This walk was organised and led by Quentin M as a CBC walk:

Saturday 5 September: Corin Dam to Pryors Hut – M/M Enjoy the climb of over 600 m on Stockyard Spur from Corin Dam through the forest to Pryor’s Hut. All on track. If possible we’ll light the fire in the hut at lunch, then return same way down the hill to the cars. Map: Corin Dam 1:25,000. Leader: Quentin M. Transport: $50 per car.

16 of us met at Point Hut Crossing at 8am and drove in 4 cars to Corin Dam.

With the Parkway Youth walk cancelled on Friday arvo, I rang Quentin and said pretty please.

Walk track

A well paced climb up from Corin Dam to Stockyard Spur, with a stop on the E side of the track at Barrow's 'Stockyard Spur Grandstand' for morning tea overlooking the top of Stockyard Creek to the holiday shack on Mt Ginini. We then moved to the W side of the track for the huge views SW. Over Snowy Flat Creek plunging down to the Cotter River valley we could indentify Square Rock, the McKeahnie trig area, Mt McKeahnie with Dutchies Peak just to its rear, the Tinderrys on the horizon, Mt Orroral, Split Rock, Mt Burbidge and the Namadgi spur bulb (see some of these in pic 2).

To the Mt Franklin Road and S along it to Pryors Hut (see pic 3). 6.9km in 3hrs 25mins to here. Lunch was enjoyed lazing around in the sun outside the hut. Afterwards we strolled around the arboretum and visited the nearby 21 Mile marker and border marker Q57 (see here). There was a little discussion during lunch on Pryors Hut and the many arboreta, so to remind myself:

The hut was built as Alpine Botanic Hut in the early 1950's. As the sign on the door indicates, it was built for personnel tending the alpine annexe of the National Botanic Gardens. This was established in the Mt Gingera area under the supervision of Lindsay Pryor, the Superintendent of Parks and Gardens. A coastal annexe was established at Jervis Bay. In the late 1950's, Pryor was appointed Professor of Botany at Canberra University College (later ANU). Emphasis was then placed on the development of the present Gardens site at Black Mountain and the coastal annexe. The alpine annexe fell into disuse. The only traces of it now are this hut, remains of the old horse paddock nearby and some plant markers made of huon pine on a metal stand. The pines below the hut were planted in the 1950s by members of the Snowy Mountains Authority Landscape Section. They are Scotts Pine (Pinus silvestris). The hut became known as Pryors Hut in recognition of Professor Pryor's contribution to the development of the Botanic Gardens, the study of and horticultural development of native plant species, the landscape development of Canberra and the evolution of the Australian forestry school and industry. (Signage at hut)

Matthew Higgins' book Rugged Beyond Imagination: Stories from an Australian mountain region contains a whole chapter on Pryors' Alpine Botanic Garden (see the top sign in pic 3), Pryors Hut and the 30 arboreta planted between 1928 and 1968 beyond the urban areas of the ACT, mainly in or close to the Brindabellas.

We returned via the same route, concentration required to protect knees as we descended to Corin Dam.

This was a fully subscribed CBC walk (16 in the party) to a great destination. Well run, including a full briefing to a broad spectrum party and well paced. It was a pleasure to be under Quentin's leadership and he ordered a perfect day. New an old friends, great conversation.

Distance: 14.1km  Climb: 800m.  Time: 8.45am - 3.30pm (6hrs 45mins), with 1hr of stops.
Grading: L/M; M(9)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Corin Dam to Pryors Hut