b' NewsWayne Hevey and Alison McLaughlinrecently attended a Mt StirlingStakeholders Group meeting and atits conclusion joined Mt Buller MtStirling staff on a tour of the MtStirling summit.Officially the winter season has finishedon Mt Stirling.Unofficially, it still blowsin during other seasons as well, as it didin late October.We travelled via an MVO track / ski trailto Bluff Spur Memorial Hut, a refuge hutbuilt in the 80s and used year round.The hut is in good shape and is wellcared for these days by Resort manage-ment.Previously the hut was main-tained for many years by the Pajero4WD Club of Victoria and it was great tosee the tin supply box inside still in use.We left the vehicles at the hut and hikeduphill to the Howqua Gap track thatleads up to the Summit to see progressworks in readiness for access bysummer travellers.There were token patches of snow thathad fallen a day or two beforehand.The air was dry and crisp, the sky bluewith faint wisps of cloud and the bushwas clean from being under its winter Preparing forblanket.Stunning high country!Works had commenced on somedrainage and the grader was improving Summer on Stirlingtrackside pull out / parking space sotraffic can have clear passage pastparked cars near the walking trails to Howqua Gap Trackthe Stirling tree and the Trig Point.Bollards were awaiting installation also leave mountainhence vehicular accessaccess duringduring thethe greengreenalong this short stretch, to protect eave thethe mountain, hence thethe longerlonger vehicularseasonal closure. season.Four WheelWh l Drive Victoria isvegetation and deter vehicles from D i Vi i idriving off track.And, further on at the The works we inspected, together with committed to assisting resort manage-northern end, passed the saddle, the drafts of interpretive signage, are a part ment in whatever way we can, anddozers had pushed through the mighty of a Tiered Action Plan to protect and planning is underway for a Camp Hosthuge snowdrift that is always last to save the Summits sensitive environ- style program.ment.As part of the Stakeholder group, Take a trip to the Summit of Mt StirlingFour Wheel Drive Victoria was involved this season. Stop at the saddle, walk upin the consultation process for the Plan. to the iconic Stirling Tree and the TrigHopefully the phase that the Plan is in Point. The views are fabulous. You wontnow, of Tiers 1 and 2, will be all that is be disappointed.required to educate and encourage Alison McLaughlin respectful visitation and awareness and,importantly for four wheel drivers, retainSummit sign Bluff Spur Memorial hutTRACKWATCH DECEMBER 201921'