Just Blip It!
Race Dog
Good Friday turned out to be a perfect day for christening the new bike! My first dirt trip with it!! :ricky: Jippeee!!
Left Hoedspruit (home) at about 10am, to cloudy skies and a lovely outside temp. of 24 Deg.
Decided to follow my nose and see where it took me. I crossed over the mighty Olifants river and headed towards Tzaneen.
On the way decided to pop in and see the Lekgalameetse Nature reserve recomended to me by a friend who had ridden there a few years before. As I got close to the mountains it started to rain, not too heavy fortunately, I seemed to be catching the tale end of the storm so I continued. Turned onto the first section of dirt and then the fun began!!! :mwink: :mwink:
After a few hairy moments slipping and sliding, the road got a bit better and I made it to the gate.
A few things seemed to have changed since my friend had ridden here a few years ago........they were no longer bike friendly and I was turned away at the gate! :xxbah:
So much for that, decided to push on, there were many interesting roads to explore.
But then the heavens opened and I was caught in a mother of a storm, the roads turned into treacherous rivers, maximum speed 30km/h stuff!
Just as quickly as the down pour started it ended and there was even sunshine.......briefly!
Dry riverbeds turned into running rivers again!
...........decisions decisions, which way now??
This way??
......or that way?? ???
What the hell it all looked like fun!! :ricky:
Then I came across this cemetery in the middle of nowhere, belonging to the now ghost town of Leydsdorp. Seems that some of the citizens died really young in those days. Life was often just a struggle to survive. :-\
Everybody was buried in the late 1800, early to middle 1900s except one grave belonging to Hennie Pieterse, scary thing was, there were definite signs that this grave had been dug up and probably raided. I believe that graves are raided for body parts and bones for use in mooties. Even the dead can not rest in peace from theft!! :'( Very sad, makes me really angry! :angry5: :angryfire:
A few more extremely slippery sections! Slippery like greased snot!! Almost a wipeout or 2, but decided to take it nice and easy, my crashbars only arrive next week! :biggrin:
I stopped for a quick look at the ghost town of Leydsdorp. Strangely, a lot of this historic town is still intact, it looks as if people just locked up and left town, when i looked through the windows of some of the houses and buildings,many are still furnished, beds are still made, even the local pub is still completely intact, but there wasn't a soul to be seen! Man it' spooky!! :eek7:
Porters Pub.
Leydsdorp Hotel.
I left Leydsdorp and headed for Gravelotte to refuel. Just when I thought the roads were improving I came across this!! :BangHead: Boy did I get stuck, after much pushing, heaving, puffing and panting the bike and I emerged on the othersided covered in mud, water in my boots! (was only wearing 50/50s)
After refueling in Gravelotte, I chose a few awesome dirt roads for the trip home, fortunately they were a lot drier and I was able to hang on the cable and enjoy some fast cruising, this bike just loves these roads and eats them up with ease!
I realized that being in gamefarm areas one has to look out for the following;
1. Hornbills - these birds are thick as pig shit and suicidal, they like to fly at head height! :eek7:
2. Guineafowl _ they love to flock to the dirt roads after rains, also suicidal.
3. Warthog - Kamakazi and suicidal! Beware!!
4. Dungbeatles - fine when they are rolling shit, but when they are flying farking painful to hit at 140km/h, have a big bruise on my arm to prove it!!atch:
The lowveld bush is so beautiful after the rains!
I arrived home just as the sun was setting, wet, muddy and tired, what an awesome ride, can't wait for the next one!! :thumleft: :thumleft:
Left Hoedspruit (home) at about 10am, to cloudy skies and a lovely outside temp. of 24 Deg.
Decided to follow my nose and see where it took me. I crossed over the mighty Olifants river and headed towards Tzaneen.
On the way decided to pop in and see the Lekgalameetse Nature reserve recomended to me by a friend who had ridden there a few years before. As I got close to the mountains it started to rain, not too heavy fortunately, I seemed to be catching the tale end of the storm so I continued. Turned onto the first section of dirt and then the fun began!!! :mwink: :mwink:
After a few hairy moments slipping and sliding, the road got a bit better and I made it to the gate.
A few things seemed to have changed since my friend had ridden here a few years ago........they were no longer bike friendly and I was turned away at the gate! :xxbah:
So much for that, decided to push on, there were many interesting roads to explore.
But then the heavens opened and I was caught in a mother of a storm, the roads turned into treacherous rivers, maximum speed 30km/h stuff!
Just as quickly as the down pour started it ended and there was even sunshine.......briefly!
Dry riverbeds turned into running rivers again!
...........decisions decisions, which way now??
This way??
......or that way?? ???
What the hell it all looked like fun!! :ricky:
Then I came across this cemetery in the middle of nowhere, belonging to the now ghost town of Leydsdorp. Seems that some of the citizens died really young in those days. Life was often just a struggle to survive. :-\
Everybody was buried in the late 1800, early to middle 1900s except one grave belonging to Hennie Pieterse, scary thing was, there were definite signs that this grave had been dug up and probably raided. I believe that graves are raided for body parts and bones for use in mooties. Even the dead can not rest in peace from theft!! :'( Very sad, makes me really angry! :angry5: :angryfire:
A few more extremely slippery sections! Slippery like greased snot!! Almost a wipeout or 2, but decided to take it nice and easy, my crashbars only arrive next week! :biggrin:
I stopped for a quick look at the ghost town of Leydsdorp. Strangely, a lot of this historic town is still intact, it looks as if people just locked up and left town, when i looked through the windows of some of the houses and buildings,many are still furnished, beds are still made, even the local pub is still completely intact, but there wasn't a soul to be seen! Man it' spooky!!
:eek7:
Porters Pub.
Leydsdorp Hotel.
I left Leydsdorp and headed for Gravelotte to refuel. Just when I thought the roads were improving I came across this!! :BangHead: Boy did I get stuck, after much pushing, heaving, puffing and panting the bike and I emerged on the othersided covered in mud, water in my boots! (was only wearing 50/50s)
After refueling in Gravelotte, I chose a few awesome dirt roads for the trip home, fortunately they were a lot drier and I was able to hang on the cable and enjoy some fast cruising, this bike just loves these roads and eats them up with ease!
I realized that being in gamefarm areas one has to look out for the following;
1. Hornbills - these birds are thick as pig shit and suicidal, they like to fly at head height! :eek7:
2. Guineafowl _ they love to flock to the dirt roads after rains, also suicidal.
3. Warthog - Kamakazi and suicidal! Beware!!
4. Dungbeatles - fine when they are rolling shit, but when they are flying farking painful to hit at 140km/h, have a big bruise on my arm to prove it!!
atch:
The lowveld bush is so beautiful after the rains!
I arrived home just as the sun was setting, wet, muddy and tired, what an awesome ride, can't wait for the next one!! :thumleft: :thumleft:
