Dusty Butt 1,000km adventure ride

**Transalper** · 5th April 2007, 14:36

It's a nice day in St Arnaud today... See the webcam below..

Ignore the time on the photo, it is actually up to date with in the last 20 minutes. I check by watching the sun set there yesterday.
http://www.snow.co.nz/clients/nelsonlakes/webcam.asp

**PLUG** · 5th April 2007, 18:51

... "let the journey begin" ... John Mitchell, after his sacking as AB's coach ...

**NordieBoy** · 5th April 2007, 19:48

Originally Posted by PLUG

... "let the journey begin" ... John Mitchell, after his sacking as AB's coach ...

"let the journey begin" again...

Still want to have a go at it as a one dayer some time

**Transalper** · 5th April 2007, 20:12

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

"let the journey begin" again...

Still want to have a go at it as a one dayer some time

Molsworth opens again about 27/28 December, by then the Rainbow gates are already open. No keys needed then. So sometime close to either side of New Years will be done.

**PLUG** · 5th April 2007, 20:18

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

Still want to have a go at it as a one dayer some time

... me 2 ... how does 31/12/07 sound ... there's only 1 better way of seeing the old year out than doooing the DB in full ... that i know of anyway ... how bout you ... dawn start though ... back in time for a couple of quiet ones ... NOT !!!

**cooneyr** · 5th April 2007, 20:50

Originally Posted by PLUG

... me 2 ... how does 31/12/07 sound ... there's only 1 better way of seeing the old year out than doooing the DB in full ... that i know of anyway ... how bout you ... dawn start though ... back in time for a couple of quiet ones ... NOT !!!

You know my answer to that suggestion BRING IT ON

unless the wife has other plans

Cheers R

**PLUG** · 5th April 2007, 21:01

Originally Posted by cooneyr

BRING IT ON

unless the wife has other plans

Cheers R

... get in first ...

**cooneyr** · 5th April 2007, 21:05

Originally Posted by PLUG

... get in first ...

yes dear

(Was waiting for that responce)

Cheers R

**PLUG** · 5th April 2007, 21:15

Originally Posted by cooneyr

You know my answer to that suggestion BRING IT ON

Cheers R

... i think we scared nordy away ...

**NordieBoy** · 5th April 2007, 21:36

Takes more than that to scare me.

Eeek!
Sorry, gravel flashback.

Are the Nelson Street Races going to be on next year?
They were on Jan 2nd this year.
We're away 'till the 2nd anyway.
Now watching the port races with a few of the KB crew and then doing the Dusty the next day...
Or on Friday the 28th...

**PLUG** · 9th April 2007, 10:32

done & dustered ... of sorts ... 11hrs from St Arnard to the finish in Nelson ... fitness & endurance of both the mind & body will be required to do it in one hit ...

BusaJim, TA & i just crused along stopping regurally to drink in the surroundings we were in, man there is all sorts of variety to the roads travelled & the enviroment we were in ... seems a shame to blast through it all in one hit ... but ... IT NEEDS TO BE DONE

we didn't have coonyr (Ryan) along for the other cheek ... on the way up Friday through the Rainbow, he had an off on a real prick of a corner that nessecated getting the rescue chopper in ... cracked left shoulder blade & cracked C1 (i think) vertebra ... the one at the base of the head/top of the spine ... seems he's a very luck man that will live to ride another day ... his DR came through it better than him, but both will be up & at it soon ...

don't hurry the recovery process CR, i want me riding buddy back as good as new ...

**Balrog** · 9th April 2007, 11:11

- Test pack on the Friday
- Getting ready to go on the Saturday Morning
- Tyre pressure adjustment
- Porika track over looking the lake
- Transalper's have I, haven't I got a puncture test
- Top of the Maruia Saddle on the way down

**Balrog** · 9th April 2007, 11:16

- At what we thought was the end of Palmer Road
- Back at the end of Howard Valley Road on the way back
- Transalper coming in to land
- Group shot Still at Howard Valley road
- Top of Mt Arthur
- Back at Starting point

**Balrog** · 9th April 2007, 11:53

MagicFairy and I turned up at base camp ( TopHouse )at around 1pm on the Friday.
Plug & Transalper turned up at around 5pm with the news that Cooneyr had taken a nasty tumble and was being choppered to Nelson.
This was some sad news but we decided to complete the mission with the aim of getting into see him at the end of the ride.
Friday night was a laugh, with Plug being the chef cooking up a mean spag bol and Transalper trying to smoke us all out of the motel with a nice steak.
Played zilch dice game all night.

Started off on the ride about 7:30 in the morning, temperature was nippy so everyone was wrapping up warm and switching of every heating device their bikes had. Weather was good though, a few dark clouds in the sky but otherwise fine.

