It all started at 6:55 on Friday morning - left Sedge for Knysna to ride the Prince Alfred Pass and meet Trailrider and Mr and Mrs Toktokkie in Avontuur. I was warmly dressed and didn't feel the cold at all except for my fingertips. Does a DRZ produce enough juice to run a pair of heated grips? Anyway, here's a pic of the Knysna lagoon - sorry it's blurred, shutter speed was over 1 sec.
The section of the road through the Knysna forests was really muddy and potholed due to all the logging trucks using the road. The new front knobby I had fitted, threw the mud right over the fender and screen straight into my face - I couldn't see a damn thing - and to make it worse, I was riding into the rising sun! Landed up standing most of the way until I got into sunlight on the pass itself. Thank goodness no one saw me ;D
Stopped on the pass for a break and something to eat
Had arranged to meet up at 10, but I arrived in Avontuur at 9:10. So found a comfy palce to sit, lit up my pipe and kicked back. About 15 mins later, I get a call from TR saying that Toktokkies rear suspension had broken and that they were going to be way late. So I decided to putter on down the tar towards Joubertina and Kareedouw. Stopped at the Smelly Dutchman Coffe Shop in Kareedouw (forgot the pic)! and waited. About 12:15 they all arrived and we were on our way. Toktokkie inputted? the route on the map I wanted to take into his Garmin, and at 22k's outside Kareedouw, we turned left onto the gravel - so far so good. A local map showed a "shortcut" - are they ever - that should save us some time seeing that we were running late. At the next turning I thought, uh-uh, this doesn't feel right, but tannie garmin says this is the way to go.
A beautiful area to ride through.
And then a right turn that leads in the general direction we wanted to go, but lead us down a single track straight into a fence!
Stopped and asked a local farmer the way and shortly we were on the right road. Hit the tar about 15 k's from the campsite and got there about 4:15 - still light and warm enough to set up our tents!
I picked a nice soft spot on the river with a great view...
Friday night was great - meeting EC and WC dogs and having fun, but due to an overindulgence in gluhwein and Tassies and the hubbly bubbly
, I wasn't feeling to hot on Saturday morning! Mid morning I took a solo ride up to the plateau, had some breakfast (last nights cold boerewors, some bread and an energy bar) and then rode back to camp.
Got back to camp, by which time it was nice and warm, and decided to take a nap. Murphy's law, Trailrider who has not got the softest voice, arrives and starts "talking" and then Geoff from PE arrives and Pad and Dusty and.... well, I didn't get too much shut-eye About 3:30, Mountainboy, 1Kat and myself decide to take a quick ride to the Kouga dam before the group pic on the bridge.
Then it was back to the bridge for the group shot.
A very, very brave Go Girl in the foreground - hope you're healing quick, Debbie.
Saturday night the spit braai was great, but I showed some respect for the Tassies and was in the sack by 10:00!
Fark, I've never been so cold in my entire life! Long johns, fleece tarck suit pants, thermal top, fleece top, sleeveless chest warmer, beanie, down sleeping bag and I was STILL cold! Hardly slept at all and got up at about 7 to find frost on the bike!
Started packing up and getting ready for the trip back. Trailrider said he wasn't feeling too well and was going back later on the N2. So Mr and Mrs Toktokkie and I set off home, following the same road we had come in on. At the first intersection, we met up with Andy XT and the Ct dogs who were also taking the Langkloof road and Prince Alfreds Pass back to Knysna. Said good bye to Mr and Mrs TT at the Uniondale turn-off and waited for the CT dogs at Avontuur. Then back through the pass to Knysna, where we stopped at Crabs Creek for a few cold ones and something to eat.
We then hit the N2 to Sedge where I turned off and the CT dogs headed onto Wilderness.
Thank you to all the Wilddogs I rode with - you're all a great buch of people - if you're ever up here, give me a call and I'll show you a couple of my favourite rides!
Last, but definitely not least - Watty, thank you so much for organising such a great bash!
One small request though, could the next one please be in summer!
Mike
The section of the road through the Knysna forests was really muddy and potholed due to all the logging trucks using the road. The new front knobby I had fitted, threw the mud right over the fender and screen straight into my face - I couldn't see a damn thing - and to make it worse, I was riding into the rising sun! Landed up standing most of the way until I got into sunlight on the pass itself. Thank goodness no one saw me ;D
Stopped on the pass for a break and something to eat
Had arranged to meet up at 10, but I arrived in Avontuur at 9:10. So found a comfy palce to sit, lit up my pipe and kicked back. About 15 mins later, I get a call from TR saying that Toktokkies rear suspension had broken and that they were going to be way late. So I decided to putter on down the tar towards Joubertina and Kareedouw. Stopped at the Smelly Dutchman Coffe Shop in Kareedouw (forgot the pic)! and waited. About 12:15 they all arrived and we were on our way. Toktokkie inputted? the route on the map I wanted to take into his Garmin, and at 22k's outside Kareedouw, we turned left onto the gravel - so far so good. A local map showed a "shortcut" - are they ever - that should save us some time seeing that we were running late. At the next turning I thought, uh-uh, this doesn't feel right, but tannie garmin says this is the way to go.
A beautiful area to ride through.
And then a right turn that leads in the general direction we wanted to go, but lead us down a single track straight into a fence!
Stopped and asked a local farmer the way and shortly we were on the right road. Hit the tar about 15 k's from the campsite and got there about 4:15 - still light and warm enough to set up our tents!
I picked a nice soft spot on the river with a great view...
Friday night was great - meeting EC and WC dogs and having fun, but due to an overindulgence in gluhwein and Tassies and the hubbly bubbly
, I wasn't feeling to hot on Saturday morning! Mid morning I took a solo ride up to the plateau, had some breakfast (last nights cold boerewors, some bread and an energy bar) and then rode back to camp.
Got back to camp, by which time it was nice and warm, and decided to take a nap. Murphy's law, Trailrider who has not got the softest voice, arrives and starts "talking" and then Geoff from PE arrives and Pad and Dusty and.... well, I didn't get too much shut-eye
About 3:30, Mountainboy, 1Kat and myself decide to take a quick ride to the Kouga dam before the group pic on the bridge.
Then it was back to the bridge for the group shot.
A very, very brave Go Girl in the foreground - hope you're healing quick, Debbie.
Saturday night the spit braai was great, but I showed some respect for the Tassies and was in the sack by 10:00!
Fark, I've never been so cold in my entire life! Long johns, fleece tarck suit pants, thermal top, fleece top, sleeveless chest warmer, beanie, down sleeping bag and I was STILL cold! Hardly slept at all and got up at about 7 to find frost on the bike!
Started packing up and getting ready for the trip back. Trailrider said he wasn't feeling too well and was going back later on the N2. So Mr and Mrs Toktokkie and I set off home, following the same road we had come in on. At the first intersection, we met up with Andy XT and the Ct dogs who were also taking the Langkloof road and Prince Alfreds Pass back to Knysna. Said good bye to Mr and Mrs TT at the Uniondale turn-off and waited for the CT dogs at Avontuur. Then back through the pass to Knysna, where we stopped at Crabs Creek for a few cold ones and something to eat.
We then hit the N2 to Sedge where I turned off and the CT dogs headed onto Wilderness.
Thank you to all the Wilddogs I rode with - you're all a great buch of people - if you're ever up here, give me a call and I'll show you a couple of my favourite rides!
Last, but definitely not least - Watty, thank you so much for organising such a great bash!
One small request though, could the next one please be in summer!
Mike
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