Day 8 Serpentine Gorge to Ellery Creek North 11 degrees-27.9 degrees celcius 12km Hard 190m down 150m up
Early rise at 6.30am and chatting over breakfast till 6.45am. Two people had KFC from Alice Springs delivered for breakfast.
Left campsite at 8.00am after a blustery night. I kept the fly open to allow the wind to flow through instead of creating resistence and blowing the tent over. One guy had mice ate into his tent and got into his food bag.
Some others had fishing line and attached their two food bags over the shelter beams.
I checked the In Reach Basic weather which gav eme two days only plus a symbol such as a sun for sunny and a moon for night time, no temperatures, so useless. I was checking to see wether the weather was going to be rain soon and to plan ahead where I could be when it rained.I would have to pay for Premium to get a better forecast.
In the shade of the mountains the trail is fairly easy until a rock hop up and over the saddle then grand views of the Alice Valley between the Chewings and Heavitree Ranges. The track follows the contours of the hills in the valley to go up to the highest hill for majestic views of the entire valley and morning tea of packet of crisps and meusli bars. The only food left was a noodle cup and meusli bar.
Arrived at the Shelter by myself at 11.30am and set up the drone for a flight. Then plugged in the electronics in the USB ports of the shelter before finding a spot for my tent away from potentially everyone else.
The tent was set up and some clothes were hung up in the sun on sticks as last night one of the drink bottles leaked in the tent. I made sure everything was in the tent due to the mice plague.
With my air pattress blown up in my hand and 3 water tight bags, one from the food, one for the tent and one from the sleeping bag plus rubbish it was off to the water to swim to the south campsite through the gorge to pick up my food drop. The bag put in front of me sometimes in my mouth I could use my hands to freestyle to the end. With the bags loaded up it was a different story coming back as I needed to hold the bag up out of the water and breastroke kick all the way back against the wind.
Upon arriving back I get a round of applause from a pair camping in the gorge who witnessed me crossing over to get my food and back.
All dry bags and food. Plus my shorts, short and myself washed. the water was cold but I just had to do it and knew it beforehand for two months plus it was a nice sunny day and it was probably the hottest part of the day.
Back to the tent to dry off and consume plenty of food including a whole bag of lollies and 1.5 litres of Powerade. Unfortunately as I was not going to swim back for a rubbish drop everything had to come with me until Standley Chasm. The gas cartridge still had fuel so it was still being used
Before bed it was some stretches in the tent which have been working I think, reducing soreness from each days walking.
Soup for dinner, in bed at 7.30pm and asleep at 8.30pm. Fortunately no-one had set up close to me and I had a large sandy creek bed with the nearest neghbour about 100m away.