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-SPRING IS THE SEASON OF THE SOUL
+=====Spring Is The Season Of The Soul.=====
 Bill Gillam
-%..there are alpine meadows, granite boulders, snow gums, long days, crisp 'nights, good views, and where it is still springtime at 6,000 feet on Morgan, Murray, and BiMberi." (Pat Harrison 1968)
-"The corollary of long 'days is short nights".
+"...there are alpine meadows, granite boulders, snow gums, long days, crisp nights, good views, and where it is still springtime at 6,000 feet on Morgan, Murray, and Bimberi." (Pat Harrison 1968)
-(Pithekoi. Greek Philosopher and Dramatist. 435 B.C.)
-Thosb who beleive -advance publicity, indeed any publicity, bring to my mind a picture of the Childrens' Crusade; innocents behind a banner marching to find despair and disillUsion long before they reached. the Promised Land; I had my antidespair shots years ago
+"The corollary of long days is short nights". (Pithekoi. Greek Philosopher and Dramatist. 435 B.C.)
-'and disillusion is no more than a cloudy, day; He was, in fact, not claiming much; At sea :level Spring was only thirteen days past, ,of4,6ially1; daylight and kookaburras arrive at 0345 and the calm iperiod-ibetween fly and mosquiteas fourteen hours later. Cool .nights could to a problem. Privately, he mentioned: no undergrowth, 'oryst4 clear wotert.the possibility of trouting, and the country's utter dissimilarity to the Colo.
-The first thing to do was to find Frank Rigby, and the manner 'pf his finding was sufficiently dramatic to call the affair "Pat Harrison's Frank Rigby Trip". Shades of Philby and other charac, .tars suffering frdm the.cold; My information Was that he would be in the ;Seven Seas Cafe, Alinga Street, near Woolworth's, Catboria,  tetween ten and eleven, and we would not wait later than eleen thirty; He -,Fould be wearing-a.red_beard. . This was direct verbal instrubtion. Others had telephonic gen that it was the Ling Nam Cafe.near Coles, which they complicated further by saying we had crosed the main road, this wasn't Alinga and some deliberate misstatements. Cunningly Frank had found andther cafe when the Seven Seas dried up, situated directly opposite a Specified Building: to which he know we must alleome; He waited. 70 found the building; We found Frank. It was doubted if he would go very high..
+Thosb who beleive advance publicity, indeed any publicity, bring to my mind a picture of the Childrens' Crusade; innocents behind a banner marching to find despair and disillusion long before they reached the Promised Land. I had my anti-despair shots years ago and disillusion is no more than a cloudy day. He was, in fact, not claiming much. At sea level Spring was only thirteen days past, officially, daylight and kookaburras arrive at 0345 and the calm period between fly and mosquitoes fourteen hours later. Cool nights could to a problem. Privately, he mentioned: no undergrowth, crystal clear water, the possibility of trouting, and the country's utter dissimilarity to the Colo.
-Glendale Crossing, Gudgenby.River... Half past twelve. At one ()clock I softened the ground sufficiently to rest on, at two an immense, dazzling thin sliver of moon woke me, at three I took my skivvy from my inadequate pillow to stop the convulsive shivering of my legs, then forty minutes later threw'a stone at the giggling' kookaburras and shamed Pat by getting up before him. The first long day.: had begun.
-By half past eight and another forty miles we had left the oars, gaed in awe-at the'mountains, ventilated our lungs to the lowest lobe, and'started u. Up.through ,white sallee groves, up . through mountain ash groves, up.through scattered snow gums' and
+The first thing to do was to find Frank Rigby, and the manner of his finding was sufficiently dramatic to call the affair "Pat Harrison's Frank Rigby Trip". Shades of Philby and other characters suffering from the cold. My information was that he would be in the Seven Seas Cafe, Alinga Street, near Woolworth's, Canberra, between ten and eleven, and we would not wait later than eleen thirty. He would be wearing a red beard. This was direct verbal instruction. Others had telephonic gen that it was the Ling Nam Cafe near Coles, which they complicated further by saying we had crosed the main road, this wasn't Alinga and some deliberate mis-statements. Cunningly Frank had found another cafe when the Seven Seas dried up, situated directly opposite a Specified Building to which he know we must all come. He waited. We found the building. We found Frank. It was doubted if he would go very high.
