This post is totally out of order with what has been going on these last few weeks. It is a very nice problem to have, too much going on and nowhere near enough time to tell anyone about it! But today was an awesome day out with my kids and
a good friend from Brisbane who is also spending a few days here in the Snowy Mountains region and it will not wait !
Gaz had the idea of riding up to the Cascade Trail Hut. It was a walk he had last done about 27 years ago and figured it was time to revisit the area. He kindly invited my kids and I along but unfortunately his daughter wasn't feeling the best so would stay in camp and rest up.
The drive out to the Cascade Trailhead was predictably pleasant. I thought we would ride out the Thredbo Valley Trail so that we could finish the ride in Thredbo but we were unsure if we could ride the trail so drove to the trailhead.
We were quickly kitted up and we pointed the bikes along the trail. The morning was warming up already with a fairly high maximum (in the 30s C) forecast so best not to hang around. Gaz did have to pose for the "new bike shot" first though!
The trail started upward pretty much straight away which brought much snarling from the littlest member of our party. He wasn't really feeling the love for climbing hills this morning!
To be fair, they were big hills and it was moderately warm. In the interests of heat regulation he took his helmet of while the snail's pace climb continued, donning it again for the descent on the other side.
After a short break at Bob's Ridge we started down the next descent.
It was quite steep and before long we had a man...er....woman....er.....girl down. Decomposed granite surface combined with a right hand bend and a bit of front brake equaled gravel rash and some torn knicks. However, after a short analysis of the sequence of the events all was well and we pressed on.
With the dust washed off our shoes in a few cool creek crossings, we were looking along a shallow valley toward some distant wild brumbies that were grazing quietly.
Not far to the hut (and lunch) now!
We spent a bit of time exploring the hut, eating our lunch around the fireplace (not lit of course) then wandering out into the meadow to observe the brumbies. This was the highlight of Miss 11's ride as we have been seeking out wild horses each time we have visited the Snowies for about the last 5 or 6 years now and finally we had success!
As the horses wandered away we made our way back to the hut and pedalled back toward "the world". This of course involved much more upward directional pedalling. Much more grumbling ensued of course as it was quite "warm" by now. We walked some, pushed some, picked up some sticks and used them like swords....you get the idea. Eventually we were at Bob's Ridge again and it was all downhill with a few cool creeks to ford again.
It is funny how quickly the kids outlook changes with the trail grade. They were gabbling away again and loving it!
Back at the car we took a small breather before heading down the Thredbo Valley Trail toward ice cream. I was going to ride back and get the car afterward but for now we would check out this trail. I thought I had read somewhere that it was accessable to mountain bikes. It quickly became apparent that whether or not it was legal to ride this trail, it wasn't a particularly rideable. The kids were coping remarkably well with the unexpected hike-a-bike that went on for about an hour longer than we were expecting.....
Popping out onto the golf course trail we were soon into Thredbo and accosting shop keepers for cold refreshments. Don't get between a thirsty 9 year old and a cold drink!
The kids were still chirpy and in fact, while I rode back to Dead Horse Gap to pick up the car, Gaz watched the kids as they did 40 (yes, 40!) laps of the local pump track. Yes,hey
were counting! Not bad after 32km and 900m climbing at 5-6000ft above sea level!!
We all survived the heat and hills, having a great time in the process. The Snowy Mountains region certainly has some stunning scenery and more of it is being opened up to mountain bikers, making it much more accessible. We have a few more days here and plan to get back out there...once the little legs have recovered some! Thanks Gaz for a great day out.
Cheers.
