Wauchope-Comboyne via Bago and back.

Here is the report.

Word had gotten around that there might be a ride happening at Bago, so Friday arvo my phone ran hot for a while and a plan was properly hatched in my shed Friday night. It seems after 12 inches of rain a few boys were keen to get out and play in some mud.

12 blokes ended up meeting at the designated spot and we headed off towards Comboyne. A quick run up and over Bago saw us back down on the Valley floor where it was a bit greasy in the singles.

After all the wild weather the trails weren’t as wet as you would think, although we had to contend with several fallen trees, blocking our way through out the day.

The first one we came across was a tad slippery but everyone got across it unscathed. Although there were some funny attempts

Pete

Farmer Shane on his tractor, had fun on his first OBT ride.

Rowan

Flapper (Glen) Made it look easy on the big Berg

Hillbilly did a nack nack over it

Postman Rex, also showed us how it is done.

It was the first of many challenges we set for Dave511

Once we got back up on the range, I led the boys down a trail we call “Madam Lash”, named that because you get the shit whipped out of you by lantana.
Once you get past the lantana whipping, it opens up a little and becomes a sweet trail. Half way through it, I was horrified to be confronted with total annihilation of the trail by logging contractors. It looked like a scene after an atomic bomb.

In order to get to the next section we had to cross the logged area and it was a quagmire. One gully we had to get through had a steep hill on the other side with a very soft freshly made erosion mound that gave a few riders some grief and others handled it like pros.

Hillbilly punched the 450 through, no worries.

Pete hit the ejector seat button by the looks of this.

Postie Rex made it look easy.

So did Gassit

This challenge didn’t go so well for Dave 511

Rowan to the Rescue, Phil is always one of the first blokes to lend a hand.

Farmer Shane held it pinned and roosted his way up.

As always, Super sweep Moose tractored his way through with no fuss.

It was about this stage that The Rowan had an almost comical come off that saw him pirouette on top of his head on the ground. This off had him seeing stars and other weird shit for a while and some pain killers saw him carry on.

After a rest on Comboyne Rock taking in the view, the best I have seen in all the years of going there. Clear skies and a stiff breeze made for a clear view from Crescent head in the North to Cape Hawk in the south. It was at the Rock that I saw something I have never seen on a trail ride. Shane reached into his back pack and produced a container full of hot soup and proceeded to consume it, talk about being prepared!

After we left the rock we headed through some Lantana trails that were not too over grown and were fast and fun. It was here that we came across the meanest, slipperiest, bastard of a log I think I have ever had to deal with. One look at it and I decided to manually lift the Pig over it as it had trouble written all over it!!

A few guys decided to hit it hard and fast and the results were spectacular to say the least!!

Gassit had a good hard go at it and things went pear shaped.

Postie Rex ate shit there too

It caught Farmer Shane out as well. And cost him a brake leaver.

Barista Rob had a spectacular go at it

Only to crash in a spectacular fashion

Pete demonstrates how it is done safely

As does Moose

After we fixed Shane’s brake lever we said farewell to Rowan and Pete who saw the option to cut off from the ride and make their way home to Bonny Hills and Luke headed off to Byabarra. With the group a bit smaller the pace picked up a little and we hit Cold Knob trails, they are a tad over grown and strewn with slippery logs, one of those logs saw Ol Burple and Moose have a bit of a lay down and I think Gassit may have come to grief in there too.

The wild weather from the past week guaranteed there would be trails blocked by storm debris, several times through out the day we had to cut our way through or find another way round fallen trees.

Rex had his trusty saw that made things a bit easier.

The crew was glad to have a rest while we cleared a way through.

A bit of man handling and we got everyone through

The next obstacle was on a very steep and rutted down hill section, various lines were taken to get over, under or around it with varying degrees of success.

It was here I saw the best come off for the day. Harry flew down the hill like a man possessed and it looked for all money he was going to make it look easy until he hit a slippery stick on the trail and he lost control and ran fair up the back of Flapper on the Berg and he high sided and ate it big time. A crash like that would bust the toughest of riders but not Harry, he would have to be one of the hardest men I have ever met. He got up laughing and apologizing and carried on like the trooper he is.

As a few boys were starting to run low on fuel we started to make our way back to town, up and over Bago. Just to make sure everyone was still on their toes I lead them down the face of Bago, which is a mean and nasty,rocky down hill with step sections half way down. Everyone made it down OK , but near abouts knackered. A quick run saw us all but near the finish point when I came across an erosion mound with a massive puddle on the back side of it. Knowing it would catch some one out I was there with my camera ready and sure enough, farmer Shane hit it at full song.

WE ended up doing about 95km’s for the day and it wasn’t near as wet as you would think after 12 or more inches of rain. The conditions were fantastic and we had a great day.
Just to finish of a great day in style we had a few beers and lots of laughs back at my shed.

Thanks to all the boys that came for a ride I had a blast!! (and The Pig staying upright all day, was an added bonus)

Trailboss wrote:

Great report and ride as usual Mick. Mate I miss what used to be almost bi monthly rides up there, will have to make a point of starting it again soon eh. Like a shed party next Tuesday night for a start

TB

I am looking forward to it. I have a list of jobs for you when you arrive on Tuesday. :whistle:

I went to give the XR a wash this morning and low and behold, she had a flat back tyre.

I thought I felt it getting a bit weird near the end of the ride. :unsure:

Tried pumping it up this morning and air just rushed out. I must have ridden home on a flat tyre. :ohmy:

What sort of rider doesn’t know they have a flat tyre?? :blush:

Moose and I spent the day today cutting and splitting Firewood, that has really tested the sore arms from yesterday. :pinch:

Once again thanks to the guys that rode with us yesterday. A whole heap of fellas got to meet and ride with different blokes and had a good time doing it. Gotta love OBT for that.

You are welcome anytime Hillbilly, I think Bago comes into its own, when it is too wet to ride other locations.

Hey Duncan,
Mac is living up here now and is keen as mustard, so we should organise another Bago blast weekend.
It has been a while.