Piccabean Circuit

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I WAS tired on my last day on top of the Blackall Range, after such a long hike yesterday. The sky was clear today, so decided to do a hike anyway before heading home. I followed Leafy Lane back towards Ubajee, but decided to follow the Piccabean Circuit, track 3. About a kilometre along the track, a sign pointed along a side track which I followed descending through the forest along a wide firebreak until reaching a forested crossing of Gheerulla Creek. Fortunately the stepping stones kept by boots dry.

The track ascended before dropping again to cross a smaller creek, then rose again. Being off the main ridgeline this was quite an undulating track. A lady passed me walking her horse along the track as it descended towards another crossing of Gheerulla Creek. There was more water flowing along this section of creek, but the crossing was easy and dry stepping from one bank to the other.

Heading out of the rainforest the track ascended into ghost gum forest rising to meet the main ridge about a kilometre short of Ubajee Camp. From here this circuit followed Leafy Lane for about a kilometre as the sun filtered through the forest. Upon reaching the next junction, I continued following the circuit with the track heading directly towards Mapleton Day Use Area, a short cut I probably should have taken yesterday when heading towards Lake Cooloolabin.

The track undulated but overall gained in altitude before turning eastward through the dense forest and eventually reaching the Mapleton Day Use Area. Here I rested for a while before returning along the track back to the Leafy Lane Trail Head and heading home.