2025 (Not The) Snowy Ride - Day 5

 DAY 5

Today started pretty much like yesterday - wet, only with a misty rain on top today though. 

Bugger.

The large group of riders from the Aussie Bike Or Hike crew were assembled outside our room in the carpark for their pre departure brief. I had been hoping to say g'day to Vern last night but the group disappeared into some other room for a group dinner. This morning I just missed him as he set off before the group to most likely set up for some shots of the group. Once they had left I brought my bike up from the undercover car park so I could load it.

I really wasn't looking forward to wet roads again today. Yesterday was a major drag with massive levels of concentration required to achieve very mediocre progress. While the road out of Jindabyne was not anywhere near as twisty as the Mitta road, there were still plenty of corners to negotiate on that "finest mahogany rubber" front tyre as Stu called it.

Lots of light where rubber should be touching the tarmac.

Doug decided to peel off and head back to Victoria this morning and Bruce had sore legs from ill fitting riding pants and probably didn't want to sit in the rain, so also headed for home. This left nine of us. 

Steve had alerted me to another YouTuber's recent ride in this area, specifically the Tantangara Reservoir road across to Long Plain road and Broken Cart Fire Trail. So, I would be leaving the others for today as I also planned to overnight in Forbes instead of Boorowa with the others. I figured the distance was about the same and Forbes/Boorowa were much of a muchness in terms of staying overnight. I wanted to visit Mum and Dad as well, so Forbes would win out today.

The good new was that the misty rain stopped just a few kilometres out of Jindabyne and the road was dry just a few kilometres after that. That made me very happy!

From Berridale we turned left into Middlingbank road. Buzzing along here for a while we came around a bend  and there were boulder strewn paddocks covered in bright green grass either side of the road. I wanted to get a photo and decided that as I was doing my own thing for most of the day anyway, I would start NOW! I waved the guys past that were behind me, did a U-turn and went back for a photo.

Getting underway again I caught the group just as they were entering Adaminaby. I followed for the next eighteen kilometres until the turn off for Tantangara reservoir. 

The dirt road was very wide and very well used along here. I passed some wild brumbies right by the side of the road. They didn't spook as they must be used to all of the traffic on this road.

It turns out the dam is part of the Snowy Hydro 2.0 expansion and there were major works going on. There was a massive workers camp that the road went right by and I could see a large structure being constructed over near the dam.

Having never been along here before I was fascinated by this new discovery and the new to me roads. This is exactly why I bought an ADV bike.

I followed the trail, Pocket Saddle road, along as it passed the dam wall.

It then crossed a small stream and began to climb the hill opposite.

The trail up the hill was quite steep with very tight switchback turns at the end of each straight. They were also covered in thick, coarse gravel to help make it more fun. I passed the only vehicle I would see for a few hours along here - luckily on the straight, not at a switchback.

The trail was in very good condition and I made good time along here. Turning left into Port Phillip Trail I wasn't sure what to expect.

Looking back at the intersection.

It turned out to be slightly twistier trail but still in very good condition. It was actually quite good fun.

I soon came to a well manicured and tree lined section of road with a collection of buildings off to the left. This turned out to be an old homestead, Currango. Apparently it is a camping/accomodation setting. It looked interesting but I decided to investigate on another day.

The trees soon thinned out from here as I approached Long Plain. An interesting rocky outcrop needed investigating. 

So I investigated.

Port Phillip Trail intersected with Long Plain road. Here I turned right and headed North. The last time I had been on this trail was for my Tour Divide training ride back in April 2015. It had felt so lonely and isolated back them on my mountain bike....and I have to admit, it was pretty lonely out here today as well. I hadn't seen another soul since I passed that car back near Tantangara dam.

I continued along Long Plain road with some big hill climbs and descents that I didn't recall. No wonder I was so knackered last time on the mtb! After a while I turned into Broken Cart track. There was an immediate change to the track conditions. Whereas Long Plain road was wide and well surfaced, Broken cart track was narrower, winding and had a red clay surface. I wouldn't want to ride it in the wet.

Soon after turning into Broken cart track I passed four mountain bikes coming the other way. They weren't loaded up so they must have been on a point to point day ride. Way out here!

The trail twisted and turned through eucalypt forest so the going was quite slow. Many small puddles and sticks were on the track from the wild weather the day before but it didn't cause me any concern. Days like today are the reason I run the tyres that I do.

I was soon at the Boundary road crossing. Here I could have gone right and it would take me toward Canberra. Today I wanted to continue along Broken Cart trail to Dubbo Flats camp ground and see what was beyond that.

Dubbo Flat was only another 5.5 kilometres up the track. I was soon there and confronted with a creek crossing. It was only narrow and shallow. I could see the sandy bottom clearly so just powered through.

