cambarville to Snowy Hill. day walk. Yarra Ranges.23.4.24

[paidal_chalne_vala]

https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/camba ... -24.94705/
You can read an account of this day walk and see some photos at the above web link.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

A little birdy tells me that a track has been cleared from the Snowy Hill Car Park & Mountain Bike track through to the Cambarville Fire break on Snowy Hill Track.
It allows free access to Lake Mountain and free access to a day walk possibly in snow shoes if you start at Cambarville Picnic ground.
The K88 snow pole is where you veer off the MTB track towards Cambarville if you start at Snowy Hill Car Park.
The new track has been marked well too.

[Camminata]

I might try ride my fat bike thru this area in snow season , maybe get chased by some x-country skiers on resort runs

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The LM resort groomed XC ski trails are not in this vicinity.

[Baeng72]

I tried this walk on the weekend: https://youtu.be/V_m3N-0qHmY

[paidal_chalne_vala]

It is snowing up there !!

[Baeng72]

Hi PCV, posting gps of walk between Snowy Hill and carpark area. I followed tape from Snowy Hill to MTB, then closer to carpark, more tape leads you onto old ski trail, as you can see in video. I knew I was walking on ski trail (not lost) because that seemed better than MTB and what a legendary XC skier like you would do .(in hindsight not better) There was a point along ski trail where it looked like it split into several trails
and for a while I thought I was heading to summit, but it was just that big turn you see on map. I followed MTB back from carpark to Snowy Hill because I’d done enough scrambling over logs and dodging Wombat poo was easier.

[Avatar]

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The route to take either way is from the top of the Firebreak trail to the MTB track. It was cleared and marked in Autumn .
Then that takes you to the established track that leads to Snowy Hill car park. From there it is not far to the LM village or
the Upper Taggerty Track if you want to make it an overnighter and walk to Keppel's hut that way.
In sufficient snow the MTB track would become skiable for a XC skier.
The thicket of fallen trees was what I faced before a volunteer
cleared a direct route from the MTB track to the Top of the Cambarville Firebreak track.
He says he is going to clear the rest of the old ski trails up there come spring and summer.
Anyway you went out and did it which is good
and so good for you .
Now give Keppel's hut a go.

[Baeng72]

Very diplomatic of you. I had fun, and all that.
Are you doing some skiing with the current dump?

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Lake Mtn. is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in winter. A ski resort with snow that is closed to save money in winter. It is a situation straight out of YES MINISTER.More snow is coming on Friday 19-7-24.I am going on Sunday to NSW to ski in the KNP at Charlotte Pass, Selywn, Perisher groomed XC and and possibly touring on skis up to Bob's Ridge on the AAWT or White's river hut. The trouble with the snow that fell on Sunday July 13 and 14th is that it was followed by a lot of r*** which wiped out some of the gains made by the snowfall . The trouble with skiing in 'Striya is if it is just two degrees too warm then we get R*** !.

[Baeng72]

To quite noted scholar and philosopher Bartholomew Simpson, that both blows and sucks.
Yes, I'd forgotten about Lake Mountain being closed for reasons.
But it's seems so marginal, why not just forget about the resort, and make it another Donna Buang - sight seeing and snow play?
What height do you reckon snow is remaining on the ground? Snow cams at Hotham look like it's hanging about at that height.
Stirling cams show some snow at TBJ, and looks OK on Bluff Spur, so maybe for a short time, lower XC skiing possible.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

To quite noted scholar and philosopher Bartholomew Simpson, that both blows and sucks.
Yes, I'd forgotten about Lake Mountain being closed for reasons.
But it's seems so marginal, why not just forget about the resort, and make it another Donna Buang - sight seeing and snow play?
What height do you reckon snow is remaining on the ground? Snow cams at Hotham look like it's hanging about at that height.
Stirling cams show some snow at TBJ, and looks OK on Bluff Spur, so maybe for a short time, lower XC skiing possible.

The Alpine Resorts Victoria( a Yes Minister style Bureacracy ) have made Lake Mtn. a user pays snow play and sightseeing venue.
It was a very good XC ski venue with a professional XC skier in charge of the skiing, ski lessons and track grooming. The ARV have said NO to XC skiing at
LM . So he quit . They are keeping LM open all summer but closing it two days a week in winter to save money. It is madness on stilts.
However if there is enough snow to ski on Nordic style at LM then a 1 hour 45 min. drive to ski up to 30 kms in one day is so convenient and
simple.
Baw Baw is 3 hours away so too are Buller and Stirling.
I can drive up and ski one morning and still get some work done after lunch back at home!
I learned to ski at Lake Mtn . XC skiing is cheap and superb exercise. It is a better way to move on snow than snow shoes are . It is efficient like cycling is.
No I am not going let LM go down without a fight. It is being run into the ground by a bunch of clowns who don't give a fig about an Olympic sport which is Nordic skiing.
:-0
The Upper Trails at LM sit above 1400 m. The Hut ruins loop nearly hits 1490 M. There will be snow there on Friday and I am going skiing there!

[Avatar]

There is a Seniors concession at Mt Stirling. If all occupants of the vehicle are aged 65+, then resort entry is free when capacity permits.
That might sweeten the 3hr trip, 200km+ each way, for some.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

AFAIK ski lift tickets at Baw Baw are free for over 70's. I will have to keep skiing for another 15 years to get that !

The route up from Carter's road to Road No. 3 is a good way to do some snow based activities near Mt. Stirling .
Once you hit the snow line you can put skins on your skis and climb up to the top ridge. The views are grand if the clouds clear and the snowline at the moment is quite low. I have snow camped at No.3 Refuge hut . It is a very good hut.
The ski down to King Saddle at Mt. Stirling is good and easy.
I don't know why BAENG72 avoids doing this trip.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I went up on foot with @Carola yesterday from Cambarville picnic ground to the Lake Mountain summit via the summit loop walk route on a clear , sunny and not too hot late summer's day. (17-02-25).
We arrived at 0845 am and returned to the car at 1645.

There were good views from Sherlock's lookout, Taggerty viewpoint and the Alps View as well as photo opportunities at the Lake Mtn. summit area.



The summit loop is so overgrown with thick scrub and fallen logs a plenty.

. @Ubiquitous Steve should give it a haircut . A chainsaw and a brush cutter and lots of 2 stroke fuel would do it.

I hear Parks Vic. want to close the summit loop walk down.

Instead of recutting it they are going to just lock it up / NOT fix it up and say it is all too hard.

That is their policy for everything!.

for *&^%$# sake!

The track @Ubiquitous Steve has created from the top of the Cambarville Fire break to connect with the MTB track is a super highway . It follows an easier to traverse line of topography than the route which I marked with pink tape last year.

I am curious as to whether he has cleared the rest of the old Snowy Hill ski trail loop.



My camera memory card was playing up so I could not take any photos.



@Carola took some photos which she might send to me later.