-January, 1969	The Sydney Bushwalker
-then flung our packs onto the first available alpine meadow. That was a mistake. Pat could see the bulk of Horgan only another thousand feet higher.
+Glendale Crossing, Gudgenby River. Half past twelve. At one o'clock I softened the ground sufficiently to rest on, at two an immense, dazzling thin sliver of moon woke me, at three I took my skivvy from my inadequate pillow to stop the convulsive shivering of my legs, then forty minutes later threw a stone at the giggling kookaburras and shamed Pat by getting up before him. The first long day had begun.
-He could not, and we would not, rest until it was knocked over, log book signed, the reddust snows of the Main Range identified, and, we had returned to the . alpine meadow. It was not yet noon.wo ate, we rested, Rigby slept. Pat announced it was time to go if we wanted to reach Oldfieldts Hut. Ohl the deceit of the
-manl He had persuaded us to leave tents behind, offering the comforts of Oldideldts Hut if the weather turned foul. The hut looked many squares distant. When Pat added half that distance again for twists and turns it sounded absolutely
+By half past eight and another forty miles we had left the cars, gazed in awe at the mountains, ventilated our lungs to the lowest lobe, and started up. Up through white sallee groves, up through mountain ash groves, up through scattered snow gums, and then flung our packs onto the first available alpine meadow. That was a mistake. Pat could see the bulk of Morgan only another thousand feet higher. He could not, and we would not, rest until it was knocked over, log book signed, the red-dust snows of the Main Range identified, and we had returned to the alpine meadow. It was not yet noon. We ate, we rested, Rigby slept. Pat announced it was time to go if we wanted to reach Oldfield's Hut. Oh! the deceit of the man! He had persuaded us to leave tents behind, offering the comforts of Oldfield's Hut if the weather turned foul. The hut looked many squares distant. When Pat added half that distance again for twists and turns it sounded absolutely unattainable. We ran. We took fences to indicate we were nearing the hut, we pointed the map at trig stations to convince ourselves we were falling behind. I had a daytime hallucination I had walked out of the creek, out of the Goodradigbee, followed the 'Bidgee, and then being allowed to rest and drink from the stream had found it salt. With five hours of daylight remaining we arrived, rested, and then the weather showing only day-type clouds Pat suggested camping in Murray's Gap, only another six hundred feet higher. Stunned silence. Utter disbelief. Aghast. Long days surely meant long hours of daylight. Not long days. I pointed out that I was descended from Early Settlers, that I had caught and carried a grasshopper and that there was a trout stream flanked by superb campsites.
-unattainable. We ran. re took fences to indicate we were nearing the hut, we pointed the map at trig stations to convince ourselves we were falling behind.
-I had a daytime hallucination Iliad walked out of the creek, out of the Goedradigbee, followed the 'Bidgee, and then being allowed to rest and drink
+Inertia won the day. Frank thought he would go higher if he rested longer. We rested. We dined. We were so intent on the conservation of energy that we spoke in monosyllables. We slept.
-from the stream had found it salt. With five hours of daylight remaining we arrived, rested, and then the weather showing only daytype clouds Pat
-suggested camping in Murray's Gap, only another six hundred feet higher.
+The moon, the shivering as before, the birds as before. I had the first match to the fire as Pat came running with his rubber hose to persuade the larger logs to burn. It was four oclock. Breakfast was a leisurely meal of thirty two minutes, a pensive burning and burying of tins, a positively gracious drying out of sleeping bags drenched by dew, a prolonged putting out of the fire, and then we sat down until six o'clock.
-Stunned silence. Utter disbelief. Aghast. Long days surely meant long hoUrs of daylight. Not long days. I pointed out that I was descended from Early Settlers, that I had caught and, carried a grasshopper and that there was a trout stream flanked. by superb campsites.
-Inertia won the day. Frank thought he would go higher if he rested longer.
+Frank was sure he would go high. We ventilated our lungs. Frank ran up the fire trail, heel and toed across alpine meadows, flung down his pack at Murray's Gap, shouted Bimberi, and then saw the thick mist coming from the Cotter side of the wateshed. Would he be able to go to the top before the weather closed in? He was determined. A man in such an elevated mood is wonderful to contemplate. Run to the trig, identify the Main Range as before, run down, pick up pack, climb Murray feeling as though he had any number of Bimberis left in him, and then lunch in yet another alpine meadow, having done two six thousand peaks in the one morning.
