Mountains: Deception Canyon - Dry Canyon, Wollemi NP (part 3), NSW, Australia

Friday, March 11, 2022

Deception Canyon - Dry Canyon, Wollemi NP (part 3), NSW, Australia

2022-January & 2022-March combined report

Day-trip ... circuit:
Deception Canyon
to Dry Canyon also known as Nobles Canyon
via Delusional Slot

and detour to Wild Slots
& cliff edges on plateau above Dry Canyon

Wollemi National Park, NSW, Australia

This is part 3 of the trip report.
Dry Canyon is featured in this report.

Parts 1 and 2 of the report

- Part 1 of trip report
(Maps, GPS file, Photos #1 to #56)
This link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2022/03/deception-canyon-dry-canyon-wollemi-np.html

- Part 2, middle part (Delusional Slot)
(Photos #57 to #117)
This link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2022/03/deception-canyon-dry-canyon-wollemi-np_6.html

Pictures

Mostly from 2022-January,
unless stated otherwise.

Pagoda 10

Grid Ref: 3996 1705
Located on cliff edge north of Dry Canyon mouth.

2022-Mar only

After lookout 1
(where I was in photo #113's lower pic),
Dave and I walk south-ish
towards Dry Canyon mouth;
and stopping at pagoda 10 for a view.

118) At pagoda 10 ...
We can see the Dry Canyon mouth.
- Upper pic:
• Red arrow:
Heading there soon
where we can look down into Dry Canyon
• Continuation to the right of this pic
is photo #119.
In fact, this pic and the 3 pics in photo #119
form a 360-degree panorama.
- Middle pic: Left side of the upper pic
• White arrow:
It is the red arrow of the upper pic.
Heading there soon
where we can look down into Dry Canyon.
• Cyan dots: Dry Canyon mouth
- Lower pic: Right side of the upper pic
• Continuation to the right of this pic
is photo #119.

119) Panorama from top of pagoda 10.
- Upper pic:
(Continuation from the right of previous pic)
• 5 red arrows, left to right:
1 Cape Horn
2 Mt McLean
3 Unnamed 870-meter hill
west of Mt Wolgan
4 Mt Jamison
5 Mt Davidson
• 2 red horizontal bars:
Mt Wolgan, Donkey Mountain
• 2 white ovals:
Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley Resort
- Middle pic:
(Continuation from the right of the upper pic)
• Dave
• Yellow oval:
An impressive pagoda that we didn't climb.
Photo #121's upper pic is another view
of this pagoda.
• Red arrow: Pagoda 9
- Lower pic:
(Continuation from the right of the middle pic)
- Continuation to the right of the lower pic is
photo #118, completing a 360-degree panorama.

Pagoda 7

Grid Ref: 3998 1701
On cliff edge north of Dry Canyon mouth.
And not far south of pagoda 10.

120) At pagoda 7 ...
and facing where we are going next.
- Yellow oval:
Heading there now where
we can look down into Dry Canyon.
- Cyan dots: Dry Canyon mouth
- Upper pic:
Zooming to the left side of the lower pic
- Lower pic:
This pic and the 3 pics in photo #121
form a 360 degree panorama.

121) Panorama from top of pagoda 7.
- Upper pic:
(Continuation from the right of previous pic)
• 5 red arrows, left to right:
1 Cape Horn ... Unfortunately
you can't see it properly 😭
2 Mt McLean
3 Unnamed 870-meter hill
west of Mt Wolgan
4 Mt Jamison
5 Mt Davidson
• 2 red horizontal bars:
Mt Wolgan, Donkey Mountain
• 2 white ovals:
Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley Resort
• Yellow oval:
An impressive pagoda that we didn't climb.
Same as the pagoda in the yellow oval
in photo #119's middle pic.
- Middle pic:
(Continuation from the right of the upper pic)
• 2 red arrows, left to right:
Pagoda 10 & pagoda 9
- Lower pic:
(Continuation from the right of the middle pic)
- Continuation to the right of the lower pic
is photo #120's lower pic,
completing a 360-degree panorama.

122) Looking back at pagoda 7
(We are now south of the pagoda).
- Upper pic:
• Left to right: Lisa, Frank, Lora, Karen
• Photos #120 and #121 were taken
from where Lisa is now.
- Lower pic: Walking further away from pagoda 7
• 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Same pagoda as in the yellow ovals
of photo #121's upper pic
and #119's middle pic
2 Rock in the upper pic, ie pagoda 7

Cliff edge south of pagoda 7

Continue south along cliff edge
towards Dry Canyon mouth.

