For some of the AMTRA crew the HCR starts in December fortunately for us we had a bit less to do. After having arranged the Thursday off work we kissed the city goodbye (and good riddance)on Wednesday night spending the night staying with friends in the High Country before heading to Abbeyard Thursday.
When we turned up on Thursday there were already people there preparing the marquee site and other things. We had a fair bit of work to do as well so we got stuck into it so we’d have the Friday free to take a group of people to Craigs hut for a few tourist snaps.
Thursday was a pleasant and mild day that saw the block gradually filling with volunteers and entrants. Unlike the Nolan and the Kenda which have been based on properties owned by other people AMTRA owns it’s own property and recent developments at the property have seen it become far more bike and camper friendly. The fact that the club owns it’s own property also means that we are not at the mercy of land owners who may at any time decide to sell up or decide not to host such events.
While the main part of the property was in good shape thanks to the work of volunteers the access track on the other side of the property was infested with the high country curse (blackberries!). We are hoping to clean that up in time for next years HCR.
With people turning up from interstate later in the arvo we had a better idea of the numbers wanting to go to Craig’s hut on Friday. We set a departure time of 9:00am-9:30am which was really 10am. With the skip across to Craigs hut being only a 100km round trip Alex and Al decided that they would look after anyone who wanted a long ride going around the back of Craig’s hut down into Wonongatta .
By about 9.15 Alex and Al were keen to get on the move. As each new car turned up more people wanted to come. We drew the line at 10am when we headed off ,unfortunately right at the time when so more of our friends from AMTRA NSW turned up. We came to a happy compromise with them by giving them one of our maps so they could get to Craig’s Hut.
Being good tourists we took Williams Logging Road & Little Cobble Track there stopping only at the Williams Loggin Rd and Abbeyard Cobbler Lake Rd intersection in an effort to keep the traffic flowing and the dust down for those on the track. One of the interesting things in the high country is that the surfaces can go from extremely grippy to extremely slippery in a matter of meters. With this on my mind and my incessant desire not to become a hood ornament for a 4wd I thought I’d share
After having Al lead down Williams Logging Road I had Alex lead down Little Cobbler. Along the downside of Little Cobble track I noticed a rather large and malformed skid mark on a slippery corner (with boghole for added difficulty). It didn’t look like a drift, more of an “Oh poo” moment. And sure enough waiting at King hut was Alex with a look on his face that said he had a story to tell. Sure enough he’d come in to that corner just a little hot and slid sideways around the corner coming out the other side more by luck than skill.
With a quick photo moment through the creek almost and we almost caught a DRZ going swimming!
Shawn slowed to a stop then thought about it then made it look easy.
Paul Wigginton
Scott Dorman heading downstream.
Scott Dorman making it out unscathed.
Alan White ambled through like only a bloke who has done this crossing 50 or more times could.
From King Hut we went up King Hunt Track stopping only to try and find the missing bit of the track which was too far over grown to be worried about. Then on to Craigs hut. When I first came to Craigs hut some years back you could ride right up to the building. Not there is a carpark a rustic fence and even a sit down dunny!. We didn’t make use of the fence but the other facilities were tested and well and truly met the required standards.
Scott took some footage.
I got a tourist photo that shows how small the huts really are.
I tried to get the guys in just one photo but managed to get them in two.
Organising trail riders is like hearding Cats – really.
With everyone having walked around the hut and checking out all of the story boards we vacated just in time before the next fleet of tourist 4wd’s turned up.
Back down Kinghut track and up the Staircase we came across what must be the dumbest group of blokes I’ve met in the high country. These 4 fools were trying to take a VW transporter up (YES UP) the staircase. They had managed to get up to the bottom hairpin and had got out of the vehicle for a drink. I told them that they had no hope of going any further – but they told me that they would try and make it to the top.
Unless they turned around the van will still be parked somewhere on that hill.
A left turn at the top saw us enjoy some nice erosion mounds before arriving at Cobbler lake to marvel at the man made lake on top the hill. With some of the guys getting concerned about fuel range , I donated one litre to a WR250 to get him home. Turns out I could have donated 4 as my 550 only used 6.5 litres for the 105 km trip. The last of the trip home had us coming up on a group of 4wd’s – most of whom pulled over to let us past.
After we’d passed them we waited and waited and waited until the guys finally arrived at The Williams Logging road turnoff. Turns out one of the blokes went around a 4wd and fell off on the outside of a horrid rocky off camber corner. One of the other fellas had pulled up so as not to run over him and fell off as well. This comedy of errors led to no injury (other than pride). It did hold us up for a fair period though meaning that we again had to pass the same 4wd’ers. At least this time they were more prepared for bikes to go whizzing by and gave us room and a wave through.
We got back to Abbeyard at 3.00pm with all riders in one piece. Alex, Al & Jethro got back a few hours later.
All in all a great day had by everyone who came on the ride.