Down the Howards valley, up and over the Porika and down through the Breaburn was fantastic.
Nice narrow bush tracks with native bush surrounding you all the way.
Pulled into Murchesion and Transalper discovered a staple sticking out of his tyre. After a bit of debate about pulling it out or leaving it in, we decided to pull it out and then spent 10mins seeing if it went down.
All good, tyre stayed up ( 50psi and a high speed test run to confirm ) and we were off again.

Maruia saddle was another great piece of road, riding through the native bush, loved every minute of it. Down the Westbank road and on down Palmers to the bottom. At the end of Palmers road was a bridge that was blocked off by a rope. We all stopped for a break thinking this was the end of the road.
About 10mins later when we were about to head back, the farmer came along an removed the rope ( must have been for moving the cows ). We had a quick look at the route sheet and discovered that we still had another 10k to go down the road, so we shot over the bridge and had a good blat through some really fun, dirt roads with lots of little fords.

Then it was back up the same roads to Murchesion. Another short break to consume red bull and eat pies and then it was back over the Porika track.
Going up the Porika track was probably the hardest part of the ride, as it was pretty steep and rocky, but lots of gas and keeping my eyes closed got me to the top

After that it was up through Sherry River through some really nice forestry roads ( with funny signs mumbling about permits or something ) and then up the road to Mt Arthur.

It was up Mt Arthur where I had the scariest moment of the ride.
Due to circumstances outside my control I had to use the long drop. Whoooaa I never signed on for something that hideous.
Anyway, after that traumatic experience it was back down the Mt Arthur road, with Transalper free wheeling down the hill due to petrol concerns and then back through Thorpe to Wakefield and then the clean run back into Nelson.

We arrived at the Carpark at around 6:30pm. Parked up for a few pics and then headed up to the hospital to go see Cooneyr.
Then it was a very dark ride back to St Arnaud were MagicFairy ( aka the support crew ) had a nice feed of bacon, eggs, sausages, bake beans and Heineken waiting .

Excellent

**PLUG** · 9th April 2007, 12:31

Originally Posted by BusaJim

MagicFairy and I turned up at base camp ( TopHouse )at around 1pm on the Friday.
Plug & Transalper turned up at around 5pm with the news that Cooneyr had taken a nasty tumble and was being choppered to Nelson.
This was some sad news but we decided to complete the mission with the aim of getting into see him at the end of the ride.
Friday night was a laugh, with Plug being the chef cooking up a mean spag bol and Transalper trying to smoke us all out of the motel with a nice steak.
Played zilch dice game all night.

Started off on the ride about 7:30 in the morning, temperature was nippy so everyone was wrapping up warm and switching of every heating device their bikes had. Weather was good though, a few dark clouds in the sky but otherwise fine.

Down the Howards valley, up and over the Porika and down through the Breaburn was fantastic.
Nice narrow bush tracks with native bush surrounding you all the way.
Pulled into Murchesion and Transalper discovered a staple sticking out of his tyre. After a bit of debate about pulling it out or leaving it in, we decided to pull it out and then spent 10mins seeing if it went down.
All good, tyre stayed up ( 50psi and a high speed test run to confirm ) and we were off again.

Maruia saddle was another great piece of road, riding through the native bush, loved every minute of it. Down the Westbank road and on down Palmers to the bottom. At the end of Palmers road was a bridge that was blocked off by a rope. We all stopped for a break thinking this was the end of the road.
About 10mins later when we were about to head back, the farmer came along an removed the rope ( must have been for moving the cows ). We had a quick look at the route sheet and discovered that we still had another 10k to go down the road, so we shot over the bridge and had a good blat through some really fun, dirt roads with lots of little fords.

Then it was back up the same roads to Murchesion. Another short break to consume red bull and eat pies and then it was back over the Porika track.
Going up the Porika track was probably the hardest part of the ride, as it was pretty steep and rocky, but lots of gas and keeping my eyes closed got me to the top

After that it was up through Sherry River through some really nice forestry roads ( with funny signs mumbling about permits or something ) and then up the road to Mt Arthur.

It was up Mt Arthur where I had the scariest moment of the ride.
Due to circumstances outside my control I had to use the long drop. Whoooaa I never signed on for something that hideous.
Anyway, after that traumatic experience it was back down the Mt Arthur road, with Transalper free wheeling down the hill due to petrol concerns and then back through Thorpe to Wakefield and then the clean run back into Nelson.

We arrived at the Carpark at around 6:30pm. Parked up for a few pics and then headed up to the hospital to go see Cooneyr.
Then it was a very dark ride back to St Arnaud were MagicFairy ( aka the support crew ) had a nice feed of bacon, eggs, sausages, bake beans and Heineken waiting .

Excellent

... hair hear ... thanks MF ...