-We rested.iffe dined. We were so intent on the conservation of energy that we
-spoke in monosyllables. We slept.
+It is a feeling not given to many men. A feeling of euphoria. A "stout Cortez" feeling to have eight hours of daylight left and all the way home downhill. Under the trees it was cool, the water like wine from a deep cellar. A cool breeze caressed his beard, soothed his bright pink sunburn. Before him stretched a magnificent vista of mountains waiting for his firm tread. The spring sun was not enough to burn the clouds from the valleys. Contorted gums sprang from the cool, grey granite. The snow grass cushioned his back. A daisy of intense gentian bloomed behind his left ear. He was asleep.
-The moon, the shivering as before, the birds as before. I had the first
-match to the fire as Pat came running with his rubber hose to persuade the larger logs to burn. It was four oclock. Breakfast was a leisurely meal of
+----
-thirty two minutes, a pensive burning and burying of tins, a positively gracious
-drying out of sleeping bags drenched by dew, a prolonged putting out of the
+=====Up Early In The Morning.=====
-fire, and then we sat down until six ocloCk.
-Frank was sure he would go high. We ventilated our lungs. Frank ran up the fire trail, heel anastoed across alpine meadows, flung down his peck at Murrayt's Gap, shouted/Bimberi, and then saw the thick mist coming from the Cotter side
-of the wateshed. Would. he be able to go to the top before the weather closed in? He was determined. A man in such an elevated mood is wonderful to contemplate. Run to the trig, identify the Main Range as before, run down, pick up pack, climb Murray feeling as though he had any number. of Bimberis left in him, and then lunch in yet another alpine meadow, having done two six thousand p's!,gin
-,- the one morning.
-.77
-It is a feeling not given to many men. A feeling of euphoria. A 6)stoi)& Cortez" feeling to have eight hours of daylight left and all the way hagec downhill. Under the trees it was cool, the water like wino from a deep 6f1ar. A cool breeze caressed his beard, soothed his bright pink sunburn. BefoJelito. stretched a magnificent vista of mountains waiting for his firm tread. oi jprig sun was not enough to burn the clouds from the valleys. Contorted gums tpreAdr from the cool, grey granite. The snow grass cushioned his back. A daisypov intense gentian bloomed behind his left ear. He was asleep.
--
-	The Sydney Bushwalker	January, 1969
-UP IN THE MORNING- EARLY
 Pat Harrison
-The leader of a walk is always mightily pleased when Friday night comes, for then he knows that there can be no more. changes in who is coming and who is not coming. The phone calls were at an end and the party for the Yaouk
-walk on 14/15 December was finally stabilised at six members. Ross Hughes collected Shirley Dean and Bill Gillam and headed for the Seven Seas Cafe at Canberra, while David Cotton collected me and headed for the same rendezvous, where we all met Frank Rigby at 10.40 p.m. The two vehicles then set out for Glendale Crossing on the Gudgenby River and decided to camp there because it
+The leader of a walk is always mightily pleased when Friday night comes, for then he knows that there can be no more changes in who is coming and who is not coming. The phone calls were at an end and the party for the Yaouk walk on 14/15 December was finally stabilised at six members. Ross Hughes collected Shirley Dean and Bill Gillam and headed for the Seven Seas Cafe at Canberra, while David Cotton collected me and headed for the same rendezvous, where we all met Frank Rigby at 10.40 p.m. The two vehicles then set out for Glendale Crossing on the Gudgenby River and decided to camp there because it was the only place for forty miles around where a fire could be lit. After a cup of Bill's coffee the party was in bed by 1.00 a.m., with the chuckle of the Gudgenby in our ears and the daybright moonlight on our faces. It shone so brightly over all that I had a half-awake confused dream that the nearby Tracking Station was engaged in an inter-planetary war with Mars and I realy expected little men to carry me away at any moment. It was worth a 225-mile drive just to camp under such a moon in such a place on such a night.
