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 right. 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.

Snowy Mountains TD Training Ride - Day 2

DAY 2

 I slept pretty well, in spite of the cold night, being woken a few times by herds of wild horses trotting by on all sides of my tent and more worryingly, wild dogs howling on the distance. I awoke feeling quite refreshed despite what I would estimate to be a 6/10 quality sleep. 

Upon emerging from my tent I was greeted with a stunning sight. All of Long Plain was laid out before me, shimmering in it's covering of frost. My tent also got in on the party, being frozen solid!

 While my sleeping gear aired on a nearby branch and my water boiled for my quick oats, I set to sorting out my front tyre-gear clearance issue.

On the last service where I had the aerobars installed, I had requested that my bars be lowered by one spacer, about 1cm. This 1 cm(just under 1/2in) was enough to lower my clearance. I loosened off the bolts and raised my bars by that one spacer again. Hopefully this would do the trick. After trying to dry my tent in the bright, weakly warm sunlight, I looked at the time and it was almost 8:30am! Time to get going! I stuffed the still wet tent into it's bag with the plan to air it out when I was resupplying in Cabramurra. I should have thought of this half an hour earlier! Curse that mild O.C.D. and my need not to put gear away wet!

 Bumping along Long Plain road my legs were feeling pretty good. 123km(77mi) and who knows how much climbing(3100m or 10 200ft it turns out) was less than I had hoped but I did get a late start yesterday........just like today......d'oh!

 I soon passed the turn off for Long Plain campground. It looked to be sheltered in the trees and hence, from the frost but this is the direction I could hear the dogs howling from so I was happy with my choice of camping spot. 

 I was well pleased to see Rules Point and the sealed Snowy Mtns Hwy. I was due to ride along the highway for a while before turning off onto Wallace's Fire Break. Steve Watson,the organiser of the Monaro Cloudride and evil genius behind the route had told me that the fire break can be soggy if wet and I was seeing plenty of water in the table drains alongside the highway. Wallace's was just a way to keep me off the highway and seeing how I was behind schedule I saw little point in flogging along a muddy, slow fire trail for several hours just to cover 17km or so when there was a perfectly good, quietly trafficked highway alongside. 

 I was soon at the Kiandra turn off to Cabramurra. Kiandra was a gold rush town back in the 1800s where many a prospector lost his life in the harsh winter conditions. Today, almost nothing remains of the town.  Cabramurra on the other hand was built to house workers on the mighty Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric scheme that began in the 1950s and was finally complted in the early 1970s. It is also Australia's highest town.

 I climbed for a few kilometres before rejoining my route with a left turn onto Kings Cross Rd toward Mt Selwyn. Here I crested 5000ft above sea level for the first time.

My brother and I have ridden our motorcycles across these mountain roads many times but as road bikers, we were unaware that these dirt roads even existed. It was like discovering these alps for the first time and my spirits soared again! 

 A few easy kilometres and I was rolling down into Cabramurra.

I spread my tent out over one of the picnic benches to dry then strolled into the shop to fill up.

In hindsight, I should have ordered first, then spread my tent as I was now caught behind four elderly folks who couldn't decide what they wanted. Tick, tock, time is distance to me. What didn't help was the fact that the bloke behind the counter looked like a deer in the headlights and would have been more at home twirling spanners on a dozer in the bush. He was totally flustered when I also ordered a coffee, taking his order book to five! I tipped him over the edge by asking if I could fill my Camelbak from his tap which was right there in front of me. He told me to wait while he dealt with all these orders....... 

 Finally refilled with coffee, juice, pies and muffins and my tent nicely dry, I rolled out(well struggled back up the hill actually) about 50 minutes after rolling into town. Not a bad turn around after all. 

 As I began to descend toward Tumut Pond Dam, one of the Snowy Scheme dams, I noticed that there was still frost on the roadside in the shade. It couldn't be more than 5C( F) at midday. Thank god it was a calm, stunning day!

 I bombed down the next few kilometres, dropping about 1200ft down to the dam then slowly grinding 1200ft and more up the other side.

 I soon came to my turn off, Manjar Rd.

This is part of the Bicentennial National Trail and I spotted the blazes nailed to a tree some distance off. Goodby tar, hello rough, rocky dirt.......and wilderness. 

 This was the section of the ride that I was most apprehensive about. It is pure wilderness and before the advent of sat phones and EPIRBS it was designated remote area for us aviation types, just like the scorched heart of Australia is, only these mountains lie between the most populous areas in Australia.

 Travelling alone, I REALLY didn't want to break me or my bike in here. 

 Bouncing along the trail, it alternated in passing through open countryside, then tall stands of gum trees via short pinch climbs followed by rocky, rutted descents. 

