Lake Mountain, Mountain summit in the Yarra Ranges, Victoria, Australia
Lake Mountain is a 1,433-metre peak on a plateau in the Yarra Ranges National Park, about 120 km north-east of Melbourne. The cross-country ski resort of the same name sits in a saddle between the summit and Echo Flat, with a 37 km trail network, up to seven toboggan runs and a day visitor centre. There is no lake; tarns and bogs lie on Echo Flat, 2 km from the summit.
The alpine centre opened on 12 June 2004 at a cost of A$3.7 million, alongside refurbished toilet blocks, a locker room and the Ski Patroller's Centre. The 7 February 2009 bushfires burnt much of the forest and almost all buildings except the Day Visitor Centre, Ski Hire and Bistro; temporary toilets, a ski patrol centre and a kiosk were brought in for the 2009 winter season.
The name is disputed: some credit surveyor-general George Lake, while VICNames derives it from the tarns, ponds and bogs on Echo Flat, 2 km from the summit. There is no lake. Around 80% of visitors are families, many coming for snow play rather than skiing; two of up to seven toboggan runs are open to the public.
The resort sits in a saddle between Lake Mountain and Echo Flat, with the 37 km trail network starting from there. In winter the summit itself can only be reached on a snow shoe track, and walking or snowboarding on the ski trails is not allowed. The climb from Marysville is 21.3 km at 4.3% average gradient, steepest in its first 4.3 km.
There is no lake at Lake Mountain: VICNames attributes the name to the tarns, ponds and bogs on Echo Flat, about 2 km from the summit, while others credit surveyor-general George Lake. The summit itself, 1,433 m high, is reached in winter only by a snowshoe track.
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