The Incidental Trip, GRIZZ and DOZER... and the XT RECOVERY - 20/21 April

[Tiger8]

En Nou??? Waars die res, jy kannie so half pad deur die storie aan die slaap raak nie..............eish, lyk my die term "Oubaas" begin van toepassing word  ot:


:imaposer: :imaposer: :imaposer:

 

[Gerard]

Ag, OK dan tog. Ek het spoed verloor met die skryf kom ek nou agter oor ek nie foto's het nie. Skoon vergeet want ek het te lekker gery.  ???

The guard at the gate is very reluctant to let me through, but he can't stop me as it is a public road. Apparently there really are lions in the park as well as elephants. he calls one of the rangers to escourt me through in his bakkie.

Its a beautiful ride and I can recommend it. I go slow in the hope of seeing lions, but no luck. The sense of anticipation makes it a thrill though.

On my way to Velties place I decide I want to do Baviaans the next day and make it as far as possible to get an early start. I'll head for Oudtshoorn to sleep over, but first a stop at Koedoeskloof for a koedoe burger. A real treat.

 

[Tiger8]

Dankie die Spanning was net te veel, nou kan ek weer loop werk..................... :biggrin:

 

[Gerard]

Up early the next morning and off to De Rust for a brekkie. I want enough time for a lazy ride through Baviaans.

The Western side of Baviaans is well maintained and gets graded regularly. For us of course its not always a good thing, because the road is marbly snot slippery. Nuwekloofpas is tricky and beautiful to ride. I do a quick stop at Uitspan to say hello to Nico and Christine and then off to Chris Lampbrecht, at Doornkloof, to make sure all is on track fir the EC Bash. It is and these okes are all sorted to give us another good one.

The Kloof is thick with low cloud/mist making it an eerie ride. Not much to view.

But I can live with a view like this from my front stoep with my morning coffee.

 

[Gerard]

Heelwat ouens het die laaste tyd gevra oor die toestande in Baviaans, so ek het beloof om 'n report te gee, wat reeds op 'n ander thread gedoen is. die pad, as jy in die reservaat is, is rof, maar reg vir ons bikes. Dis 'n lekker ry en die water is laag.

Smitskraal vertel maar gewoonlik die storie.

 

[wooly bugger]

subscribed!

 

[Gerard]

Ten einde laaste die beloofde foto van die bike by my gunstelling plek aan die Ooste kant van Bergplaas. Ek geniet die bike, hy's veerfoet, maar daar's 'n paar goedjies wat ek sal doen om hom myne te maak.

 

[Gerard]

En dis al. Nie my beste poging nie, en doen geheel en al nie gestand aan hoe lekker die kuier en ry was nie.

Ek het geen haas om by die huis te kom nie, maar alle goeie dinge kom tot 'n einde. More is ons weer oppad vir 'n trippie saam Grizz en Dozer en weer deur baviaans.  :biggrin: Hou maar dop op sy Toer Thread vir foto's en die storie.

Veilig tuis vir eers. So moet 'n bike lyk

 

[Tiger8]

Mooi so, dankie vir die deel, dit was nou lekker  :thumleft:

 

[Crossed-up]

Thanks for the report, Jup!  It was good to see you at the WC Bash and I look forward to the EC Bash.  Enjoy your ride with Grizz & Dozer - lekker ouens!

 

[Gerard]

Thanks, really looking forward to it. Been doing some tweeking on the XT so it will be even better ride.

 

[Gerard]

Watch out for Kharma... sometimes she's a bitch, but who knows why things sometimes happen. As it turned out grizz, dozer and I had some great riding and I also had just about the worst, disappointing riding day of my life.

But I get ahead of myself so lets start at the beginning again.

Seeing as I was doing the ride with grizz and dozer on the 600e again, and don't want to hi-jack their RR, I thought to continue my part of the trip here. Maybe this time also with a bit more effort.

 

[Gerard]

I met grizz over the forum about two years ago and we started chatting. Firstly about his trials bike riding, and then all his other doings. An interesting and industrious charactor, as we know.

Eventually their Memorial Trip came to be and, as they planned to do Baviaans and come through PE, I thought to hook up with the ride, and they would stay with me, as grizz had to be in PE for a few days for business, and also had some friends he wanted to hook up with. That's where the braai came in.

All in all, a very successfull endeavour. (Bar of course a dead XT.)  :'(  But more of that later.

 

[rcerrie]

:deal:

 

[Gerard]

The plan was to meet grizz and dozer early Sunday morning, 7 April, somewhere on the Seven Passes road, have a brekkie in Knysna, then Kom se Pad over to Avaontuur, and sleep the evening in Baviaans, next day Baviaans to PE.

Of course it was also another excuse to ride  :biggrin: I leave Saturday morning after breakfast with my tjom Innis, as I plan a leasurely ride through the Langkloof, and then over Prins Alfred's Pass to Knysna.

First stop is Kareedow, for the best biltong you can get, and then to Joubertina for petrol. I see a nice fotie, with the mountain behind the town, where I can pose with the bike

 

[Gerard]

I note oil on my left boot and pull in at Avontuur to see where it is coming from. Its very light spray and can't find the sourse. Oh well  ???

Gives me a chance for a fotie with the train and the dorpie. Its a beautifull day and I'm enjoying my ride.

 

[Gerard]

Then I hit the gravel and ZEN kicks in. It usually takes about half and hour or so for my MOJO to kick in, but on the XT I'm immidiately comfortable.

No matter how many times you ride this road, and I've done it many times, its always a beautifull ride. Problem is of course that I don't pay much attention to taking foto's anymore, as I have albums full of them from every angle.

But when you cross that first neck the awesomeness stops you in your tracks

 

[Lem]

:sip: Thursday morning Wify drops me at the airport. You can just tell, I'm so excited I wanna shit myself  :imaposer:

ek kry die idee jy lyk elke dag so...

by die werk, by die hof, by die garage, by die winkel, lughawe...

:thumleft:

 

[Gerard]

In De Vlugt I stop off at the Tannie's place for some coffee ans scones, with fig jam and a sprinkling of my biltong. Njom, njom. For some reason, during my past lot of rides, I don't enjoy Angie's place anymore. Chatting to the Tannie, whom I've known for many years now, is far more enjoyable.

They always say "Look back.. that's where the foto is" and as I climb the pass out of De Vluget I do so. Everything is green and the valley is beautiful.

I ride easy and enjoy the scenery. I'm not to bothered with stopping for foto's as tomorrow grizz, dozer and I will be coming back this way again.

Some time later, along the road, my bladder tells me its time for a smoke break and I stop in a section of the logging forest.
Of course, we don't miss a chance to pose with the bike.  :biggrin:

 

[Gerard]

Friends of my parents, whom I've also known for many years, stay in Wittedrift. When I get the chance I go around to say hello.

Sometimes you have the privilege to know really good peolpe, and Oom Hennie and Elmien are like that. When you are in their company there is a calmness around you and you just sence that everything will be OK.

The plan was to head through to Knysna and have coffee with RCerrie(Jaco) but when I get to the turn-off, I head for Wittedrif. A good decision, as I enjoyed the half an hour, over a good cup of tea, spent with old friends.