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Mt Solitary is a great place!! Someone was talking about visiting Mt Colong - I think you could see it from the track just above Chinamans gully, as well as a recent rock fall from the Mt Solitary cliff line. I saw 3 huge black cockatoos with bright red under the tail or wing, to add to the black with yellow ones we saw on Andersons firetrail.

I must apologise to Lawrence: we were running together from Kedumba Crk to the top of Solitary, but I got away at a water hole without discussing a "plan" for the remainder. I was getting a bit concerned for the distance still to cover, and the time marching on. The path around to the landslide was nice running and soft underfoot. I put a arrow of sticks at the entrance to the old mine under the Ruined Castle where there is good water. Got to Scenic Railway around 8 hours 40 mark (3:50 pm) and Kedumba/Jamison Crk at 9 h 50 min( 5.00 pm). I scrawled "kt and 5.00" on the concrete causeway with a rock - Did anyone see it? Uphill to the Kedumba pass fire trail at solid walking pace and trotted where it eased off. Definitely walked up the Kedumba pass and then trotted to the gate. I was trying to calculate how far it was to go, but got a bit confused, and was too tired to try and work it out from the toppo maps.

Kedumba gate and water was a welcome sight after 11:40 hours, around 8.30 pm. Sat down and used every excuse I could think of to stay sitting down. Left a note in the food box in the hope Lawrence and Kevin were behind me. Got to the Ingar fire trail and was dismayed to see a sign Ingar Campsite 10 km, Surely not!!! It seemed to take for ever to get there, even though I thought I was running "reasonably fast". The guy in the white station wagon stopped and asked did I know where the nearest shop was. Ummm.... I asked him to tell any runners he saw coming down the trail to mention the encounter. It apparently was not beyond him, though I had doubts at the time.

I stopped and sat down again on the road again and ate the last food and water, and cleaned out some non existent debris from shoes - another excuse for a rest. Got going again and eventually took 1:10 from main road.

Ingar behind me, I saw lights in the bush - turned out to be dozens of fire flies blinking a yellow light- they persisted right down to he Bedford Crk. I had the torch out for the drop down to the creek, forget the log crossing, too much trouble. Now on the home straight, I walked the steep parts and trotted again on the flats. The white sand and occasional moon was mostly enough to run by. The lights of the main ridge seemed a long way away, but eventually there were street lights and tar road, the last little rise and glorious downhill to the carpark. A friend was waiting for me there which was a great relief. After mumbling, fumbling, eating, drinking, getting changed, drinking some more, I concluded I did not feel so bad. The slow and steady pace was far less debilitating than "sprinting" a road marathon. The great scenery and equally insane minded to run with is a great combination for enjoyment.