Mount Bridges

Sunday, 23 November 2014

Mount Bridges

Sunday 23rd November 2014

Mount Bridges and Lake Seal

A good day was forecast so we decided on a trip out to Mount Field National Park to walk out to Mount Bridges. As my friends had not been on the back road from Judbury through to New Norfolk, we went this way for a change. The route was via the Plenty Link Road and then Plenty Valley Road which comes out just west of New Norfolk. It is shorter than going through Hobart and does save some time, but not much. It is a good gravel road with virtually no traffic.
The walk starts at the usual car park at Lake Dobson.

Lake Seal

WE set off up the Urquhart Track, ski lodge access track and then Snow Gum Track to several lookout points above Lake Seal. It was a perfect day with clear blue skies and the scenery was magnificent as usual. From there we walked along the boardwalk and down to the Rodway day shelter and ski tow where we stopped for a light snack before heading along the Tarn Shelf. The water looked inviting in the first tarn, but after feeling the water, a swim was quickly voted out of the question.

Tarn Shelf

At Johnston Tarn where the track rises up slightly, we turned and headed north east across an obvious saddle to Mount Bridges. There was a faint pad that tracked across and was a little damp in the actual saddle, with lots of small ponds. There was a short scramble over some rocks before the summit was reached. Here we stopped for lunch before heading back. Instead of walking back down the ski lodge access track, we headed over to the ski tow and other lodges and walked down the Golden Stairs track, which seems to be becoming more overgrown.
This was a great short walk with the usual fantastic scenery that Mount Field provides.
Distance: 11.1 kms.
Time: 5'18"
Ascent: 525 metres
Click here to download GPX file.