26 September 2020
The weather at this time of year can be quite changeable so it is best to pack for all conditions. The mid north of South Australia is semi arid with cold nights and warmer days during spring so layering is key.
After an extremely cold night (down to 0 degrees Celsius), the day dawned cold but clear for the second day of trail running this trip. So it was back to Dust Hole Creek Road to tackle a section heading west toward Hallett and Spalding. This would involve traversing Mt Bryan (elevation 929m above sea level). Starting at around 500m ASL, the first 5 or so kilometers was a long gradual climb of easy running along an unsealed road before a right hand turn onto the trail for the start of the climb up Mt Bryan.
The climb up Mt Bryan starts gradually but then really kicks up quite steeply. The trail is reasonably well marked but loading the route onto an offline map app is a good idea. I encountered two walkers who were struggling with navigation but as this is definitely not my strength, I was of very little assistance. An area I definitely need to work on.
The trail becomes quite rough, rocky and due to recent rains it was very slippery in some sections. So a lot of scrambling. By this time the weather had turned decidedly wintery and it was cold and very windy on the exposed ridges. More a matter of plugging doggedly upward rather than being able to enjoy the view.
As I was heading up I could see white patches which I initially thought was exposed rock. However when I got closer to the top, I could see it was snow – quite extraordinary at this time of year.
Although it was very cold, I did spend some time at the top being buffeted by the wind taking in the striking 360 degree view.
After a short stop , I decided to head down. I found the trail markers confusing here – after dithering about for some time I decided to head west toward Hallett and only then did I find the marker higher up on a telephone pole at the fence line at the back of the peak. On the way down I came across a small mob of kangaroos with one of the biggest males I have ever seen. I was quite relieved when he decided to follow the rest of the mob down the hill away from me. The descent passes through a nice grassy valley before rejoining an unsealed road. It is then pretty flat through the town of small town of Hallett and my chosen stopping point.
Hallett is the closest town to Mt Bryan East, birthplace of Sir Hubert Wilkins polar explorer, ornithologist, pilot, soldier, geographer and photographer (1888–1958), perhaps the last modern explorer. Sir Hubert Wilkins birthplace and childhood home, Netfield, now restored as a historic site, is easily accessible from the Mount Dare Driving Circuit between Hallett and Terowie.
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