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S4WDCV (NO) SNOW TRIP

from Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria - July / August 2022 magazine

by Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria

from Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria - July / August 2022 magazine, page 40

Article from: Subaru 4WD Club of Victoria - July / August 2022 magazine

E-NEWS

We started out from Stockman’s Reward camping ground (Big River State Forest) (no snow) around 10:30

am and after some late cancellations the party consisted of me (SF Forester, top ends rebuilt), Tim and Jasper(?) (‘70s Land Cruiser, new tyres) Keong Yip and family (FJ Cruiser, flashy), Rick Coster (L-Series Subie, new oil leak discovered), Daniel Ho and Samantha Lee (Pajero, packed for a trip to Dinner Plain), David and [insert David’s son’s name] Wilson (200(?) series Land Cruiser, old reliable).

Stockman’s Reward (named after a John Stockman, not a stockman) is one of those old bush places where

once there was gold mining and at this one there was a steam powered dredge working the alluvium at the confluence of the Big River and Arnold Creek until payable gold ran out in 1920. The bush and road works seem to have long since obscured any signs of the gold mining days. The weather in the lead-up to the trip had been mild but wet so, while our expectations of encountering snow were dampened, we were happy to be out for a drive.

We headed east along Big River Rd for 11.5 km (no snow) and took Boundary Track (1) southwards and upwards.

The wet red clay in the surface suggested it might be a slippery challenge but there was enough gravel in the mix to give Tim and Jasper gratifying traction as we climbed for about 4 km with the low range cogs whining a bit up front, a couple of fun steep rocky hair-pins, gaining 580 m to 1070 m ASL by the Corn Hill Track intersection (no snow) and a burnt-out 4wd wreck (what was that thing?) there being reclaimed by the bush.

Corn Hill Track took us east along a wooded ridgeline with an entertaining variety of minor to difficult water, mud, tree and track obstacles and maxing-out at 1140 m ASL (no snow). On one pinch there were three track options up – an easy one (my choice), a medium challenge and a difficult option. Tim, Keong,

Rick and David each braved the difficult option, but none could get up the slick uneven rut / hole / sideslam / jump-up combination. “A”s all round for effort though.

Towards the eastern end of Corn Hill Track it makes a steep short descent including a ledge that would be fun to try in the other direction, and then we diverted off the track into a logged coupe and trundled along a mega track, re-joining the mapped route in the vicinity of Corn Hill Track/Sibley Track/Corn Hill Road intersection (1270 m ASL, no snow).

From there we ascended and descended Corn Hill (1326 m ASL, no snow) and Mount Matlock (1377 m ASL - our highest altitude for the trip -, that’s right, no snow) via the

fire break routes.

We lunched at the Matlock picnic shelter and then opted for an afternoon attempt of the south-east approach to Woods Point via Johnston Hill Track (more gold mining heritage) and Comet Flat. With the recent rains the Goulburn River was up a bit and the prospect of three deepish crossings between us and Woods Point we ended the trip at the Goulburn River Log Cabin crossing on Johnston Hill Track (no snow) without getting in the water

Keong braving the difficult option at Three Options Pinch