123) Looking down into Dry Canyon Mouth.
- Upper white oval:
Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley Resort
- Lower white oval:
We'll climb to the top of this rock
in photo #147.
- 4 red arrows, left to right:
1 Mt McLean
2 Mt Jamison
3 Unnamed 870-meter hill west of Mt Wolgan
4 Mt Davidson
- 2 red horizontal bars:
Mt Wolgan, Donkey Mountain

124) Further towards Dry Canyon mouth.
- White oval:
Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley Resort
- 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Mt Jamison
2 Mt Davidson
- 2 red horizontal bars:
Mt Wolgan, Donkey Mountain
- This pic and the 3 pics in photo #125
form a 360-degree panorama.

125) Panorama from above Dry Canyon mouth.
- Upper pic:
(Continuation from the right of previous pic)
• 4 red arrows, left to right:
1 An impressive pagoda.
Same pagoda as the yellow ovals
in photos #121 (upper pic)
and #119 (middle pic).
And the same pagoda as the
1st red arrow in #122's lower pic.
3 Pagoda 10
4 Pagoda 7
2 Pagoda 9
- Middle pic:
(Continuation from the right of the upper pic)
• Yellow oval:
Dry Canyon flows in the gap here.
Then makes a bend to the right of the pic
... Refer to photo #127.
- Lower pic:
(Continuation from the right of the middle pic)
- Continuation to the right of the lower pic is
photo #124, completing a 360-degree panorama.

Looking down into Dry Canyon

126) Left side of photo #125's middle pic ...
from a slightly different angle.
- Dry Canyon flows in the main gap
in the middle of the pic.
Then makes a bend to the right of the pic ...
Photo #127.

Photo by Frank

127) Looking down into Dry Canyon.
- This scene is similar to previous pic;
and also similar to the left side
of photo #125's middle pic.
- At bottom of the pic, the canyon makes a bend
to the right ... photo #128.
- Canyon mouth is beyond the bottom-right corner.

128) (Continuation from the right of previous pic)
Looking down into Dry Canyon ...
the cyan dashes.

To Dry Canyon

After the fantastic views from above
Dry Canyon mouth, we make our way along
top of the plateau in a easterly direction.

At GR 4017 1696,
turn right into a downward ramp
which will lead down to the middle part of
Dry Canyon.

129) (2022-Mar) The ramp passes here.
- Dave
- Yellow arrow:
Turn right and keep going will lead
to the middle part of Dry Canyon.

130) Scene further down the yellow arrow
of previous pic.
- White arrows in both pics below:
They point to the same trees.
- Upper pic: Frank
- Lower pic:
A few steps forward compared to upper pic

Middle part of Dry Canyon

131) Middle part of Dry Canyon.
- Frank

132) Middle part of Dry Canyon ...
Few steps forward from where
Frank was in the previous pic.
- Yellow arrow: To west side of Dry Canyon

Dry Canyon - west side

133) Dry Canyon west side entrance.
- Lower pic, left to right: Frank, Karen, Lora

Lower pic: Photo by Ray

134) Inside Dry Canyon, west side.

135) Dry Canyon.

136) Dry Canyon.
- Lower pic:
• A few steps forward compared to upper pic
• Lisa

137) Dry Canyon.
- Upper pic, left to right:
Frank, Lisa, Stanley, Karen, Paul
(Lora is in front of, and blocked by Paul.)
- Lower pic:
Few steps forward compared to the upper pic

Upper pic: Photo by Ray

138) (2022-Mar) Dry Canyon.
- Dave

139) Dry Canyon

140) Dry Canyon.
- Red oval:
Same as the red oval in photos #141, #142
- Photo taken near where Dave is
in photo #143's upper pic.

141) Same scene as the middle part of prev pic.
- Top to bottom: Lisa, Frank, Karen
- Red oval:
Same as the red oval in photos #140, #142

142) A bit further forward compared to prev pic.
- Red oval:
Same as the red oval in photos #140, #141

143) Looking back.
- Yellow arrow in both pics below: Direction of walk
- Photo #153 is a closer look at the rock
in the middle of these 2 pics.
- Upper pic:
• Dave (2022-Mar)
• Photos #140 and #141 were taken
near where Dave is now.
- Lower pic: Same scene as the upper pic
• Lora

Dry Canyon mouth

144) Dry Canyon mouth.
- Left to right: Lora, Karen, Stanley

145) Dry Canyon mouth ... facing backwards.
- Lisa

146) Dry Canyon mouth

Outside Dry Canyon mouth

147) Outside Dry Canyon mouth,
ie its west side entrance.
- The 2 pics below are of the same scene.
- 2 red arrows in both pics, left to right:
1 Pagoda at the left red arrow
of photo #122's lower pic
2 Going to climb up this rock now.
It is the rock in the white oval of photo #123.

148) Panorama from the rock,
lower red arrow of previous pic.
- The 2 pics below and photos #149, #150
form a 240-degree panorama.
- White ovals in both pics:
We had walked along the cliff edges.
- Upper pic, red arrows:
1 Same as the left red arrow of previous pic
and left red arrow in photo #122's lower pic
2 Pagoda 7
- Lower pic:
(Continuation from the right of the upper pic)
- Continuation to the right of the lower pic
is photo #149.

