Friday January 9

Washed the boots out (finally) in the Rivulet.  Weather was still a bit iffy, but getting more stable.  As I was doing this, I met up with a lady who turned out to be a PWS ranger.  She was a bit surprised she'd missed me in her camper inventory the previous day, I grinned and let her know I'd been hidden away in the 'secret' campsite for over a day.  She wasn't much interested in going to Granite, and I didn't blame her.  She was heading back to the Lion Rock campsite and the beaches.  Not a bad job, at times!

Met up with the PB guys as they crossed S.C.R, it turned out I chose well - they crossed the Southern Ranges in that foul weather, then camped on the west bank without crossing as the tide was up.  Hung around to wait for them, being polite, as I knew we would be on the same bus, and I was still hoping to get the latest goss on the Bluff and the Moonlight Ridge traverse.  It took them about an hour to cross the rivulet and get organised.  *shrugs*  I struck up a few conversations, but they weren't very talkative, and were being extremely casual about the time, which was running out.  Eventually I got jack of it and burnt away from them, hammering the path to Cockle Creek, arriving with 45 mins to spare.

Made Cockle in only 2.75 hours - strange considering I was hammering it all the way. I guess Matthew and myself must have done really well to make it in 3 hours the first day.

The bus pickup zone was easily identified by the walkers lolling about and sunning themselves and their gear.  I met a group who had had the extreme bad luck to have something tunnel through their tent to get at their food at S.C.R.  Although not seriously damaged, the tent will never be as waterproof again.  

I was a bit concerned that the PB team wouldn't make it, what with time running out and them going (by my estimates) half my speed.  I improvised a story to tell the driver, and planned to run back down the path and whip them along; if they missed the bus they'd be stuck in Cockle Creek until Monday - and I knew some of them had flights to catch.  As it turned out, they arrived at practically the same time as the bus.  They must have bloody run the last leg, I reckon!

The bus was very prompt.  Note: Stops at the Dover(?) bakery, bring cash for munchies next time!