The morning session was tough. Up and down, just crazy, had to have a pep talk with myself and put on some motivational music and talks. Got through it and into a groove of trying to hike an hour then pause for 5 minutes for a water break.
The day was going great until I reached the end of the Dial Range.
From here I hiked along the road to the next section even though it suggested to hike all the way around on the road due to the storms that ripped through Tassie last year, I wanted to see how bad or affected the next section really was, thinking what I’d hiked through was pretty bad how could it get much worse.
I got the Dobson’s flats and the beginning of the next section of the PCT and searched for the path eventually finding the entry point.
The first kilometer was ok, singing and happily hiking along a rather nice flat trail and then carnage ensued. No signs, scrambling up rocks faces and logs everywhere, I pushed on and up a few of these before I was basically just bush bashing in amongst it all.
On the edge of a small rock climb up and over the track had vanished into a sea of fallen logs and debris, I took a moment and talked things through with myself before deciding to head back onto the dirt road.
Exhausted and weary I slumped over near a creek, filled up and drank a litre of water, pushed on some more and then couldn't go any further, this mind you was walking back on myself which kills the motivation.
I just sat in the shade and contemplated camping for the night. I was done.
But something in me knew how far I had to hike tomorrow to reach Black Bluff and I got up and walked 100 meters when a lady came out of a house that was tucked away and offered me some lemon lime and bitters.
We sat down with her and her husband and I explained I was walking back on myself, to which they said they'd give me a lift back to where I had come from. I accepted and after saying our goodbyes I felt rejuvenated and headed along the roads making good time just putting one foot in front of the other and pushing on.
You cover far more distance walking the roads as it's just head down and go, pausing every now and then to drop my hands to my knees and pause for 3 deep breaths before going again.
Absolutely spent after covering over a marathon today, with some sunstroke and exhaustion I made it to the base of Taylors Flats and a camping ground near the mountain Black Bluff, I threw up just stomach bile a little and dry heaved a lot, before eating some noodles for dinner and taking my Multivitamins, Chondroitin & Glucosamine and Fish oils.
Crawled into bed and passed out, some 14 hours on the go!!!
Cheers - TazMania