-was the only place for forty miles around where a fire could be lit. After a cup of Billts coffee the party was in bed by 1.00 a.m., with the chuckle of the -tidgenby in our ears and the daybright moonlight on our faces.-It shone
-so brightly over all that I had a half-awake confused dream that the nearby Tracking Station was engaged in an inter-planetary.war.with Mars and I re4ly expected little men to carry me away at any moment. It was worth a 225-mile drive just to camp under such a moon in such a place on such a night.
+We were up for an early breakfast on Saturday morning and climbed into the cars at 6.00 a.m. for the last stage of the drive to Yaouk and points north. The road climbed through the Snow Gums then down across the Naas River and through the pleasant country around Callemondah and on into the broad valley of Bradley's Creek where it was fascinating to consider how such a stream made such a valley and to wonder whether the Murrumbidgee once kept going eastwards at Yaouk and had something to do with the formation of the valley. It was a very beautiful drive down the broad, flat, lush-green valley in the early morning, with a ring of great mountains around us.
-We were up for an early breakfast on Saturday morning and climbed, into
-the cars at 6.00 a.m. for the last stage of the drive to YaoUk and points north. The road cliMbed through the Snow Gums then down across the Naas River and through the pleasant country around Callemondah and on into the.. . broad valley of Bradley's Creek where it was fascinating to consider how such a stream made such a valley and to wonder whether the MurruMbidgee Ince kept going, eastwards at Yaouk and had something to do with the formation of the valley. It was a very beautiful drive down the broad, flat, lush-green valley in the early morning, with a ring of groat mountains around us.
+We parked the cars at a timbergetter's cottage in the shadow of Mount Morgan, but the timbergetter couldn't give us any topographical information whatsoever - he knew less than we did about the area. However, we found the Bung Harris Track and in pretty smart time were dumping our packs in one of those lovely little meadows that you find in this part of the world. Morgan was still another 1,000 feet above us, but without packs the party tore into it like terriers and soon were identifying the snow-plastered features of the Snowy Mountains, Jagungal standing out most impressively. There was a little alpine stream a few yards from our packs, thus enabling us to have a comfortable lunch before picking up the Bung Harris Track again and finding our way down to Oldfield's Hut along the open valley of the Goodradigbee River (or Murray Greek as it is known in its headwaters).
-b parked the cars at a timbergetter's cottage in the shadow of Mount
-Horgan, but the timbergetter couldnJt give us any topographical.information
+Oldfield's Hut is sited in a beautiful meadow, and the alpine flowers were beginning to show; there was also a most imposing view of Bimberi Peak: but Frank Rigby detests huts (and I must admit that Oldfield's looked a really good harbourage for rats and snakes) and consequently we moved down to the river and camped in an equally pleasant spot where we could see everything as before, excepting the hut.
-Whatsoever --- he knew less than we aia about the area. However, we found the Bung Harris Track and in pretty smar-itime were. dumping our packs' in one of those lovely little,meadows that you find in this part of the world. Morgan was still another 1,000 feet above us, but without packs the party tore into it like terriers and soon were identifying the snow-Plastered features of the Snowy Mountains, Jagungal standing out most impressively. There was a little alpine stream a few yards from our packs, thus enabling us to haVe a comfortable lunch before picking up the Bung Harris Track again and finding our way down to Oldfield's Hut along the open valley of the Goodradigbee River (or Murray Greek as it is known in its headwaters).
-Oldfield/s Hut is sited in a beautiful meadow, and the alpine flowers were beginning to shawl there was also a most imposing view of Bimberi Peak: but Frank Rigby detests huts (and I must admit that Oldfieldis looked a really good harbourage ftr rats and snakes) and consequently we moved down to the river and.camped in an equally pleasant spot where WO could see everything as before, excepting the hut.
+Bill Gillam tied his fishing line to a pole that would have made Izaak Walton weep, and wandered down the river casting here and there, but without luck, although the fish were in sight.
-January, 1969	The Sydney Bushwalker	5
-Bill Gillam tied his fishing line to a pole that would have made Izaak Walton w6ep, and wandered down the river casting here and there, but without luck, although the fish were in sights
+We had reached Oldfield's at 3.40 p.m. on a mellow afternoon with loads of daylight in hand, and soon there was some talk of either climbing Bimberi Peak and camping on top or going up to the meadow in Murray Gap and camping there, but Frank Rigby quickly scotched that notion by declaring that he __hadn't a Bimberi in him today but might have one tomorrow__.
