Day 2 continued.
After lunch a few guys decided that they had had enough and pulled the pin and headed back to Wauchope for a beer or three,.(Bollocks headed back for a Nanna nap). Ash had swept for pretty well all morning, so I donned the sweep jersey for the afternoon and followed the pack off down the trail.
We headed in towards Little Jurassic park, a tight twisty little section through a thick rainforest that leads onto Greasy Trail, which immediently indicated to me that RiderX planned on taking them up Prick Hill a long rocky hill with a steep almost perpendicular start to it, covered in rain water rutts. On my arrival at the bottom of Prick Hill, I looked up to see Lotsa in all sorts of bother on the first steep pinch. Cross rutted and struggling to get the bike pointed up the hill, he eventually got it pointed in the right direction and managed to get going again, much to my amazement.
Al our token Old fella at 68 years old was the next to hit it on his Kato250 and he made it look so easy it was ridiculous, man that old bugger can peddle!! I was the only one left at the bottom at this stage and I took off and followed Al’s line and also made it easily, so easy that I wish some one had been there to see it, as I have done this pinch before and had never done it that easy.
Once I got right to the top of Prick hill I knew what was next. The Massive single trail down hill what is Phone Hill. Phone Hill is so steep that dislodged rocks over take you and arm pump reigns supreme!! Once at the bottom the boys relished in the prime conditions through the rain forest, little did the know what was awaiting them further up the trail. ROWAN”S HILL!!! The Hill, that features in Murph’s Photos in an earlier post in this thread. Rowan’s hill is directly out the back gate of Rowan’s property. When you arrive at the bottom of it and look up it is an intimidating sight, especially when it was littered with fallen bikes and riders like it was when I arrived there on Saturday. At that stage I think RiderX was the only one at the top and in his usual fashion he was squarking and coaxing guys on. We stood back and watched on in amusement as each rider took on the hill and failed.There were some courageous attempts,like Crash’s attempt, where he hit it at full song on the Big Fiddy, truly a sight to behold seeing the big fiddy in full safari kit, bouncing and bucking its way up the hill only to come to a stop just short of the first summit. Al on his Kato was awe inspiring as he had a crack at it and make it with in a bee’s whisker of the top, close enough that his bike could be dragged up the last few feet. At this stage there had been guys contemplating taking the easy way out and riding around the hill but once a 68 year old had made it there was no backing out now.
I decided to have a crack at it and use a totally different approach, I decided that I would leave the Fiddy in first gear and tractor up, whilst peddling with my feet. To my reliefand everyone else’s disgust, the big girl had enough torque and she made it to the top easier than I expected!! Once at the top I did a little victory dance with my chest pumped out and decided it would be best if I went back down and helped the lesser skilled riders than myself on their inferior machines to get to the top..LOL
What ensured was an hour of uphill madness that was fun to be part off!! I am sure that everyone that was there was glad they attempted and conquered the Rowan’s Hill.
After the first pinch ther are some sweet singles that lull you into thinking that you are at the top until you come to stage 2 of The Rowan’s Hill a rock bastard of a thing covered in big loose boulders the size of a bowling ball. When I got half way up it and was committed I came across Justo in a bit of bother,I tried to not loose momentum and go around him but clipped his back wheel and speared up the bank and crashed.
The pig didn’t want to play and wouldn’t start for a while, she even let out the mother of back fires that the boys at the top heard.
As it was getting late in the day and everyone was about rooted it was decided to cut out about 20km’s of trails and head back to town, which still meant that there was 40 odd km’s of trails to go. RiderX went of on his merry way leading the crew through some of our sweetest trails that see bugger all traffic other than us all year.They would have to be some of the most fun trails you could wish for. I think a few of the visiting boys were amazed when we got to the bottom of Kakoda trail and RiderX went over and closed the end of the trail by covering our tracks and hiding it from any passers by, that is how we keep our trails good by minimising the traffic they see.
Crash Mal and I left the ride at that stage and made our way to town so we could get cleaned up and be ready for a few drinks at the Farmstay. By the time we got there the bench racing was in full swing and the beers where flowing,it wasn’t long after that that all the great food supplied by Wauchope Country kitchen arrived. What a top way to finish off a great days riding!!! A special thanks To RiderX , Dave and Jay for leading the Old Bulls through their trails. Thanks to Helen for the top job she did with the catering and thanks to Barry and Shirley from Brekenridge Farmstay for putting up with us all weekend. The Biggest thanks goes to everyone that came up to ride and party and make my Birthday the awesome weekend it was!!!
After most of the crew dwindled off, it left just a few hardcore stayers on the turps with me and didn’t we have some laughs and a great time!! The Life of Brian re-enactments had me near pissing myself, Bollocks, Kram and Jeffro You are a units!! Oh yeah thanks to whoever it was that took me home, I think it may have been Lotsa, it was time I went when I did I tell you!!
