Peter Shooter (Shoots)
Completed: 4 September, 2020
Shoots
- Start date: 2 July, 2020
- Age When Completed: 61
- Direction Walked: Southbound
Track Towns and Supplies
- Did you have any issues finding food/supplies? Yes
- Self -dehydrated meals (the ‘Backpacking Chef is a Good site to start with) with food drop offs at the likely places. This meant time in towns and rest days were not full of shopping and preparing. The meals were great but loved the decent feeds in the towns and fresh fruit. Food weight was around 750 to 800grams per day. I lost only 2.5 kgs which I was OK with.
Your Story or Advice for Others
General CommentsA privilege to be able to walk the Bibb Track. We are so fortunate in this country to be able to take time out for this sort of activity. The bush I walked through was beautiful and the people I met on the way delightful. Thank you to DPAW and the volunteers who maintain the track and shelters.
Your Best Equipment
ULA Circuit pack. It was worth getting a lighter pack to what I trained in. Very comfortable and worked well. Piece of tough outdoors garbage bag- a handy seat, tent doormat and cape to keep rain running down between my rain jacket and the backpack. A small strong plastic bag with a small opening in the bottom and another small hole in the top for a hook: a full Sawyer squeeze bag with the filter on it was placed upside down in it and hung by a string. This was lined up with a drink bottle to let water run with gravity through the filter and saved me the tedium of squeezing water through. Jetboil Zip was economical on fuel and quick. I used a thermarest air mattress and it had been pretty noisy on the shelter’s wooden decking or in the tent on training walks. I bought a Polycryo UL Tent Groundsheet from Ultralight Hiker because it was light and would protect the mattress from splinters etc. An added benefit was it stopped the noise. By the end of the walk it had a few rips taped up. It’s not equipment but consulting with a good podiatrist months beforehand certainly helped my feet get through the distance.
Your Worst Equipment
I took a small cheap transistor radio to listen for weather forecasts and warnings when away from the internet. Its ability to effectively pull in stations was poor. The pack cover for the ULA had no drain hole in the bottom so if water got in it, it stayed there. I'll remedy that before the next walk. I had a pair of Xero trail sandals with the soft cloth straps. These were bought for around the camp and water crossings and emergencies. Light but a pain to slip the feet into when wearing socks on cold nights. Quite fiddly- otherwise ok. I wish I'd had something that would go over me and the pack to prevent water running down between the pack and my back. Tried a poncho but it was a pain to get over both. Made do with an opened out garbage bag as a sort of superman cape but still looking for a lightweight solution.
Advice for Others
Walking in winter meant it would be wet!! And Cold- which it was at night and I slept with a jacket on some nights. But walking at this time had the benefits of cooler days so less water needed to be carried, fewer flies, the sun was not so harsh and less snakes (I did see a few down the southern coastal areas). It did mean the Northcliffe to Walpole leg had a lot of wadding so the boots and feet were wet for a number of days. I did not suffer though and always kept a dry pair of socks for the evening. I would do winter again! Biggest tip: getting the weight down as low as possible was worth it- less fatigue and wear and tear on the body and better for balance and energy. Multi-day training walks paid off as it meant everything was tested and fine-tuned. I had no real surprises. Thorough planning and having a checklist for preparation meant nothing was forgotten. I did not double hut (except for skipping Brookton (for a highway food drop) and Mt Clare campsites) as I wanted to experience every campsite. I was especially glad of this as it gave me plenty of time to savour the bush along the way. I had the time to lie on a log for an hour to watch the birds mucking around in the trees or to observe the ants and spiders on the trail. Also there was time to take in the many orchids that were out. It’s also great coming into camp early and just chilling out. I enjoyed a rest day in most of the towns and it was great to have a look around and rest up.
Trip Details
How you completed the Bibbulmun Track:- All at once
- Who did you complete the Track with? Other - Kalamunda to Pemberton: Sarah Nishanto Denmark to Albany: Christine Middleweek
- Was undertaking your hike the PRIMARY/MAIN purpose of your TRAVEL from where you currently live? No
Your Experience
I find it hard to say I had a favourite section- I loved most wherever I was at the time. I do look back with some fondness for the Northcliffe to Walpole section. Not sure if it is a trauma bond, as there was a lot of deep wading through flooded stretches, but overcoming adversity coupled with the raging rivers and abundant wildflowers made it a stand out.
Highlight of your trip
Lying on logs watching the red tailed cockatoos, seeing the ocean for the first time. Seeing the helmet and mosquito orchids and the abundant wildflowers in some sections. The regrowth after fires was something special to witness. Having friends like Jon surprising with a lunch at Torbay!