Day 7 Mount Jim

Pictures Day 7 Mount Jim
Better nights sleep except woke early and the clock had gone out so couldn't see how much longer i had in the sack. By the time I found my glasses and looked at my watch, I was awake and there was to be more sleep.

Ben Cooper's Cairn

Once again beaten to the kitchen by just about everyone.
Warmer according to the thermometre, but the wind blowing 40% chance of rain today, so we took the 60% chance of no rain option.
Today Mount Jim and Youngs Hut out the back of Falls Creek.
Short drive to the start at the Pretty Valley Pondage, that feeds the Mount McKay power house.
It's then a steady climb up the Fainter Fire Track towards Mount Niggerhead. We go past a cairn for Ben Cooper, a stockman who worked the Bogong High Plains for 56 years.
We then bus bash until we reach the Bogong-Hotham Pole Line. It's then on to the open Bogong High Plain again, with views of Mount Cope and Mount Jim, just, through the low cloud.
It's blowing from the west and freezing. I am wearing a long sleeve icebreaker, a short sleeve icebreaker and a vest and I'm still cold.
Thankfully it's not raining.
Mount Jim is just off the AAWT, and we need to bush bash to the summit. It's even colder up there and we are just under the low cloud. Morning tea is in a little nook, out of the wind, and quite pleasant.
We then descent off Jim back onto the AAWT, then leave it as it heads off to Mount Hotham and we continue on down Young's Spur towards Young's Hut.

Lunch on Young's Spur

The plain is undulating and we come across a herd of brumbies that eye us suspiciously.
we also meet a group of young backpackers, who also eye us suspiciously.
It's then into the tree line of snow gums, and we descend in search of Young's Hut. After some time Ian, our leader, feels we have gone too far, and it's time to stop, so we do and lunch.
We return the way we came, back up the spur, back onto the AAWT and so on.
By this time the cloud has lifted, and the views increased immeasurably, the wind did not abate and it remained cold.
Funny just how much your nose runs when there's a cold wind.
The final descent down to the cars was welcome. I was done with the cold wind and the nose thing.
As we walked past the end of the dam illustrated how cold it could be as the wind rushed over the water surface.

Mt McKay again, with no cloud

This called for a coffee, which we duly had on our return to Falls Creek at the Alta Coffee house, however whilst flavoursome, NOT hot enough.
Back up the hill to the Schuss and we have new arrivals, Di and Ron Capel who are here for the next group of walkers.
There is much discussion of future walks, best way to go, which way to do the hills etc.

It's also time to get some packing done for an early departure in the morning.
All the dirty stuff packed into one bag, the clean stuff in another, the wet boots from today on their own, the towel is of course wet from the shower. Hope that's dry by the morning.
Hilary, Cliff and Eve's stuff starts rolling up to the front door, for loading in the car.
We are back to the BBQ tonight to finish up the left over meat. Most of the pantry is now depleted.
Dinner has a certain vitality, which has not been terribly present previous evenings.
I think it's because most of us manage to eat together, at the one table.
The plot of the walk plus more pictures, click on the link below
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1413362&code=4da672f757bdb5daf703b57c0f558348