Horror movie fog!

[PrincessBandit]

Last night I rode home from Tauranga over the Kaimais through what I can only describe as fog straight out of a horror movie. I left Towelwronger at 5, thinking I'd have plenty of time to get home then head up to Mom's. Weather was great as I left, but by the time I was climbing the hills the fog just came from nowhere!

Could barely see a car in front of me, couldn't even see the area where you pull over for the look out! By the time I was heading down there was nary a landmark to be seen and no cars in front of me to guide me through this stretch of road. Even the turn off to Matamata seemed surreal (and with no visual guide other than the intersection marking it felt like I was in an alien landscape!

Getting into Matamata was no better with still no cars in front to light my way, and () my front wheel ended the life of a wee bunny who darted across my path. Riding with visor up to combat the mist and in order to keep some degree of vision meant that my face felt like it was getting friggin sandblasted......

Stopped at the Mobil in Matamata and asked a local if the fog was usually like this and he said "nah, this is pretty bad". Great. Tucked in behind a car leaving the servo and stuck to it's bum like a limpet until Patetonga.

Once out of "the fog" (OMG it was soooooo creepy - I'm glad my concentration had to be fully on the road as my imagination would normally have started to run riot.....) it was just a case of getting through the cold, and once on that familiar stretch past the Thames turnoff I finally could relax a little.

Heated grips - wouldn't be without them! Turned up full, with polyprop glove liners, my hands were still cold, but I'd hate to think how bad it would have felt without mr oxford to keep some blood flowing through my hands!

Anyways, what is the worst fog you've ever ridden through? I would think this was less than 20 feet visibility for me last night. What's your fog horror story?

All the way home was bloody freezing, and actually quite scary (yeah, I'm a sook) while "the fog"

[george formby]

It sucks riding in fog. Another reason why I believe proper bikers wave, the secret cadre, suffering for our passion. It's not all sunshine & sweepers. Freezing fog has to be the worst, visor like the inside of an old freezer, icicles hanging off your nose. eyeballs getting crinkly, bloody awful. It's pishing down up here today but I have the afternoon off & strangely feel compelled to check out how effective that expensive winter riding gear is. BDSM on two wheels.

[p.dath]

That's pretty bad.

We had a bad night about two months ago in NASS when riding through the back country of Auckland on a training night ride. I have a pinlock visor - and still gave up and put my visor up to get more visibility.

But we would still have had more visibility than 6-7m like you had. That would have been terrible.

[AllanB]

Horror movie fog - did any big busted blondes run out in front of you screaming that someone was chasing them?

[oldrider]

All of the above mixed with some of our delicate Southern temperatures equals a hoar frost, really pretty but you can't see that either, until the sun shines again!

[MIXONE]

Horror movie fog - did any big busted blondes run out in front of you screaming that someone was chasing them?

No because I had already caught her and she was tied up in my bedroom.
The fog in Hamilton was down all day apparently.

[Usarka]

And then there's the paranoia of a car or truck speeding around a corner behind you and inserting itself into your **** as you crawl along trying to see the road through the fog.

[slofox]

No because I had already caught her and she was tied up in my bedroom.
The fog in Hamilton was down all day apparently.

Not yesterday (Saturday) it wasn't. I had a mint ride in the afternoon...

Now today might be another story...

Actually, if ya live in The Tron, PB, you get to ride in fog ALL THE BLOODY TIME!!!!

[pc220]

Yeah over this side of the hill we only had about a two hour window of daylight between the morning fog lifting and then the evening fog rolling in. Makes me wonder why I would want to live here sometimes.

[Cayman911]

Ahh i had that last week, i had to ride at 6am to get to uni on time. and my god was it not only dark and arctic freezing. it felt like i had no fingers and the handle bar was magicaly floating from side to side lol

there was the fog you described. with my visor down i could see absolutely nothing. with it up i could see just over a meter in front of me. with highbeam. it was freaky i gotta say. driving without seeing.
i did nearly go right through a junction at one stage because i simply could see the red lights or the junction itself. but slammed on the brakes in time because i was going slow. eek

so i have decided next time i wont be riding at all.... and yes i know i should have decided that before i rode

[wysper]

Definitely this year in the 'Tron has been some of the heaviest fog I have ever ridden in. One morning I seriously considered pulling over it was so bad. Caught up to a car and did what you did PB and followed it in to town. A very foggy winter so far.

[PrincessBandit]

If I'd had any inkling of what lay ahead on that ride home I'd have flagged Tauranga and come home straight from Thames. In hindsight, I'm glad I did it and managed to get home in one piece even though for at least half the ride I was totally packing myself.

The cold was atrocious (says the softy Aucklander) but worst was how I could not get over how creepy* it was not being able to see a thing. I've stopped at the Kaimai lookout before and to go past it without even being able to see the parking area was unreal. I was very very thankful for the drivers who, without realising it at all, acted as guides for me. The stretch with no vehicles in front was the scariest ride I've done yet.

*creepy: think "The Others" and the awful scene from "The Lovely Bones"

[george formby]

If I'd had any inkling of what lay ahead on that ride home I'd have flagged Tauranga and come home straight from Thames. In hindsight, I'm glad I did it and managed to get home in one piece even though for at least half the ride I was totally packing myself.

The cold was atrocious (says the softy Aucklander) but worst was how I could not get over how creepy* it was not being able to see a thing. I've stopped at the Kaimai lookout before and to go past it without even being able to see the parking area was unreal. I was very very thankful for the drivers who, without realising it at all, acted as guides for me. The stretch with no vehicles in front was the scariest ride I've done yet.

*creepy: think "The Others" and the awful scene from "The Lovely Bones"

Feels really, really good when you get home & get off the bike after a ride like that, eh? Hope you have a little glow of self satisfaction for keeping your s@$t together.

[Genie]

Oh chickie...well done for getting through the pea soup unscathed. Sounds damn nasty. I wouldn't like that in a car let alone cold and alone on a motorbike. Well done

[Kornholio]

Yeah the Kaimais have been quite bad recently for very thick fog esp at night... Travel that road all the time, well done for getting there