Went to the Vic High Country but did we Winch??
So I headed up into the Vic High Country last weekend for 4 days of Hut chasing, Snow chasing, alcohol and hot fires.
The plan was to take Zach in the GQ and meet up with @Rossco on Thursday night and head into a sneaky hut I know and then catchup with @MB and @AB and hopefully @PeeBee on Friday morning.
Unfortunately heading out Thursday afternoon after getting a fair bit done to the GQ leading up to this trip I found it had an uncontrollable front head shake that was way beyond manageable damn it. I headed home and rotated tyres, tightened the steering box, dropped the drag link and tie rod checking tie rod ends. Further test drive found no improvement so I bailed. Rossco, the Legend offered his Navi seat and back seat for Zach and I to get our Bush Fix.
So we headed early Friday to meet up with the boys at 7:30am Friday to head bush.
Loaded up the cars and headed for Marysville then into them there hills.
To be honest I have my head around where we went but track names are lost in my head, Rossco will be all over that.
At about 12nn we put pies in the travel buddy and at about 1pm hit the bottom of Lost Spur track.... fellas, we will have lunch at the top hey! Yep......
So Rossco sent it up the hill. Got interesting quickly damn it and we got up the First lip and into the first culvert landing and then we were cooked!
Zach and I jumped out to run the winch cable. Rossco also had a 20m length of spare rope as a winch extension strap. Works great.
On the 3rd winch run Rossco broke a CV trying to find some traction. A little bounce ans pop. Now we are 3 wheel drive, 3rd winch in and managing poorly spaced trees to reset the winch. 3 hours later and no less than 12 Full length winch runs later we hit the top of the last pinch. AB and MB bailed early as SB had a dodgy battery ans drove around ans met us at the top.
Massive Hill. It was a great opportunity for me to teach and then supervise Zach setting up complex winch runs with rope adjustments and rigging setups, he did a great job. We were knackered at the top.
At the top we met AB and MB who had found a decent flat camp site, chopped wood and got the fire going for us. Champions!
So we rolled out swags and Rossco went about stripping down the drivers side hub and removed a smashed CV, cleaned things up and installed another CV and Axle ready for Saturday. We cooked, we Drank, we lived and we reminisced about a fun day on a huge winch hill. Oh and how much a 12v Himount Sux Balls!!! Lol
We might have cracked a bottle of Dubliner which we all agreed was sensational. I got smashed around a fire fit for a king.
Saturday we headed for Licola and then up over the top past Arbuckle Junction to a fun track we did a couple of years ago. This track heads up a rugged track over a plateau of Alpine gums and open Plains of the white stuff. AB and MB led the way and we had a great run, a big body of water looked a little average but was way through. AB cautiously headed over and found the top 50mm was solid frozen ice. MB described feeling the car break through the ice over and over again. Was pretty kool.
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Doing a little more exploring in the snow I noticed a drag track in the snow and after a while of it not stopping xalled out the AB to stop to check a stick hanging down in case it went through his radiator....... missed it by a minute. Too bloody Late. With coolant passing everywhere we decided to aim for a known carpark area (bush space) to set up for the nice.
With camp set up AB and MB set about stripping out the radiator to inspect. We found an obvious hole. AB had some KneedIt liquidsteel and they mixed some up and had a crack at plugging the hole.
Saturday night we cooked up some steaks and enjoyed some Taquila, JD, Dubliner and Black Bundy for another cracking evening of bush TV, stories and brotherly love. We successfully burnt a months worth of wood ans had a cracking night..
We were Camped up on a Ridge surrounded by Tall Snow Gums, man it was a Wild Night for weather. We were protected from the wind but the heads of all the trees surrounding us were getting Smashed!!! It was crazy! I think we all considered packing up and getting out but we'd all had a little to drink.
We woke to a covering of snow over everything. Packing up camp with a hang over and covered in Snow was Bloody Cold and Wet.
We did a bit of a reccy run for options for Snow for iur Licola trip and found a couple of good options beyond Arbuckle.
Might have found an Igloo which should still be there when we head.
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We also found a giant penis....
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On the way down towards Licola on on the bitumen section we came around a corner to be confronted by a fully blown HWY Patrol BMW wagon who immediately put his lights on and instructed us to pull over......Faarrk!!!
We were both cars right there, all 4 of us have sunk thinking that's it! We are done! I'm glad my GQ was in the shed at home!!!!!!! Holy shit!!! So the Sargeant gave us a little Attitude to see if we would pass thr Artitude Test and we stayed friendly and compliant. He asked if we were hinting or just camping then asked Rossco to blow in the bag. When he came back good we were directed to have a good day and drive on!!! We dodged a Bullet for sure!! Lucky Lucky.
So the Licola Store was very surprised that we'd seen Vicpol but said there had been issues with Hunters and poor Gun behaviour so suggested they may be on the job looking for poor gun handling and storage. Regardless I think I'd have been in the shit if I was driving the GQ, she's a big girl.
AB and MB headed home from Licola and Rossco, Zach and I headed up the Licola Jamieson Rd to check out the Earthquake damage and head back above the snow line looking for a warm place to stay.
This is Wild!!
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We headed up over Mt Selma and made the call to grab thr Mt Selma Hut at about 2:30pm so we could light a fire, get some wood and kick back. A couple of hunters headed past at about 3.30 and reckon they were hoping for rhe Hut but we were already well entrenched. Winners are grinners. We cut enough wood to over fill the wood box and enough to burn all night and still have a full box.
The fire was 4 truck brake drums stacked and welded and fed from the top and holy shit! Once the steel was hot the thing was a beast. I sat there all night in a T Shirt with the door open!!!
I might have cracked a bottle of black Goat!!! Sooo bloody Good. We had some more Jack's and then the Dubliner.....
I magically woke up neatly packed into my swag on the floor... I don't remember that. There are a few hours missing in my time stamp but apparently I had a good time..... zach might have put his dad to bed....
We woke to another great coating of snow but we were dry and warm is a great Hut.
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What a Bloody Great Weekend with these Guys. Wouldn't be dead for quids
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#thisisreallyliving
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