b'CLUB SPOTLIGHT MANSFIELD ALPINE 4WD CLUB28 & 29 OCTOBER 2023BY: ALISON MCLAUGHLIN TRACK CLEANINGSaturday: encountered one giant tree, a Peppermint Gum, a Track clearing in the high countryone of theshowstopper, impossible to drive past until it could best volunteering gigs in my book! be cleared. The tree spanned the entire track, up the 8:30amMembers of the Mansfield Alpineembankment and its branches, thick with foliage, lay 4wd club, in 4 vehicles, met with Whitfield Parkssmashed and tangled all around. Ranger Alex was Victoria Ranger Alex Jennings at the BP Servo inan absolute master with his chainsaw, explaining Mansfield for a briefing. Our team consisted of threehis assessments, method, and cuts through the with chainsaw quals and the rest of us as picker- girth as he proceeded to dissect the huge trunk into ruper-rers. We got away from there at 9:15amrollable logs. Our entire team were kept busy chain-and proceeded through Sheepyard Flat and thesawing as well and clearing the fallen mess. It was a Howqua Hills Historic area into Alpine National Parkbloomin big job and a great team effort!travelling Brocks Road. Our convoy eventually moved on and, with 10:45amBluff Link Road, Eight Mile Gap, thenfurther clearing, finally came to Bindaree. From past the Seasonal Closure sign and through thethere it was up to Circuit Road, a turn on to gate. That through the gate thing is such a specialSpeculation Road and down to King Basin Track privilege at this time of year! The mission that weto King River Hut. Whitfield PV Ranger Thomas accepted was to clear BLR through to the junctionGrounds with 2 volunteers from Wang Club had at Bindaree. And we didarriving at Bindaree atbeen clearing from the north and joined us to 4:15pm. Plenty of chainsaw work and clearing tookcamp the night. Tents and swags were set up as place. We leap-frogged in two groupsuntil wedusk descended, and a fire was soon crackling in 22 TRACKWATCH|December 2023'