The trail changed instantly I was the other side of that creek. It began to climb a steep hill with many water bars. On the uphill side of each water bar were two large puddles that couldn't be seen until cresting the bar. I soon learned to stay in the centre and keep the throttle open as I climbed. I was so glad the rain was yesterday up here. Doing this in the wet on a big bike would have been very difficult.

What went up soon went down. I was crawling down the hill using mainly engine braking. It was getting hot now and I was working hard so needed to zip a few vents open.

I was beginning to get a bit concerned where this trail was actually going and what it's condition might be like. Passing huge eucalypt trees down across the track like this one had me concerned about the potential for having to turn back. Also, the long downhill had me dreading a potential creek crossing at the bottom.

A few hundred metres further on I came to the intersection with Barnetts road. 

Whew!

I jumped off the bike, got my jacket and helmet off then dropped my pants as far as they would go. 

I was cooking!

It felt sooooo good to cool off...(no photos of that special moment)

This was the crotch cooling corner.

Steve and I had constructed this route while sitting at his computer a few days prior to the ride. Being out here, on ones lonesome in the middle of nowhere is very different to sitting in a comfy chair at home, envisioning it.

 I now had a very close look at the route on my phone to 1. see if it got much more difficult and 2. to see if there was an easy way out.

The answer to both of these questions seemed to be "no". It didn't get any more difficult and there wasn't an easy option out. The route was the best way.

So once I had cooled off, had a bite and a drink I turned right into Barnetts road and got going. It was a big wide road but it was a bit rutted up on the climbs and descents. This didn't slow me up much as the DX eats up that type of trail. It was so nice to be clipping along at a good pace as the cooling effect was much more noticeable.

Eight kilometres along Barnetts road I turned onto Bramina/Barnetts road which was a huge forestry super highway. 100km/h gravel! Woo Hoo!

That then joined onto Brindabella road and I was in heaven again! Super wide, new, pothole free tarmac!

After starting to feel a bit overwhelmed because I still had a long way to go today only thirty or so minutes ago, I was now loving it. The joys of motorcycling....this is why we do it!

It was getting pretty warm now as I dropped out of the high country but I did stop along Billapaloola road to get some shots as the scenery was just so epic. Unfortunately the photos don't do it justice but I post them here as inspiration for you to go ride this road.

As it was getting very hot I didn't stop at all along Hopewell road. I sort of wish I had as it was a nice easy dirt road that ran through a number of farms. Right by their houses and through their tractor yards in one instance. I did pass another Desert X coming the other way and we exchanged waves.

I did stop briefly on top of  Roben lookout. It wasn't marked but I could see the wheel track going off to the side of the road to a small knoll. The view from here was superb in all directions but man, was it hot!

Murrumbidgee river in the background. Summer in country NSW everywhere else...

It would be hot hot hot all the rest of the way to Forbes. I stopped in Jugiong for fuel then rode the Jugiong road to Murrumburrah where I turned left for Young.

I had noted on Facebook that the Wombat pub had been re-opened with new owners mid 2025 so I planned to drop in for a cold beer. When I pulled up a bloke was carrying boxes in the side door and the place looked closed. I asked if it was open and he said "sorry, closed Monday and Tuesday". 

Fcuk!

The main reason I came this way was to support the pub. I jumped off the bike to take a photo. The owner asked if I would like him to take one for me. I replied "not unless I am holding a beer in said photo". So, I took it myself and pressed on.

I didn't stop again until I reached Forbes, another 130 kilometres up the road. Mainly because it was HOT. 

37 degrees Celcius hot. 

Arriving in Forbes I checked into my pre booked motel. They had the foresight to have the airconditioning running so it was lovely and cool. I quickly unloaded the bike and had a cold shower. My Klim gear was perfect for most of this ride but on days like this it is too hot. Had the whole ride been hot like today (and last years Snowy ride) I was going to wear moto x gear.

Anyway, I went for a walk around town and was going to grab some iconic Aussie country town food for dinner - Chinese - only they were all closed. I ended up at the Forbes Inn for a nice steak and red wine. Forbes seems a different place to what I grew up in. It has changed even in the last three years since Dad left us.

A walk around the quiet streets of the town centre was nice after dinner but it was still mighty warm

All in all, it was another great day on the bike. I did my thing today while the others hit more of the high country blacktop. They were in Boorowa tonight and the thoughtful dicks rang me while having dinner to sing me happy birthday - yep, it was another lap around the sun day for me today. 

Very kind of them, but as an introvert, I was fine with being here, alone. 

Another 488 kilometres today.....and I was "home".

Cheers.

P.S. As an aside, we had a massive hailstorm go through home in Brisbane this afternoon. Luckily all of our cars were elsewhere but the Colourbond roof and our solar panels didn't fare too well! Basically cricket ball sized hail. The scalloped edges were amazing and don't really show well in the photo.