Another weekend, another adventure

OK, before I start I would like to say I got the most exciting letter in the mail when I got back from camping that I read it entirely before I even showered!! Thanks Anne!!

Ok, so this weekend was my first camping experience in Australia. What do you think of when you hear "Australian Alps"? Me? I thought of maybe some hills, something like the foothills of the rockies? Hot weather, snakes, and spiders. Well, to my surprise, it was nothing like anything at all! So we arrived at the staring point to our hike on Friday after lunch (after the fan belt in our bus broke and we were about and hour behind schedule from leaving the school). So we set off and yeah, it looked like hills upon hill upon hills. When we reached the "high plains" it looked like the praiares and it looked like you could walk to the edge and just fall off. It was pretty cool. I got some great shots! Anyways, we hiked into our camp, Towanga Huts. Huts meaning that there was a shack made out of coragated metal (grain bin) and there was cob webs and it was really gross. So nothing very cool at all. So we set up in an old paddoc (feild where cows used to graze back in the day). After a bit of a brak a few pf us (all but 2) hiked up to the top of Mt. Jim. Now this was funny. It was like walking up a hill with a flat top and then there was appeared to be a pile of rocks in the middle of the flatness. That was Mt. Jim. Anyways, we climbed it and on the other side was a HUGE heard of wild brumbies (that means wild horses). So that was cool. And I won't tell you about the hair that jumped out of the grass in front of me and how I screamed and ducked because I was scared. How embarassing. Anyways, that night we all sat in the sketchy hut roasting marshmellows over a coleman propane thinger (both ingredients brought by the one of two males on our 6 womaned trip). So he was a hit (particularily with my tent mate Alanna). Anyways, it was funa dn we told random stories and laughed lots. Bed time and we all were tucked into our happy tents to brave the "cold Australian Alpine air". Right. haha.

So I woke up the next morning to shreaking and giggling. SNOW!! Everywhere!! COvering all of our tents ond it was till coming down!!! AH!!! Two of the girls had never seen snow before and I was thinking "oh great, now my socks will be wet today". lol. So we made hot breakfasts and talked about revising our route from walking on top of the Nigger Heads to sticking to the Fainter Fire Trial. It probably would be more do-able given the slippery conditions. One girl also had bought new shoes for our trip and didn't break them in... So we used plastic bags and duct tape to fashion her a pair of blister free shoes... if you could can them shoes. So that was hilarious. Anyways, I was feeling right at home and remembering camping trips of past when snow had surprised us in the nights. AH, what a nice nalstalgic day down memory lane. As we walked on we walked thorugh the burnt out part of the trail (ie. trees with no leaves now overed in snow). I felt right at home. Then as the day went on and the sun peaked through the clouds, it started to melt! Spring!! YAY!! I haven't missed spring this year. Even thought mine was only about an hour long... but that's beside the point. We hiked thought great views and didn't stop long enough for me to completely and entirely enjoy them. I would really rather be a happy wanderer than a determined hiker I think. Anyways, when we arrived at our camping spot for the second night we set up out tents and they even dried out a bit before bed time that night. It was SO cold when the sun went downa dn the cloud cover left that all 8 of us piled into the buys tent (because it was the biggest) and played card games for a good few hours. Then when we were getting a bit cramped and Damion let a nasty one rip, we vacated the tent only to stumble upon the most incredible veiw of the start I have ever seen!!! In the "mountains" with clear skies as farr as you can see, it feels like you're so close to the sky!!! It was incredible!!! Although I didn't drool on my pants like Simon did at lunch time... Anyways, I was freezing so it was time for me to go to bed. Coldest night yet!! I had to use the good old Canadain trick of taking a bit of chocolate each time you wake up freezing cold to warm up enough to fall back asleep... my tent mate didn't like to cuddle, with me anyways. I guess she lost her way back to our tent and stayed with the guys... boo.

So morning came and there was no snow to great us. But I was ok with that. My socks were dry and that was just fine by me. :) So we started our decent down the rocky paths and had a few good and even deep conversations with two of the girls on the way down. Such a bonding experience I'd say. We arrived in Bogong villiage and stopped for a nice meal (and latte for me, since I wasn't ordering a beer) on the way to pick up another group that had hiked up and down Mt. Bogong. Then back to town sharing different stories in the bus all the way. SOunds like everyone enjoyed their trips despite the snow and cold weather.

So now I'm back in Albury, hung out all my smelly camping gear and I'm ready for a week of school. I'm going to try to finish 3 assigments before Easter break... so this week may not be full of adventures. But we'll see. I'll try to post pictures soon for you all to enjoy and laugh at as much as I did.

Love you and miss you.