Mount Dale to Brookton

While fairly similar to other areas of the Darling Range, it is by no means a bad environment to walk through. Towards the end of the 1.2km stretch of vehicle walking you start to see lovely Wandoo trees that have done a much better job of shedding any evidence of being burnt than the Jarrah has. A Wandoo on any walk is always a delight and even made up for seeing the lack of respect some bogans had shown to an open moss and granite space by driving right through it and ripping up the sensitive moss. Making a turn to the west, I remember this next vehicle track to contain some lovely open woodlands and a good number of grass trees. My memory served me correctly and it was very pleasant walking until the next turn, Aron and I even spotted a big kangaroo hiding among the grass trees. Reaching the next turn, this was where I headed back on my first day hike out here (there was a diversion here anyway) so from here on out I would be experiencing this section of the track for the first time. After another stretch of vehicle walking you turn off onto single track for the first time since leaving the Mount Dale Campsite and this was the type of Jarrah forest that I really enjoy. A mix of Jarrah and She-Oak, it feels like home and despite the blackened trunks, it was very enjoyable to find a rhythm and just walk for the fun of it. One highlight along this single track section leading all the way to Brookton are a couple of very nice areas of open space filled with masses of grass trees. It's a nice break from the Jarrah forest and amazing to walk through so it was a pleasant surprise.

Near a lovely section of She-Oaks, Sruthy broke out the vegan brownies that she made and we enjoyed a snack in the middle of the forest (thank you again Sruthy). With a downhill run all the way into the Brookton Campsite, the forest got a little thicker and I spotted some lovely fungi hiding in the cooler spots. Arriving at the campsite, I was keen to check it out after hearing various comments about it not being the best campsite on the track and one that tends to get skipped. The original shelter has since been replaced after being destroyed in the 2015 fires (it wasn't as lucky as Mount Dale or Canning) and was one of the first rammed earth replacements (2015 was a brutal year for the Bibbulmun Track shelters). I think they are slowly growing into their surroundings and in the winter sunshine I found the campsite to be very pleasant. The issue for Brookton that many people have noted is the easy access from Brookton Hwy for vehicles and that causes problems for hikers expecting to only see hikers. This isn't a Brookton only problem but I'd love to see more of these Disease Risk Areas completely shut off to vehicles to protect the environment (along with working dieback stations for hikers). This was the turnaround point for Jen and Sruthy so we all sat down and enjoyed some lunch, reading the entries from other hikers in the log book and eating lollies.