2025 Snow Trip #1
1 – 3 August 2025
9 of us met up on Friday Morning ready to hit the highway and make our way to Jamieson. Due to the calibre of car we had on this trip we travelled the longer way to Jamieson avoiding Mansfield.
We called past the Jamieson brewery and had a great lunch whilst some of the passengers settled after some car sickness. From here we made our way past the servo to top our cars with fuel before checking into the caravan park.
We decided not the let the perfect weather go to waste and piled in the cars and went for a drive in a new area just out of Jamieson towards Merrijig. This was a nice area to travel. There was plenty of firewood fallen on the side of the tracks, river crossings and steep climbs. The rivers were slightly up due to recent rain and so most of us watched the bonnets of our cars disappear under water as we passed through.
We then tackled a steeper climb with some rock steps on an offshoot of Dungeon Gully Track. This climb had a few of us with wheel lifts as we climbed. Unfortunately Geoff didn’t get to try this in the 200 as it decided to allow the electrical issues from Moonambel reappear. The 200 didn’t know what was going on, was it stuck in low range or high range, it was having a fit and so Geoff turned around and made his way to the main road to limp back to the caravan park.
The rest of us continued the loop and then made our way back to the caravan park. On our way back we managed to overtake a certain silver 200 with its hazard lights on travelling down the highway quite slowly. Geoff’s 200 decided once he was on the black top that it would choose low range and stay in low range. We then went down to the pub for dinner where a few of us decided to stay and enjoy the cold beer they offered on tap.
The next morning we woke up to perfect weather again, little wind and the sun shining. We ventured up the Jamieson-Licola Road towards Skene. This year the road was in very good condition.
As a trip leader its always stressful as you climb the mountain not knowing what kind of snow to expect. However, as we topped over 1400m in elevation we started to see signs of snow. It was very icy snow, but none the less it was snow.
A few of us had some fun at the top finding deeper snow in the spoon drains on the side of the road that required some winching. The kids all then enjoyed a great time in the snow throwing snowballs and building snowmen.
From here we ventured over the other side of Skene in the search for a new track I had heard of that links up to one of my favourite tracks in the area. Whilst we found the track (I’ll call it a track, but I know Geoffrey will disagree with me) it was very, very overgrown. We made it about 2/3rds the way towards where it meets up with the other track we know of before I called it and we ventured back out the way we came in.
From here we did a loop I have done before, down Lazarinis, onto Webber Spur Track, this has a nice clay downhill section, on this section we came across a rolled Navara that was in the process of being recovered by a recovery group with their Unimog. We continued to the steep rocky climb on Webber Spur Track. This hill has a bit on with a few winches being needed, especially for Scott who nearly put his newly built GQ on its side. From here we doubled back towards the Woods Point – Jamieson Road, this had a few nice river crossings and a couple of steeper hills.
Unfortunately, this is where Corie’s rear diff decided it did not want to play ball anymore. Due to his car now being only front wheel drive, we turned around and went for a longer but easier drive to the main road and home. This required Justin to tow Corie across a few rivers and up a few hills.
From here we went back to the caravan park, and for the first time in a few years we made it to our Saturday night pub feed on Tim’s snow trip. A great feed was enjoyed followed by beers around the fire back at the caravan park.
Sunday unfortunately saw a few depart us, with Jake and Milly, Lachie and Eb, Scott and Brooke and Corie and Harry leave for Geelong. The rest of us took advantage of then extra permit we had and we went back over Mount Skene. To our surprise there had been a little dusting of snow overnight. We had a quick stop at the summit before we continued to the infamous N15 Track.
Geoff and Bruce decided this would be a little too hard for them and they continued on then main road and headed for Geelong. The rest of us started N15. The drive down to the river wasn’t too bad and the river level was quite low. The climb out the other side though, that was a decent slog. It appears there has been a fair bit more traffic on the track and so there is a new rock step that has not been there before. This had a few of us winching whilst a few had a spirited drive and managed to climb it.
From here it is a long greasy climb with a few ruts. Levi unfortunately hit his door on the edge of a rut putting a nice dent in it. On the same section Daniel had to winch up. By the time we walked back down to him Jenny had the winch all hooked up and the car was already on then move again. The final section out of this track was very greasy and we all had to hit it reasonably hot. Unfortunately Joel had lost drive to the front left and then after a fair few attempts blew an automatic transmission line. We managed to trim the hose and get the car moving again but needed the car to be on flat ground to diagnose the lack of drive to the front. This had myself, Levi and Justin all attached in a train to be able to drag him up the hill. Once up the hill we established it was only a hub that had broken and so this was replaced.
Once at the top of the hill we made our way over Mt Selma, past the back of Woods Point and out via Marysville and home without missing an 8.30pm dinner at KFC!
Tim