With some easing of Covid lockdown restrictions and nice October weather, I decided to give the Castlemaine to Maldon route another go. Leaving from Castlemaine station at around 9:30, the route was reasonable quiet other than the occasional dog walker. Not long after hitting the gravel at the end of Martin Street I encountered my first Brown Snake of the day, but was it was thankfully more than happy to slither out of the way. This section of the route was a bit busier, with young families out for a walk and the occasional gravel bike.
The wide gravel path that runs alongside the old railway line makes for reasonably quick running. It's somewhat undulating but has plenty of interest, with old timber bridges and the open woodland of the Muckleford State Forest. The old Muckleford Train Station also conjures up images of a bygone era. A slight climb towards the Maldon end of the trail made holding the pace more of an effort, but knowing Maldon Station was not too far helped me hang on. As the trees opened up I caught glimpses of the fire tower atop of Mt Tarrangower, which certainly looked further away than I thought it was!
Stopping for a quick photo at Maldon Station, I quickly headed off up Adair Street which leads on to Adair Track - the final push! The rocky fire trail is reasonably steep, and requires a solid effort to keep running all the way up. Eventually thought the tower appeared over the track, and I was rewarded with a great view back over the township of Maldon. A fun little hit out for the morning!