The proposal for this walk was a return trip along the Coppermine Trail from the Snowy Mts Hwy, with an alternative return back to Yarrangobilly Cave if group enthusiasm was high. Well, enthusiasm was high, car shuffle done and we were walking not long after 9am.
The first 1.5km of the firetrail was clearly used by Snowy Hydro 2, not the style for enjoyable walking. However, upon meeting the Wallaces Ck trail the traffic took that trail leaving us with a beautiful firetrail, that had no obvious recent vehicular use, to continue. The next 5 kms was through an area with much post-fire regrowth, and it was strange that at times the most interesting, diverse, flowering undergrowth was right in the middle of the firetrail. There were patches where areas of large old eucalypts had escaped the fires with non-fatal damage and one cannot help but think this wasn’t the first major fire event they had endured.
After morning tea it was a gradual decline towards the Yarrangobilly River 450m below. Geologically interesting with sections of ancient rounded river stones (some quite large), then lower down quite different rock (maybe containing ore of some value?)
Still 100m above the river we left the firetrail for an off track traverse across a steep hillside to get to the Coppermine itself. Little is left, the entrance to the mine itself, a tailings dump and a collection of machinery bits and pieces. We marvelled at what copper must have been worth then to justify the effort required to lug the ore 300m up (over 1km) by horse back, then by ox-dray for further processing.
Lunch was enjoyed at the Yarrangobilly River. The afternoon was a slow 5km rock hop/wade up the river to Yarrangobilly Caves. This was most delightful, with towering cliffs of folded rock providing plenty of excuses to stop and enjoy. The water was mostly of knee depth maximum, with one wade up to our waists required to avoid some blackberries.
If one can organise the car shuffle, this route is highly recommended.