Most go to the snow stay in the resorts and catch the ski lift and do a bit of boarding or skiing, not us π we hike up in snow shoes and camp out in the -6 degree snow, go sledding, climb in snow caves, see wild brumbies and lay down some positive memories π This was the break from the daily grind of getting to school and battling school lunches that we both needed π
I had promised Chaos I would take her to the snow, its certainly been a useful carrot over the months, however I dunno whether it was what she expected and whether she will now associate it with a whole bunch of hard walking, cramps and cold hands π Time will tell and we will see next year…
I am pretty impressed with her tho, in hindsight the 2.6 km walk up is probably a bit much for most 9 year olds including her, but with her defiant and never give in attitude it was harnessed for good! there was a few sections where she got a free ride on the sled but pretty much she made it on her own steam on her snowshoesβ that segways nicely into a little advertorial for my backpack, I have the sled tied to the backpack wooden spines, yup you read right, wooden π even hauling the sled with Chaos on it, my shoulders and back did not end up sore at all, this bag has such good support and is so well balanced with the majority of the load going straight to hips (even when hauling the sled). Whats this bag hear ya say π designed by the Swedes of course π Fjall Raven, If you have a few spare minutes google Fjall Raven man, pretty good π Anyways, its a great backpack, a bit heavier than some the newer style ones, but its very robust and has very nice configuration of pockets and has a cool logo (Arctic fox) π
Back to Chaos and the snow shoe hike up, we hiked up Dead Horse Gap, which we have decided now to rename to Live Horse Gap, since its clearly incorrect π to camp just at the top of treeline with some magnificent views of the Kosciuszko River and thredbo valley. We brought the appropriate items for snow man building, including a crusty old carrot and polished stones, she carried them up in her bag with her sleeping bag and mat β so I could not argue.
It was such a beautiful evening with not a breath of wind in the air, fog rolled over and killed the sunset, but that was OK, being able to set up the tent in a nice spot without howling wind was reward enough. We had a few cramp issues in the night, but all in all we sleep well and were warm enough, even down to the -6 degrees, I was glad I did not build the snow wall up too much since they (snow blocks) and the top layer of snow freeze solid making for hard work recovering pegs etc.
Sunrise and some exploration of the area with the discovery of horse dung led to the obvious question, βare there horses up hereβ ? To which I (now know in hindsight) incorrectly stated βnah, canβt beβ π We are also found a cool snow cave which someone had dug out, nice job, it was surprising how many campsites existed up there, I guess without snow to cover them up hey all remain quite prominent until the spring melt and this time of year is probably a favourite for the back country camping.
Well, about that horse, I got the shock of my life when we stumbled upon this wild brumby about 1.5km up the track, it was certainly looking worse for wear with its ribs clearly visible, but I guess coming out of winter it would be hard, but it had found a really nice patch of grass from the snow melt which it was mowing down, that patch of grass was probably the only reason why it hung around while we marvelled at it. I am glad we did see it, it kept Chaos talking about it for the rest of the day..
Magnificent pictures but never with me brrrr !
Congrats to Chaos !
A lovely set of pictures, you seem to have had a great time! And poor little snowman standing out there all alone. But maybe the brumby will keep it company.
+Anjali Satish Tuhil Dukul may be the brumby may eat the carrot π
+Shirley Caslick 😮 Nooooooo.. it wouldn't!
What a wonderful set of memories for a 9 year old. Lovely album +Gerard Blacklock
Great album with a touch of adventure. +Gerard Blacklock
nice and cold places..
What a lovely little lady your eldest has become.
Oh my goodness! What fantastic photos and story. And unforgettable memories. Great to see you too π
I’d never heard of that Swedish brand before- until 30 minutes ago in a store! Now you’re telling me. Gotta go check them out!
Beautiful story Gerard …. the horse … to the snowman ⛄️ …
I am sure Chaos will be the first to put up her hand next time !!
Well done !!! Cheers +Gerard Blacklock & Chaos 🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨☃️☃️☃️☃️
Molt bonic, salutacions ♥♥♥♥
Muy bonito, saludos ♥♥♥♥
Very nice album.
Pozdrav!
+sophie DIDIER surprisingly not too cold – as long as you have the right clothes and don't sit still for too long its ok π It was minus 6 degrees that night, but we were rugged up nice and warm!
Thankyou +Anjali Satish Tuhil Dukul This was right at the top of the treeline, I suspect its not until later in spring that the horse venture up this high
+Shirley Caslick I did wonder about that π i brought the carrot in at night – just because I am paranoid π
Thankyou +Basia Schwartz it was fun
Thanks +cuongthanh tran , i enjoy cold places now π
+Carolyn Fahm she is a beautiful child, she has alot of challenges but her empathy and determination are second to none!
+Liz C hahah its pretty cool right.. they are very expensive, especially all the way over here in Oz, but they seem to be very good quality, i bought my pack from a online store in Europe where they were on sale, still alot of money, but I think it will last me along time!
I occasionally get in front of the camera π
+Loretta Jayne yeah, next time we will take the chairlift and i think she will keen π
Thankyou +Gràcia and +Zdenka Č.
Thankyou +Đoka Ćutak
♥♥♥♥