Yesterday I started off late at around 10am. The sun was smiling and it looked like a promising day. I set off to take a train to Berowra station where Berowra track starts. To my surprise the gate was still shut. The track has been out of maintenance for more than 2 years then. My last hike here was about 4 months ago. Though lacking of trim the track was still not too wild because many people are attracted by its sheer beauty.
It was all good at the beginning - birds were chirpping, creeks were laughing... Swiftly taking a big dip all the way down to the water level at Waratah Bay, a gust of rain suddenly came from no where, I didn't even notice the cloud. I immediately became wet all over, fortunately it was not chill at all, and I took even bigger stide.
The rain soon died off but the condition was getting worse. At many segments the plants were so exuberant that the track had been mostly covered, I need to fumble carefully at each step. Even worse some areas became quite muddy and slippery. The track is meandering along Cowan Creek and falling into the water was quite a possibility. There were wide-leaf plants all along the track, which gathered a whole lot of water from the rain. When I walked through them, all the surface liquid running down along my shirt and pants relentlessly like mini waterfall. Each step I marched ahead, the shoe in front gushing water happily like a blocked drainage.
As an experienced bush walker (if I may say), I kept on marching ahead without much drama until I reached an open area. I felt something in my left shoe like a twig. Took off my left shoe and sock. Geez I found something stuck inside my sock happily dancing - a leech! Noticing a big drop of blood was effusing out of my instep - without any pain. My god this was an interesting experience. I haven't been bitten by a leech for more than 20 years! I didn't know how this little fella ended up into my sock but since it created no pain on me, well, gotta treat him well, maybe put him back into a small pond. He seemed quite reluctant to leave my sock. I pulled it with a big force and in afraid of sticking onto my fingers I thrust it off as if my fingers touched a piece of burnt steel.
Wrung the water out of my socks, pants and shook off water from shoes I set out again. Sunbeam cast on my body, feeling quite warm and cozy.
About to turn to Winson Bay, another gush of rain came along without any warning. I saw some boats in the bay started their engines and rushing away. Though calm enough, I tumbled myself into the ooze twice. Luckily no further drama.
In the end I decided to cut short running up the Mt. Kuring-Gai trail to catch a train rather than hike further to the Giberragong Track. And surprisingly enough, I didn't feel out of breath at all after a 2.5KM steep rise from the bottom of the valley to the Mt. Kuring-Gai Station.
Reaching home, the clock pointed at 2PM - only 4 hours after I set off.
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