AL
Full Member 2013/2014
Posts: 830
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« on: May 25, 2009, 10,14:57 AM » |
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The Fumina, I’m Stuffed Ride
By Al Mason
23rd May
Well great weather was forecast, and a lack of rain were all very good signs for my ride as either dust or deep river crossings can make this ride hard going. I got off to an early start to check to see if my usual first track had reopened after logging. Just before I had finished gearing up Tim arrived and with no real persuasion he said he would help me check. Tim and I were soon off, as the victims began to arrive. Tim hadn’t see this track before but due to Denis Kelly and his bike finding a mineshaft on it most people have heard about it. Once at the top of the track there was a tree that was blocking the path, but we lifted our bikes over and were met by a new track linking it to the main gravel road. Tim loved the couple of hundred steep woops, but with my newly tricked up forks feeling horrid I was dreading a hole day with them.
At the car park most of the crew had arrived, and a few over shooting the entrance provided the entertainment as we waited for some later comers. In total there was 16 of us for the day. I did my speech, which would still make my English teacher cringe, and we were off.
After a 500meter bitumen stretch, I lead the pack up the first deceivably tricky first track to the fallen tree. Out with the trusty folding saw and some heavy breathing from myself, Tim and Tim and the tree was removed now just a couple hundred woops were there to great us. As usual the good blokes effortlessly bound over them in a fluid motion. Myself and the rest of us, just tried our best to hold down breakfast. With my new front end still making me dread the next 120ks, I found Mark Salter over an embankment at a very weird angle. Stopping to lend a hand I felt better knowing these woops can claim one of our best, the rest of us are doing alright!
The group took off though some nice flowing tracks to the first river crossing on the days loop. Its also the most infamous one on my ride. With everyone across,  Some with style and grace, and some not. A single stalled bike was it. A blast up the staircase and a few short goatees and another river crossing and we are in the good stuff. I stopped at my usual rest, fuel, food and chat stop after a long flowing narrow trail. The word “arm pump” was already been bantered about, with my highlight of “how cool” and “good are these tracks!” I say my highlight cause its a big part for me to show people around a place most of them had never heard of. And then I get to tell them “that the good stuff is still to come“.
Refreshed and recharged we head of for my regulars sections. The group was flowing the best of any ride I have ever led, and we were covering the ground in record time, which was extra good as this was the largest group I ve ever had as well. I’ve manage over the years to link up all the track well, until a big dozer had ploughed a new road. With a slow down and a look about we picked up the track again and headed for “The Bridge”. When we arrived the powers that be have bulldozed a road up to and then from “The Bridge” but have left it in its far from ideal state still there?? Once we were all across, young Tim had taken over the controls of Paul’s new KTM 250 for the try before you buy ride. I led, then let past some of the faster guys in the group, back into the technical stuff. We hoped out at the end on to Stony Creek Rd. I took off and started leaving my corner men again, when Tim stopped me to say we had an injured rider. This was first time for me with an injured rider on my ride. My brain went into overdrive about how bad and easiest way to get help as I rode back. Tim and I arrived back to the group to find young Tim with that look of “did you get the number of that bus?” on his face and a very sad looking KTM on the ground. To my relief no ambulance was going to be needed, but a easy route back to the cars was? The spanners were already out on the Kato to make it rideable, so I got out a (Tim’s)pen and my map and marked the route out for Rob, Tim and Paul. With the usual reticule out of the way I took them to the start of the track home and sent them on there way.
Once back to the group I gave the nod and we were off again along some open flowing tracks to our lunch stop. At lunch I asked the Orical (Tim) about the river crossing and if he thought it would be alright? Tim asked “how goods the track that comes down to it?”. “The best of the day”, “well we will do it” As we sat and replenished another group of riders came down to the crossing and supply some entertainment. The first two crossed easily, then it got a bit messy for the next couple using the submersible method. As they kept coming we thought it was time   
To get a move on.
After a cruise track alone the river flat to another of my famous bridges I stopped, and pondered using the crossing instead? As is always asked by someone on my ride. So I edge up to the left entry track and plunged in to the clear 6 inches of water, that went up to my knees. I then proceeded across with the grace of a drunken ice skater to the other side, only to find the hidden exit was a near vertical 3 feet of red clay. By this point 2 other bikes had entered on the right and were told STOP! no exit. Row simply flicked the Kato around and rode out. I man handled my bike and got out, but Clarke wasn’t quite so lucky. Dropping his 450 in the water, while a couple of us waited to see if the 450 had survived its swim, I sent the rest over the bridge to the other side. The 450 came to life and we headed over the bridge too. After assigning a corner man we were back into the tight stuff that always puts a smile on the faces at the top of the track. At the regroup it was disgust how good the track was, but also how stuffed people were.