149) (Continuation from the right of previous pic)
- Yellow oval: Dry Canyon mouth

150) (Continuation from the right of previous pic)
- This pic and photos #148, #149
form a 240-degree panorama.

We now return to Dry Canyon mouth.

151) Cliff above Dry Canyon mouth.
- The 2 pics below are of the same scene.
- Lower pic:
• Stanley
• Yellow oval: Dry Canyon mouth

Dry Canyon - west side again

152) Back in Dry Canyon's west side again.
- Frank

153) Climbing back up the rock
in the middle of photo #143.
- Frank climbing up.
In front of him are: Stanley, Karen, Ray

154) Dry Canyon.
- Left to right: Stanley, Paul, Lisa, Ray, Karen, Lora

Photo by Frank

155) Dry Canyon.
- Same area as photo #136's lower pic
(opposite direction)
- Lisa in front.
In front of her are: Ray, Frank, Karen

156) Still in Dry Canyon.
- Lisa
- Yellow circle:
Same as the yellow oval
in photo #157's upper pic

157) About to exit the darker part Dry Canyon.
- Upper pic:
• Left to right: Ray, Lisa
• Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
• Yellow oval:
Same as the yellow circle of previous pic
• White circle: It is the lower pic.
- Lower pic:
Zooming into the white circle of the upper pic.

Dry Canyon - middle part again

158) The canyon opens up.
- Karen leading,
followed by Stanley, Frank, Ray, Lisa

Dry Canyon - east side

159) Dry Canyon, east side.
- White arrow in both pics below: Same tree fern
- Upper pic, left to right: Paul, Frank
- Lower pic: Stanley, Lisa, Frank

Upper pic: Photo by Stanley

160) Further into the canyon.
- In both pics below:
• Red circles: Same tree fern
• Yellow arrows: Direction of walk
- Upper pic, yellow oval:
Same as the yellow oval in photo #161
- Lower pic: Looking back at Lora

161) Few steps forward compared to
photo #160's upper pic.
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
- Yellow oval:
Same as the yellow oval
in photo #160's upper pic.

162) Yellow arrows in both pics below:
Direction of walk.
- Upper pic: Lisa, Karen
- Lower pic: Looking back

163) About to exit the darker part of
Dry Canyon's east side.
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk

164) Slightly more light now.
- Ray in front
- The larger palms are Dicksonia antarctica
(Soft Tree Fern).

165) Dicksonia antarctica (Soft Tree Fern).
- It is bent, and keeps growing on the far end !

There is an entire forest of these eerie
fallen-and-alive caterpillar-like tree ferns.

The forest is in Dicksonia Forest Ravine
in the Blue Mountains.

Refer to this link for the trip report to there:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2016/10/dicksonia-forest-ravine-nsw-blue-mts.html

166) Ray, Stanley.
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk

167) The canyon opens up now.

Climbing out of Dry Canyon

168) A steep climb to get out of Dry Canyon.
- Lower pic:
• At the top, left to right: Lisa, Karen, Ray
• The climbing star: Frank

To carpark

169) Through a short slot.
(Shortly after climbing out of Dry Canyon)
- White arrows in both pics below: Same fern
- Lower pic:
• Few steps forward compared to the upper pic
• Lisa

170) There is a foot track from the short slot
of previous pic to our cars.
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
- Karen is leading, followed by Frank, Lisa, Stanley

Turtle Rock

Grid Ref: 4078 1663

171) On the way to the carpark is this Turtle Rock.
- Bushwalkers put stones in its mouth
to make them look like teeth of a turtle,
even though turtles don't have teeth 😊

172) Stanley climbs into the mouth of the turtle ...
with Ray's help.

Then it is back to the carpark.

Fauna

173) Found this spider on the rock plateau
above Dry Canyon mouth.
- Leviana dimidiata, formerly Araneus dimidiatus
- Family Araneidae.
- (Leaf Rolling Spider, Leaf Curling Araneus)
- Leviana is leaf-curling orb-weaving spider.
- Wonder why is it scurrying across the rock face
and not inside a leaf ?

Above is a common spider in the
Australian eastern coastal bushland,
from Brisbane to Melbourne.

Body length: Female 9mm, Male 4mm

It hides in a curled up dry leaf suspended
in shrubs by supporting threads.

Its fan-like main web (an incomplete circle,
open at the top) radiates out from the leaf.

When hiding in the leaf,
only the tips of its legs are visible.

Flora

174) Prostanthera hindii
(Prostanthera is Mint Bush).
- A lovely flower

175) Leucochrysum graminifolium
(Pagoda Rock Daisy).
- Only found in a small area,
less than 100 kilometres in diameter,
around Lithgow / Newnes district.
- They grow in small pockets of sand
that gather in cracks & depressions
on pagoda-like rock formations.