This was hard going as my bike runs a rigid fork. This is suited to it's intended purpose, namely the Tour Divide Race but this ride called for front suspension at least! 

 Somewhere here I managed to lose my rain jacket off the back of my bike!  I would perish if stuck out here overnight without that! So, turning around, I tore back along the track to find it some 2km back. An extra 4km added to the total! 

 Stopping at the intersection of Manjar and Black Jack Rd I took in the vista across the plains to the west of the alps. 

My goal tonight, the town of Batlow, was to the west of the ranges and I began climbing Black Jack rd that way. West or Left. How smooth was this surface? Luxury! Then I looked at the gps screen. I was heading in the wrong direction! Of course, the trail went the other way, the rocky, rough way! Oh well, another 1/2km added to my total. 

No, of course, the trail is to the right here.....

 The next few hours consisted of pedalling up and down through huge eucalypt forest, the road covered with bark and sticks. They were extremely thick in some places.

My concentration was through the roof as I tried to maximise my speed on the downhills while trying to dodge roots and derailuer eating sticks in the mottled sunlight that was managing to filter in through the massive gums. At least my gear wasn't rubbing on the front tyre any more. I however,  felt like I was stuck on an exercise bike and I wasn't making any progress.

 I checked my overall position on my map and I was less than half way to Batlow with the sun starting to sink in the western sky. Bugger! There was a section where this never ending rough fire road turned onto a sealed road, before turning north again onto forest roads.

I thought "screw this, I am going to follow (the much longer) sealed road as I can't take any more of this beating". Then I started questioning why I was going slow. I was carrying extra survival gear that I wouldn't be carrying on The Divide. I questioned my legs next. "Ok guys, with all this gym work you are as strong as you have ever been. What gives?" The answer to what gives was that I had been holding back, spinning easily on the climbs and generally saving my legs in case I "blew up". Well, no more. I cracked the whip and began to power up the climbs. Not ragged-arse xc style but solid, purposeful pedalling. The road even helped out with sections of smooth gravel.

 I was pleasantly surprised that my legs responded and responded well. I kept this pace up until the sealed road then thought "lets take a look at what the road through Bago Forest looks like". If it looks snotty, then I will take the seal but if it looks good the 30km(19mi) to Batlow shouldn't take long.

 At that turn off the road looked excellent. I fitted my headlight, a Lezyne Power Drive that I was trialling. I stretched a bit, then headed into Bago Forest. The next 20 or so kilometres were on excellent smooth clay road and I made great time. This is the sort of road the BNT is made for!

 Exiting the eucalypt forest and entering pine plantations just on dark, the road turned to cobble stone rock that almost rattled my teeth out. The last 10km into Batlow was a misery as I was tired and being pummelled by the road. Add to this some brake searing descents where I had the levers pulled back to the bars and you get the picture. I had done so much braking today that the pads on my BB7s needed adjusting several times but I wasn't stopping to give them one more tweak now! 

 I had a funny experience just out of Batlow. I was belting down a hill, staying well left to try and find a smoother line amongst the cobblestones when a rabbit came belting up the hill, straight at me! I don't know if my lights confused him but he zipped by at full tilt, going the other way and missing my front wheel by less than a foot. Almost a perfect head on smash to end my day! 

 Rolling into Batlow, population 1700, I was going to treat myself to a bed inside tonight. I soon found the appropriately named Apple Motel and was checked in by a friendly and inquisitive lady. "You are on a bike, ...now?!" meaning why was I riding in the dark. To which I replied the obvious "well, you just have to keep pedalling. You can't just put your foot down a little more". 

 Next door to the Apple Motel(an excellent little motel actually) is the Batlow RSL. I rocked in, strutting my bike gear and proceeded to order half the items on the Chinese menu. Hole filled, I wandered back to my room for a shower and stretch. I also caught up on 2 days worth of messages as this was the first mobile coverage I had had since leaving Canberra. 

 I had covered a respectable 148km(93mi) and who knows how much climbing.(another 3000m or 9800ft apparently)

 My bike was performing flawlessly and the new 2.2 tyres, a Specialised Fast Track Control up front and a Maxxis Ikon, this time with EXO sidewall protection, out back were providing some much needed volume to help smooth out the ride. I think I was running them at too high a pressure(30psi) though for these trails. Mid 20s might be a better pressure to try so I let a calibrated finger full of air out of each end after the pummelling I took today.

 I went to bed setting my alarm for first light with the intention of getting on the road by 7am. I wanted to make Wee Jasper tomorrow and I wasn't quite sure what lay ahead of me. One thing that was certain, on this Cloudride route, expect it to be harder that it needs to be and you won't be far wrong.......