After a breather I led the group to a track that none of them had done, that would take us to the river crossing we had lunch at. I had told everyone how good this track was, but also failed to mentioned how tough it was either. As the group headed off into the unknown it very quickly becomes apparent how tight and twisty this track is, i.e. 3 point turns required. After going over, under and around some logs came a choice? The duck under a branch as you hope over a log. Or the blast up an embankment around the hole problem. I watch Tim go for the later and get stuck, requiring some brut force to free himself. Whilst waiting for the duck and hop option to become clear, Row decided to take the blast and around option. Row didn’t see there was also a tree to the left of the track. As he lunched up the embankment he bounce off the tree and looked like he and his steed were in for a long drop. However a inch thick stick that would have broken on any other day, held the two. Allowing Row to think about new jocks and remount the Kato.
By the time I arrived at the river with two arms made up of only jelly, Tim and a few guys were standing in the river to give advice and assistance. On dropping into the river, that old saying of “were you look is were you go”. Well Tim pointed were to go and I looked at Tim? Up the river a bit I headed to the exit were I had seen it so easily done, I asked mark for his advice. Ignored it and went up the other side and with a little help made it. With the group all out and some people sitting on their bikes and their lungs resting on the handle bars, we decided to make this a rest stop. As we rested Tim said when he had arrived the group we saw at lunch, were only just getting back under way.
It was now time to head for home, a short open section Leeds as back into the tight stuff and a couple of the track we had done in the morning. After a few flowing track we do our last river crossing, how ever one rider went left while I was talking to the corner man. Nathan offered to go get him, but I wasn’t clear enough to Tim and he thought they were light on for fuel and heading for the cars. After a few more tracks we hit the last goatee for the day, I let Tim and mark go ahead for a blast, as there is no where to pass. After leaving a corner man I to went for a blast, and arrived quickly on the tail of Chris. Were I made the mistake of grabbing a fistful of front brake on wet red clay! No biggy the bike washed out and hit a tree stump, sending me over the hangers and up, over and down six feet of the embankment. Where I used my shoulder to break my fall. After climbing(crawling) back up to the track and mounting the bike I gingerly road to the end, were it was noted the we had NO Nathan or Maurice.
With most of us running on limited fuel Aaron volunteered to come back with me to were I thought they would be. Along the way I counted every bump and woop as they hurt like hell, but after a few tracks Aaron and I meet up with them, they had done the right thing and waited at what was the last corner man position. A short route was taken back to the group, and we all headed for home. Once on the last track pretty much everyone past me as I was so slow. I reached the group and at the last intersection, we headed down the main rd back to the cars.
As most of the blokes had got changed and loaded bikes, it was noticed that we a ‘Clarke’ short? Nathan and Tim quickly volunteered to go get him, which I was rapped about as I was working out how I was going to do a couple hundred gears changes on the way home and not looking forward to any more bumps or woops. I showed Tim on the map I gave him were I had left Clarke and he and Nathan set off. The rest of the crew check If I wanted them to hang around and wait, but I said no I will wait for them. After what seemed forever the three of them returned, two without head lights in the dark. With my cruisers head lights acting as the sun we got the bikes and gear loaded and set off for home.
From me a big thanks to Tim and Nathan for retrieving Clarke, and thanks Paul and Aaron for their tail man duties. Also thank to the group for a great day out and the smiles were a great reward. And a sorry to Clarke for forgetting to do a head count at the regroup after finding Nathan and Maurice. Thanks Al
RIDE LIST
Al Mason WR250 Ride Leader
Paul Lacy KTM250 Morning Tail man
Nathan Scott WR250
Mark Salter KTM300
Michael Neubecker DRZ250 Pictures
Chris McCran WR450 Video
Darrell Clark WR450
Trevor Bastin GasGas300
Tim Dykes TE510
Rod Wainwright WR250
Tim Wainwright WR250
Damian King WR250
Serge Coffa WR250
Rowen Smith KTM250
Aaron Rowe KTM250 Afternoon Tail man
Maurice Cortada WR450
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