HHHusky
Pack Dog
So itâ??s been a bit wet lately, and it seemed like a good idea to head north and go look for some puddles. DigitalDan, HHHusky, RedRider, Runner and Allover pitched for this party. Problem is Runner took on the navigation duties, and muddy gravel roads ". . . are just so gay!". So before long we were splashing our way through a dam pretending to be a grassland. Spirits were still high, kit was still clean, and doughnuts were the order of the day - go DD, have fun while it lasts >
DOUGHNUT DAN
RedRider going sploosh!
Soon we ended up on the wrong end of a little stream, slightly swollen by the recent rain. The navigation committee ponders the problem
Then DD says, follow me, I know a special way...
Luckily we didnâ??t, because this happened
DUNKIN DAN
A poke here, a fiddle there and in no time the little DRZ was purring again. DD looked slightly bashful, and must have certainly learned a valuable lesson. Or did he?
Then we went searching for a slightly less challenging place to cross, and found a spot were a little road crossed the river. DD dutifully walked the crossing first (see, he has learnt something, but will it be enough? Read on, dear reader, for all will be revealed.), but it still looked dammed deep. First Allover went for it, and made it look easy (he has that terrible habit of making the difficult look easy, as I noticed during what was to follow)
Follow by a slightly less flamboyant DD
DEMURE DAN
The rest of us were a bit concerned about the crossing, and searched for a shallower place to cross, but no luck â?? so all or nothing! XRâ??s made it through no problem, but my Husky got halfway, decided it was thirsty and took a slug of water. Major work required getting her going again, and I canâ??t wait for the pictures (not!) From there we headed towards the hills, along some brilliant washed out tracks. And then along some more sandy tracks, until we got to a wide mud puddle. Several options presented themselves, and DD chose the wrong one. Initially it looked fairly innocuous, only a bit of mud, we'll be through this in a jiffy....
Never ever ever vaarken ever seen stuff like this. It took all of us more than an hour to move the DRZ about three meters, thanks to a borrowed tow-rope from one of the locals. Scary stuff.
Problem was, DD was still stuck in the mud, about 2 meters from the bank. Took him more than 30 minutes to get himself out (really, truly it did), and after a while he was so exhausted it was only the constant verbal abuse from Runner (this is sooo gay) that kept him going > People die in this stuff!
DIRTY DAN
Time to carbo-load, and DD was paying!
Then the hills started. This is easy I said...
A few little stream crossings
Then the real hills started, and it was long rocky climbs with plenty turns and rock-ledges â?? really hectic stuff. We all made it to the top of the first set of hills with no major problems, and things were looking up.
Then down intro the next valley, and following another hectic climb, Runnerâ??s piece-de-resistance, the most stunning waterfall where we all cooled down and cleaned up a bit
But the climb further up was hard work
Not much further there was another fairly technical stream crossing, and RedRider laughed so much at Alloverâ??s antic that he took the wrong line, and I watched him get bounced off line right to the edge of a 1 meter waterfall. He lost his balance, stuck out his leg and found it was about three meters too short, as his leg was right over the edge. He made the right decision and dived off the bike into the pool below the waterfall, and disappeared completely under the water. The bike tumbled after, but thankfully ended sort of upside down jammed on the rocks at the edge of the waterfall. Very, very lucky. This was the scariest funny â?? no, funniest scary thing I ever saw, and I didnâ??t even think of taking a photo. But I think Runner has some pics of the recovery operation. This could have been ugly, but our luck seem to have turned. Dropped down into the next valley, and then sort of run out of track in this swamp. Again.
Much sweating later we got to the other side, with me and Runner taking the high road, and the rest fighting through the swamp. Finally in the valley at the other side
Thatâ??s it, took the tar and headed home. Thanks guys, that was adventure riding at its best.
DOUGHNUT DAN
RedRider going sploosh!
Soon we ended up on the wrong end of a little stream, slightly swollen by the recent rain. The navigation committee ponders the problem
Then DD says, follow me, I know a special way...
Luckily we didnâ??t, because this happened
DUNKIN DAN
A poke here, a fiddle there and in no time the little DRZ was purring again. DD looked slightly bashful, and must have certainly learned a valuable lesson. Or did he?
Then we went searching for a slightly less challenging place to cross, and found a spot were a little road crossed the river. DD dutifully walked the crossing first (see, he has learnt something, but will it be enough? Read on, dear reader, for all will be revealed.), but it still looked dammed deep. First Allover went for it, and made it look easy (he has that terrible habit of making the difficult look easy, as I noticed during what was to follow)
Follow by a slightly less flamboyant DD
DEMURE DAN
The rest of us were a bit concerned about the crossing, and searched for a shallower place to cross, but no luck â?? so all or nothing! XRâ??s made it through no problem, but my Husky got halfway, decided it was thirsty and took a slug of water. Major work required getting her going again, and I canâ??t wait for the pictures (not!) From there we headed towards the hills, along some brilliant washed out tracks. And then along some more sandy tracks, until we got to a wide mud puddle. Several options presented themselves, and DD chose the wrong one. Initially it looked fairly innocuous, only a bit of mud, we'll be through this in a jiffy....
Never ever ever vaarken ever seen stuff like this. It took all of us more than an hour to move the DRZ about three meters, thanks to a borrowed tow-rope from one of the locals. Scary stuff.
Problem was, DD was still stuck in the mud, about 2 meters from the bank. Took him more than 30 minutes to get himself out (really, truly it did), and after a while he was so exhausted it was only the constant verbal abuse from Runner (this is sooo gay) that kept him going >
People die in this stuff!
DIRTY DAN
Time to carbo-load, and DD was paying!
Then the hills started. This is easy I said...
A few little stream crossings
Then the real hills started, and it was long rocky climbs with plenty turns and rock-ledges â?? really hectic stuff. We all made it to the top of the first set of hills with no major problems, and things were looking up.
Then down intro the next valley, and following another hectic climb, Runnerâ??s piece-de-resistance, the most stunning waterfall where we all cooled down and cleaned up a bit
But the climb further up was hard work
Not much further there was another fairly technical stream crossing, and RedRider laughed so much at Alloverâ??s antic that he took the wrong line, and I watched him get bounced off line right to the edge of a 1 meter waterfall. He lost his balance, stuck out his leg and found it was about three meters too short, as his leg was right over the edge. He made the right decision and dived off the bike into the pool below the waterfall, and disappeared completely under the water. The bike tumbled after, but thankfully ended sort of upside down jammed on the rocks at the edge of the waterfall. Very, very lucky. This was the scariest funny â?? no, funniest scary thing I ever saw, and I didnâ??t even think of taking a photo. But I think Runner has some pics of the recovery operation. This could have been ugly, but our luck seem to have turned. Dropped down into the next valley, and then sort of run out of track in this swamp. Again.
Much sweating later we got to the other side, with me and Runner taking the high road, and the rest fighting through the swamp. Finally in the valley at the other side
Thatâ??s it, took the tar and headed home. Thanks guys, that was adventure riding at its best.
