Leven Canyon – Blackwood Camp and some lost day walkers

Another section of the PCT trail we have walked, we must do the whole thing end to end one day. Today we are cleaning up another Gauntlet series Geocache to obtain all the info we needed to complete  the series.

You start from a very small pull off on the Lowana Road at Gunns Plains. The track has a small sign on the side of the road. You walk down through some trees and scrubby bush to the river bank and follow it briefly till you start to climb up towards the 'Northern Gates'. Some great cliff views here and all along the track. Once you go up a hill, you must then go down a hill, this sets the tone for the rest of the day!

We got into 'Mountain Goat mode' today. So many ups and downs, so many trees to climb under or over to really slow your progress. Lots of erosion and sections of very narrow track on steep  descents. I think this has been the hardest Gauntlet Geocache to date given the current track conditions. The first part to past Tulip Creek and over the steep narrow ledge, then it got quite slow and time consuming as nature has trashed the track through this last section.

Blackwood Camp is a welcome sight for us today to rest and for Sharon to maintain some blisters. The North West Walking Club has done their best trying to maintain this walk with limited resources. You are encouraged to sign the logbook so 'visitor stats' satisfy bureaucrats as it's the only language they understand. 

We read an amazing story in the logbook as we eat lunch of a couple who walked in from the Griffiths Flat end as they thought it was a 'loop walk'. They arrived on dark according to their entry and huddled around a fire over night then walked back out retracing their steps the next day. They complained about the signage in their entry but I think people venturing along these types of trails have to accept some responsibility for themselves don't they?

About 6km one way but it felt like 12. See PCT trail or John Chapmans book for detailed notes on this section, the next section through to Taylors Flats and then onwards to Black Bluff.