Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair (Overland Track)

The Lodge at the Bay of Fires was one of the two things we most wanted to see when visiting Tasmania. The other was the Overland Track, one of the famous walks of the world, from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair in Tasmania's World Heritage Area.

There are several ways to handle walking the Track. You can depend on your own tent or you can use the (generally excellent, if sometimes crowded) public huts. You can hire a guide or find your own way. You can handle food yourself, or you can hire a guide to take care of that (sometimes arranging a mid-walk food drop, so you don't have to carry all of it from the beginning).

In contrast to our hiking practice at home, we went deluxe. Cradle Mountain Huts, part of the company that also runs the Bay of Fires Walk, offers a guided trip using their own system of huts. The guides take care of all the cooking and cleanup as well as leading the hike, and the huts are more luxurious than you'd expect -- complete with hot showers.

The hike itself is maybe 70 kilometers (45 miles) including side-trips, and takes six days. The environment ranges from cool temperate rainforest to alpine, with plenty of variation between. You have to be prepared for abysmal weather sometime during the hike; Cradle Mountain itself is visible only 50 days a year. This was the second time on the Track for several of our fellow hikers, and they all reported dismal conditions during some portions of their previous trips. But we arrived during a drought, and had no rain except for a brief shower one night.

The huts were reminiscent of the Bay of Fires Lodge (down to the hand pumps used for the showers), and the operation was similarly well-optimized. And as with the Bay of Fires, our guides (Danielle and Alan) deserve tremendous credit for making the trip a wonderful experience.

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Pleasant Banks, home of Ken Latona (architect of the Bay of Fires Lodge and owner of Cradle Mountain Huts) and staging point for both the Bay of Fires and Overland Track walks. Evandale, Tasmania	Our group walking the Overland Track. From left-to-right, there's Alan (guide), Christina, Marion, John, Helen, me, Aija, Michelle, Brigid, Danielle (guide), and Maxim. Evandale, Tasmania	Replica of Gustav Weindorfer's "Waldheim" chalet. Weindorfer was a farmer and conservationist who conceived the idea of a National Park in this area Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Organizing gear for our first day on the trail Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Buttongrass moorland Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Crater Falls, in cool temperate rainforest Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Fairy apron, an insect-eating plant also known as bladderwort Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Crater Lake. (Actually in a glacial cirque, not a crater in the usual sense.) Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Brigid climbing the short but very steep (in places) trail up to Marion's Lookout. Crater Lake below. Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain from Marion's Lookout. We're lucky; on average, the peak is visible only 50 days a year. Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Allen and Michelle at Marion's Lookout Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Michelle on the boardwalk, on the way to Barn Bluff Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


The trail to the summit of Cradle. Too long for us, unfortunately; we started this trip just after daylight savings time ended, and sunset will be early Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Looking back along the flank of Cradle Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Barn Bluff Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Southwestern face of Cradle Mountain Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Dolerite columns on Cradle Mountain Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Outlying spires on Cradle Mountain. White trees in the foreground were probably fire-damaged long ago Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


We're headed this way. Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Barn Bluff Hut. If you look closely, you can see a solar panel (for charging the indoor lighting system), a catchment setup for rainwater, the composting toilet housing, and gas bottles (for cooking and inline water heating) Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Interior of Barn Bluff Hut. Is this luxurious, or what? Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


The drying room at Barn Bluff Hut. Sinks and showers (hand-pumped) are off to the right, along with two automated composting toilets. Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Michelle in the common area at Barn Bluff Hut. Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	"Climbing galaxias" in Lake Will. When full-grown, this fish can climb up rocks and move from one lake to another using puddles as rest stops Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


View toward Mt. Ossa, Pelion West, et al.; Lake Windermere at center Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Mount Oakleigh Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Lake Windermere, today's spot for lunch Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Inside the public hut at Lake Windermere Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Bunks at the public hut near Lake Windermere Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Snow gum bark Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Skeletons of snow gums (probably killed by frost) Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Mount Oakleigh beyond a stretch of the Pine Forest Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Snow gums near Pine Forest Moor Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Common area at Pine Forest Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	The morning routine at Pine Forest Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	On the way to Frog Flat Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Corridor through the unusually-dry rain forest Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Clearing mist Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Mount Thetis Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Pool in the Forth River Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Old Pelion Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Bunks in Old Pelion Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Fool's gold near the old wolfram mine Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Entrance to wolfram mine, dating from roughly 1892 Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Brigid, Alan, Maxim, Michelle, and John inside the wolfram mine. Only Brigid had the good sense to keep her eyes closed as the flash went off! Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


The mouth of the old wolfram mine, seen from inside Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Douglas Creek Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Mountain berries Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Bunks at the "Pelion Palace" -- the New Pelion Public Hut, which sleeps 60! Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Common area in the public New Pelion Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Mount Oakleigh from the Pelion Palace. Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Fossils (from circa 300 million years ago) at Fossil Beach on Douglas Creek Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Looking for fossils Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Making pizza at Pelion Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Interesting ingredients Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Time for a side trip to Mount Ossa, the highest peak in Tasmania Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Moon setting behind Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Allen setting out for Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Trail to the top of Mt. Ossa runs through this gap Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	On the trail to the summit of Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


At the summit of Mt. Ossa. Barn Bluff barely visible in the distance Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Lichen-covered boulders at the summit of Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	View from the summit of Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Some people just don't know when to leave their mobile phones at home Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Lunch at the summit of Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Michelle at the summit of Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Lichen-covered boulders and the peaks around Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Michelle and Allen on Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Cushion plants on Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


The trail down from the summit of Mt. Ossa. Mt. Pelion East in the background Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain in the hazy distance. Well, at least it's not raining! Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Talus-hopping down Mt. Ossa Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Bird-eating bush? Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Mt. Ossa from a point near Pelion Gap. Glad we got off the summit before the clouds thickened Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Kia Ora Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Sunrise over Cathedral Mountain from Kia Ora Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Breakfast at Kia Ora Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Mount Massif and the Du Cane Range Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Christina at the entrance to Du Cane Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Inside Du Cane hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Background information on Paddy Hartnett, one of the more colorful characters in the history of the Overland Track Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Inside Du Cane hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	The rain forest is exceptionally dry, but there are a few small streams running Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	D'Alton Fall Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Fergusson Fall Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Hartnett Fall, looking down from the top. See the walkers on the gravel bar at the bottom? Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Hartnett Fall Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Moss, leatherwood petals, and eucalypt fragments Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Eucalypt trunk Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Windy Ridge Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


April Fool's chair storage at Windy Ridge Hut Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	The public composting toilets at Windy Ridge. Quite a throne Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	The ranger's lodgings, a re-purposed Antarctic habitat module, at Windy Ridge Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Banksia. The stems of these plants divide every year, so by counting from the base you can tell how long it's been since the last fire Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Tasmanian autumn color Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	The most entertaining bridge on this trip Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


The Narcissus Hut, nearly to Lake St. Clair Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Our ferry for the 17km (10mi) trip down Lake St. Clair Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)	Leaving the Overland Track Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park (Tasmania)


Champagne celebration at Pleasant Banks with our group and the folks who've just completed the Bay of Fires walk Evandale, Tasmania