-We had reached Oldfield's at 3.40p.m. on a mellow afternoon with loaas of daylight in hand, and soon there was some talk of either climbing Bimberi Peak and camping on top or going up to the meadow in Murray Gap and camping there, but Frank Rigby quickly scotched that notion by declaring that he hadn't a :Bimberi in him toda but might have one tomorrow.
-TS were up early again on Sunday morning and in due course Frank announced that he had a Bimberi in him today. The party had protested somewhat about early rising and about early starts, but it was the poor leader who was still dousing the fire at 6.00 a.m. while the rest of them were galloping down, the Goodradigbee and heading for Murray Gap. Leaders of walks can never win. If the walk goes perfectly, the others just regard that as,it should be; but odium is heaped upon the poor fellow if things go wrong.
+We were up early again on Sunday morning and in due course Frank announced that he had a Bimberi in him today. The party had protested somewhat about early rising and about early starts, but it was the poor leader who was still dousing the fire at 6.00 a.m. while the rest of them were galloping down the Goodradigbee and heading for Murray Gap. Leaders of walks can never win. If the walk goes perfectly, the others just regard that as it should be; but odium is heaped upon the poor fellow if things go wrong.
-it
 We dumped our packs at Murray Gap and a deaf ear was turned to subtle interpretations of the snowy mist that was rising from the Cotter Valley. Murray Gap is a glorious place to camp, with water right in the Gap; but there is an even better place on Dunn's Flat Creek about halfway between Oldfield's and the Gap.
-Bimberi Peak was climbed and about forty minutes was spent there in picking out landmarks around the skyline --- the Snowy Mountains, the Bogong ,Peaks over near Yarrangobilly, and the Tinderry Mountains near Michelago. Time was also taken to verify that there is still water on the very summit of Bimberi and that campsites are plentiful and good.
--Badk to Murray Gap, Picked up our packs, and were up on Mount,Murrayfor an early lunch at 11.00 a.m. All these mountains are beautiful, each in a diffovent way, the weatherbeaten Snow Gums on Mount Murray with snowgrass underneath providing a delightful lunch spot, and there was water a few feet down on the southern slope.
+Bimberi Peak was climbed and about forty minutes was spent there in picking out landmarks around the skyline - the Snowy Mountains, the Bogong Peaks over near Yarrangobilly, and the Tinderry Mountains near Michelago. Time was also taken to verify that there is still water on the very summit of Bimberi and that campsites are plentiful and good.
-There are two summits on Murray, the easterly one apparently the higher, and it was from the jumbled mass of granite boulders on this end that we dropped of and steered ourselves back to the Bung Harris ,Track under Morgan. The country south of Murray was Very alpine in appearance.
-Everybody had a wash in the icy water of Bung Harris Creek, and we all set off for IMMO at 3.40 p.m. I am somewhat nervous these days of motor vehicles, having recently been in one that was rolled; consequently you will appreciate how I felt when David came down Fitz's Hill in top gear with his brake linings burning and smoking furiously; but despite all my fears I at last fell asleep near Piton and David was allowed to drive the last leg of the journey in peace.
+Back to Murray Gap, picked up our packs, and were up on Mount Murray for an early lunch at 11.00 a.m. All these mountains are beautiful, each in a different way, the weather-beaten Snow Gums on Mount Murray with snowgrass underneath providing a delightful lunch spot, and there was water a few feet down on the southern slope.
-	The Sydney Bushwalker	Jp.nuarY,. 1969
+There are two summits on Murray, the easterly one apparently the higher, and it was from the jumbled mass of granite boulders on this end that we dropped off and steered ourselves back to the Bung Harris Track under Morgan. The country south of Murray was very alpine in appearance.
+Everybody had a wash in the icy water of Bung Harris Creek, and we all set off for home at 3.40 p.m. I am somewhat nervous these days of motor vehicles, having recently been in one that was rolled; consequently you will appreciate how I felt when David came down Fitz's Hill in top gear with his brake linings burning and smoking furiously; but despite all my fears I at last fell asleep near Piton and David was allowed to drive the last leg of the journey in peace.
+----
 AT am DECEMBER MEETING
 r....amrr11r,