A Failed Excursion To The High Country.

   There was one of the last frosts of the season this morning.

The days warm up and this residual snow is not going to stick around for long. I thought it might be a good day to ride up the mountain, provided I could get an early start and drive on top of the crust before the sun gets to it. Well I fooled around on the computer and read some news and sent an email or two before getting myself organised.

 I dug around in the cupboard for a pocketful of mountain survival food before going out and warming up the Honda.

 The snow down in the valley bottom disappears in great patches every day now.

 I thought I should take a quick run down to the hot spring before heading up, and snuck in the back way.

After fooling around with a buggered water tap for a while I finally hit the trail for the high country.

The sun had softened the surface on some areas and I was having a hell of a time, this is the first time I came to a stand still. I managed to take a few more runs at it over to the right in a shady area and carried on my way.

 I got bogged down and figured I was buggered a few more times but managed to keep trying and finally get moving again. I suppose anyone with any brains would have turned around about now.

Finally, after crossing Sparrow Creek I got bogged down for the final time, stepped off the steaming machine to assess the situation, and dug into the survival ration gummy bears.

I suppose anyone with any brains would have brought a shovel along. 

I shed the warm layer as soon as the hard work started.

After plenty of verbal encouragement I got the heavy @%$#*! pig turned around and pointed in the other direction, and by now the snow had softened enough it was taking full throttle just to keep moving downhill.

 The 1km marker at the top of Tombstone Hill.

Lower down I came across these cool cougar tracks.

Well I never made it up the mountain on the crust this Spring, so I will post some pictures from past successful ascents instead.