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The Hume & Hovell Track.
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Today's plan was to run another interesting section of the
Hume & Hovell Track, this time about
18km return southwards from
Henry Angel Trackhead (named after a member of the
Hume & Hovell exploration party). Both Sharon and I were quite tired after the previous two days of trail running, so we agreed to run outwards until we had had enough and then run back.
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The Hume & Hovell Track.
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The first part of the trail followed a creek downstream across farmland. The foot trail was narrow and wet with dew, but the crisp sunny morning and the autumnal colours cloaking the trees bordering the creek, made it special. The creek had been mined for gold 150 years ago, and there were lots of signposts pointing out where channels and a tunnel had been blasted out of the rocks to create races, and other mining-related artifacts. This added another dimension to the lovely track.
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At Big Hill Lookout.
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After a few kilometres, we took a small detour to a lookout on Big Hill, where the Australian Alps could be seen in the distance, before returning to the trail and descending more steeply beside the cascading creek. At 6km we crossed the Tumbarumba Creek on a shaking steel footbridge and then began a steady and often technical climb up the side of Mount Garland through
Bogandyera Nature Reserve. The trail was often precariously narrow as it made its way up the sides of steep ravines. A trip and fall may not have been fatal, but it would be serious, and I took great care.
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Crossing Tumbarumba Creek.
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In all the climb was 330m over 3.5km and mostly runnable. I was pleased that I felt fit enough to run steadily all the way up, even if it was not fast. It was good to feel that my cardiovascular system was coping with the demands. Eventually I reached a high point after 9.5km, and after a brief break, headed back down, chasing Sharon who had turned back earlier. Actually, "following" might be a better word than "chasing", because it wasn't a trail for an old bloke with dicey joints to be racing down, but I enjoyed the long descent after the sweaty climb, taking in viewpoints here and there.
I was a little worried I might run out of steam on the climb back to the start point, given how technical the trail had been, but I finished strongly feeling that I am fitter than a couple of weeks ago. Later we played nine holes of golf on a very rough and hilly country course and the fatigue started to kick in then, but it's been a great few days of running.
