The winter bonus period was getting close to finishing and I was keen to get a couple more high scoring summits done as I approached the Mountain Goat milestone. There are two 8 point summits in the Yarra Ranges National Park that are relatively easy to access – Federation Range (VK3/VN-029) and Mt Donna Buang (VK3/VC-002). With good weather forecast for this Saturday, I put up alerts and packed my pack.

No snow at all on the lower parts of the trail system

I headed first to Lake Mountain ski resort as the starting point for a cross-country ski to the peak of Federation Range. The weather was almost perfect – blue sky and light wind. There was almost no snow at the resort car park and I had to walk the first few hundred meters up Royston Rd trail. I was then able to ski most of the way to the summit at the boundary hut. There was still quite a deep snow pack at the summit (perhaps 80cm), but there were lots of melt pools appearing along the track which meant a bit of off track skiing to avoid them.

It took roughly an hour to cover the 4km, so still quicker than walking even with the detours and sections where skis needed to be removed.

The boundary hut ruins at the peak of Federation Range

I set up at the hut ruins using the wall as an operating table. Getting on air about 30 min after my alerted time, I found the bands very quiet. Close in propagation on 40m was non-existent with only one contact in South Australia. On 80m I picked up 3 local stations and on 20m I worked John VK6NU and also a S2S with Glenn VK3YY on Mt Timbertop presumably via ground wave.

The track profile from the peak back to the car park

Packing up it was then a fairly easy ski back in about 40 minutes and a lunch break before heading for the next summit.

The stats for the return from the peak to the car park

I traveled from Lake Mountain to Mt Donna Buang via the Acheron Way which is a picturesque, but windy and narrow road through the Yarra Ranges National Park. It joins the Warbarton to Mt Donna Buang Rd at the Rainforest Gallery.

The operating position with the observation tower in the background

I was able to drive all the way to the top of Mt Donna Buang as there was no snow to be seen anywhere. I set up on a picnic table near the edge of the cleared area and strung the antenna from nearby trees.

I jumped on air just in time to catch Glenn VK3YY on his second summit making another S2S contact. There were a few more people around for this activation and I was able to make 14 contacts evenly spread across 80/40/20m bands including two from NZ and John VK3NU again on 20m.

Another good day in the mountains and another 22 points.

The route from the summit of Federation Range back to the car park via Royston Rd trail