ADVERSITY
Guthega, New South Wales, Australia
Guthega, New South Wales, Australia
This occasion proved to be one of the most challenging trips to the Snowy Mountains I have experienced. I started off from the car park at Guthega early but as I made my way into the snow, the wind was howling form the west. By mid morning it was so strong I could hardly stand up, taking photographs seemed highly unlikely.
I pushed on and new of a spot that had a large snow drift, I thought that if I can get behind the snow drift, it might offer some respite from the crazy wind. It worked, behind me the snow drift was meters high but offered the protection I needed to at least get he camera out to capture these giant snow gums.
I decided it was time to leave the mountains, it was getting really wild. I made my way back to the car. Along the road, the wind gusts were so strong that at times I had to sit down, I had never experienced wind like this. Almost at my car, a local Guthega worker pulls up beside me on a snow mobile. He is yelling at me but I can't hear him due to the wind. He hops off and screams in my ear - "Get on, the whole national park has been closed. The roads are closed, there are trees down everywhere, you can't get out". I quickly took this in and jumped on and considered my options as he raced up to the Guthega hotel.
I ended up staying the night, completely unplanned, in one of the workers quarters for $25.00. Possibly the cheapest snow accommodation in a long time. The next day was a 'blue-bird' day after the storm.
I pushed on and new of a spot that had a large snow drift, I thought that if I can get behind the snow drift, it might offer some respite from the crazy wind. It worked, behind me the snow drift was meters high but offered the protection I needed to at least get he camera out to capture these giant snow gums.
I decided it was time to leave the mountains, it was getting really wild. I made my way back to the car. Along the road, the wind gusts were so strong that at times I had to sit down, I had never experienced wind like this. Almost at my car, a local Guthega worker pulls up beside me on a snow mobile. He is yelling at me but I can't hear him due to the wind. He hops off and screams in my ear - "Get on, the whole national park has been closed. The roads are closed, there are trees down everywhere, you can't get out". I quickly took this in and jumped on and considered my options as he raced up to the Guthega hotel.
I ended up staying the night, completely unplanned, in one of the workers quarters for $25.00. Possibly the cheapest snow accommodation in a long time. The next day was a 'blue-bird' day after the storm.
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