AL
Full Member 2013/2014
Posts: 830
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« on: December 06, 2010, 08,50:57 AM » |
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A Dry Fumina Ride.
By Al Mason.
With large amounts of rain for the week, all followed by thunder storms a ride at Fumina was looking like a great idea? The forecast was for 28 degrees with 30% chance of rain followed by a thunder storm.
An early start Saturday morning with the wife and boy and we under way boud for a wet and deep river filled day (as usual) at Fumina. I had been running through plans all week for how to get around some of the river crossings on my loop, but was very reluctant to cut out some of my favorite tracks. And I have a reputation to up hold.
As I arrived at the car park followed by Nathan and Sam, Michael was already gearing up in his van and asking questions. It wasn’t a long wait before all the crew had arrived. (Only 6 of us) With us geared up and fuel and supplies loaded into my Cruzier, we were on the bikes for 9:03am and headed for my Mine shaft track. As I started my run I some how managed to put my front wheel on the wrong side of the log (first time in 300 odd runs), which brought me to a Holt very quickly. After a few had past me I got underway, and soon realized what the rest of the group normally faces when the clean run is not available. (Not again!)
After a few more log crossings and a few minutes, everyone was to the top. A couple a little short of breath, but all at the top. It was then a quick scout about of a couple of new tracks to add to the list and into of my more infamous tracks. (Telecom) It wasn’t long before fallen trees had the group split with different approaches. All of which worked, but none were pretty. The track was going well until around the ¾ mark when some more fallen trees in the bottom of a deep leach filled gully. Angus used his “Wildwood Rock” training to show us the way to get a bike over the trees. I say bike because Angus was still on the original side as the bike landed. The rest of us said good effort, but not with my bike! We cut and cleared some of the trees whilst Dave tried a bash through the unknown approach. Dave did get through, much have been his “HTFU” training. The rest of us went the lift and strain approach to get the bikes over. Angus did try to get Clarkie’s bike up the embankment and across the moss covered log, but with no success.
It was then into some more open trails down to the Tanjil River, with the air flow very welcomed. As I put the front wheel into the river, noting my reference rock was now a foot under water I ponder weather to cross or note. However Dave had already started the walk in and we deemed it do able with a slightly wider route than normal. I ended up walking the last bit once the bike found the gutter in the centre from all the rain and my legs aren’t long enough to touch the ground well enough with the flow of the river. So one by one we all got across with no drowning, Clarkie did come very close and was lucky to have Dave still standing in the river to assist.
We then headed up the staircase with the pass picking up, well as they went past me they did. It was then the usual run through some cool tracks as things got tighter and more technical as they tend to do on my ride. Once I finally made it to the end of some very slick tight stuff I noticed Nath and Angus were out with tools on Nath’s Husky. Apparently Nath took a closer view of the mud from over the bars, no real harm to him or the bike. (so I guess no one saw it then) A very short regroup and check of the tail man and we were back into Fumina fun. The last ¼ of this famous track were they actual farm Amoral from? But is a big hoot and sideways is always the order of the day.
After a few more of these tracks we ran into our first real bike problem. Nath’s Husky had tried to eat a stick. The front guard gave up trying to stop it, so the throttle body did its best instead? Result: the throttle body was knocked off and a hole punched through the rubber boot. With the bike stripped down the “brains trust” came up with the idea of put a tube patch inside and out of the air boot to stop dust and stuff from entering, and eyes fell on me to get Nath to the lunch stop where he could pull the pin. (Didn’t slow him down though!) After a navigational blunder by me, we were all soon on the final couple of open trails towards the support car for fuel and lunch.
Nath was at the car and relaxing by the time I dragged my slow butt into the car park and the girls had lunch and drinks well under control. So I took the geared up boy for a ride on daddy’s bike up the track to see if the bridges had been reopened that have been limiting my usual loop. (Very popular tracks too!)
After lunch the girls and Nath loaded up the car for their return trip as I lead the group back out for more of the same technical stuff we had left. It wasn’t my best run through the first tight track with the Yami becoming a rut magnet! I need some help from Clarkie and Michael to retrieve my bike from a rut that eat the foot pegs. (Ok 3 ruts) As we all slowly popped out back on the main road, the group was not looking as sprightly as it normal does after a lunch stop. It was then I remembered something a wise man (well John Theisz) once told me. “I don’t run my ride when it’s hot because people will die!” And at this point I could understand why, as our ride have a lot in common. The consensus was to use some more open trails and keep the air flow up on the way home.
I tried to give the boys the best tracks that I know that fitted the criteria, with the river crossings being walk through jobs (not a problem when it hot) due to their depth. We finally hit the final few tracks and I notice I wasn’t been push to hard anymore and we headed up Kenny Spur towards home. With Dave and Angus playing bike swapsy. Angus even offered my a ride of Dave’s new Berg, which I thought was nice of him?
5:45pm and we were back at the cars with 155k on the clock. Nath and girls bet us by 10 minutes and we all got changed and loaded up. Most headed home but Angus & Donna, Dave, Shaz, Coop & I headed to the pub for some food and cooling beverages before heading home.
Thanks to the boys for a good day and sorry it wasn’t up to its usual standard. And thanks to Shaz, Sam, Donna and Coop for our lunch and fuel stop. (Nath says thanks too for the lift)
RIDE LIST:
AL MASON WR250F RIDE LEADER
NATHAN STOTT TE310
DAVID SMITH TE250 (BERG)
ANGUS BOUD GAS GAS300
MICHAEL KOLINGER KTM300 TAIL MAN
DARRELL CLARK WR450
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