Lees Valley & Snow? Sat17June

[far queue]

Sounds good to me I'm just about ready to go.

OK, the bike's ready, I'll see you at 1030.

[Transalper]

Plug and i are heading off to Lees Vally now, will keep in touch by txt

[laRIKin]

Well I'm home and thawed out and got most of the feeling back in my feet and hands.

Phuck it was cold getting home, the last 29k's were tuff.
I have a sore jaw from clenching in to stop the chattering.
I was OK apart from my hands (MX gloves and rubber medi type gloves under) and my wet feet froze. (F/Q can tell you why I got wet feet)

Bugger it I'll tell, in one of the last deep fords we had to cross. (long and deep)
We had the sun in our eye's and poor F/Q was stuffed and sore.
As we had to lift the bike's around and over trees and had done a bit of synchronised crashing at one point.
F/Q attacked the ford with gusto and got off line and just about went in to a deep water hole and was just a bit stuck.
As he could not pull the bike back out of the hole, so I (stuffed as well) had to jump in the the ice cold knee deep water to help him pull the bike out of the hole. (I'm glad that he stopped where he did or it could of got ugly)
Well I owed him one as he had to help we pull my bike out of a rut when I threw the chain.
Strange really as the chain was set up right and must have been the log in the rut that flicked the chain off.

We started off with sweat dripping of us, but as the day went on and we got colder and colder.
As we got up the river the snow got deeper and the amount of trees that had fallen across the roads and tracks got worse.
And the ice got up to about 1"/25mm thick, so we were having to take it slow and easy.
And we were not making the ground that we should have on a better day.
It took us all day to just get up to the bridge so we went home by road apart from a quick stop at the Oxford BP for fuel a pie and a hot drink.
Oxford still had a lot of snow on sides of the roads and it was deep.
I got home when it was dark (just).

It was a good ride now I'm home and warm.
Sorry F/Q for not turning off the track and on to the road earlier.
Should we go out again tomorrow and do the other side we missed F/Q?

[far queue]

My signature line is … Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, .... but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out,... shouting "man, what a ride"!!!

Well there was plenty of skidding going on today, and I finished the ride totally worn out, and man what a ride.

As Lemans says we had mud, water, ice, snow and fallen trees in ample quantities, and to add a bit more interest a thrown chain and wee dip in a nice cold ford. I can see why you carry that saw with you now Lemans, it certainly got some use. It was a challenge today, and I was completely rooted at the end of it, but still pleased to have completed it. I’ll think I’ll be sore in the morning.

I never really got cold, except for fingers and toes on the last leg home, especially with boots that felt as though they were still fill of water.

Anyway, here’s some more pic’s …

1. Where not to throw a chain
2. 1” ice
3. Snow
4. Not much snow at the gorge, it was all on the tracks

So, how did you get on today Transalper? Did you and Plug make it through Lees Valley?

[Jantar]

Well done both of you. You should collaborate and write it up on the Adventure Rider site. Rep for you both.

[Transalper]

Looks like you got some good snow too. We went in from North Loburn and went as far as the main river in the middle then turned around and went back the same way. We think crossing the river would have been quite dooable but i would have wanted to take the video camera off the bike and walk that across first. Time was starting to be an issue and i didn't want wet feet (Plug already had them) so the u-turn was decided (as expected).
The snow came and went and in places there was just big patches of frozen compacted snow and they are not much fun but do make life interesting.
Our score is something like Plug, 3 or was it 4 drops and wet feet.
Transalper 1 drop and dry feet.

1-scenery on a diversion before the Valley.
2-Somewhere in the pass
3-all fords were wet this trip
4-Lunch stop
5-Transalp down
6-Plug heading for a closer look at the main river crossing

[far queue]

Well done guys, looks like you had a similer mix of snow, ice, gravel to us. Shame you couldn't make the river crossing.

[Transalper]

Heres Plugs last dance with the ice

[muzz]

Looks like you guys had fun. Would like to do that some day when i get a bike that can handle those conditions or is that when i can handle it.
Very graceful plugs that bank looks close.

[PLUG]

& what a dance it was ... for the record it was 3 tommy tip overs, all simlar to the dance & two wet feet ... it took 1/2 an hour in a bath of warm water to get some warmth back into me feet & that was after 1/4 hr in the shower ...

[laRIKin]

Glad to here you guys got home with no problems apart from being cold.
I hope there is no damage to the bike's when they had to have a rest because you were riding them to hard.

We were doing a similar thing in parts, I'm just glade we did not have the hill's that you guy's did.

At one point I got dragged of my bike by a tree that had fallen over and had rapped it self around my foot and drag me and the bike down.
I was trapped under my bike and was looking around to see where F/Q was (hoping that he was not going to run me over) and could help free me.
I could not see him.
Got my self out from under the bike and untangled from the tree.
To see he had fallen off as well (and stuck in a tree) and was looking for me to help him get up.
We had a 3rd fallen tree between us so we could not see each other.

Here's the last 3 pic's of our ride.

1/ First stop in the snow

2/ Another angle of the new chain-less type KTM (doesn't work, will stick to having a chain)

3/ A untouched track

We will have to go for a ride together again soon.
SDU has the 9/7/06 off work so will/maybe doing something then. (weather permitting etc)
She wants to try and off road ride the DR650 so it will be a easy ride.
Will post in events when she tell me what she wants to do.
The top choices are the Lees Valley or up the river with no snow.

[far queue]

SDU has the 6/7/06 off so will be doing something then.

Are you sure on the date? That's a Thursday.
I'd be be interested if I'm free ... and if it's not on a Thursday

[laRIKin]

Are you sure on the date? That's a Thursday.
I'd be be interested if I'm free ... and if it's not on a Thursday

The bloody 9 feel over and turned in to a 6. (do you believe me?)

You are right and I will change the earlier post as well.
Sorry about that.

[Rashika]

Very impressive to all you guys!!

Looks like a bit of fun, maybe I need a wee blatter to do that? (dont think the Buell would be too impressed with that shit!)

[cooneyr]

We will have to go for a ride together again soon.
SDU has the 9/7/06 off work so will/maybe doing something then. (weather permitting etc)
She wants to try and off road ride the DR650 so it will be a easy ride.
Will post in events when she tell me what she wants to do.
The top choices are the Lees Valley or up the river with no snow.

Sounds like you guys (both groups) had a cool (in both senses) ride! The photos are awsome and now I'm jellous. I'm up for a ride on the 9th if you'll have me. Both Lees Valley and the river are high on my to do list - wanted to do the river in a 4WD a few years ago but ECAN fenced the lower end on the southern side off before I got the chance. Have seen the light now and realise that two wheels are a much better option.

R