Three state Trifecta ... (November 16 & 17, 2015)
(With apologies to IBA members who may also be members of the FarRiders (Australia) forum, this is posted specifically as a reference for Howard Entman)
Reckon a flea got In my ear Sunday arvo. And it was on a mission. An ambassador from The Shrink! And if it wasn’t a flea on a mission from The Shrink it was Hackle channelling me (but I don’t believe in this “channelling” bit).
Came up with the crazy notion to get out with The Shrink on Monday. Promised me a memorable ride as well as the possibility of getting an SS1600 done. Ahhh! Too tempting to resist.
A quick check of the weather maps and forecasts. Yep! A high pressure system was covering the lower southeast of the continent. Inference? Very light winds, if any. More likely some slight movements of air. Gentle zephyrs, I think you’d call them. Temperatures? Warm days in the high 20s with minimums down near 8 or 9C. Hmmm. Weather looks good.
Where to and what for? Well now. There’s the FarTreasure sitting out near Bordertown. Yeah … There’s the FarTAG stuck out at Rankin Springs. Yeah … And pick up the two on the one ride and you’d have an SS1600. Oh boy! What a great idea. Knew I kept The Shrink on the payroll for a reason. Then this flea mentioned that the roads are pretty quiet Monday mornings, much more so than the rest of the week. I was sucked in!
The ride plan had been constructed weeks ago. It was just waiting for this flea in my ear and the weather to get me going. Departure time? Yeah well … Rising at 3.00 am is not what I’d call my favourite “get up” time. Checked the route again and … ummm.
Wild life and ‘roos? Better I get an early start to ride the most dangerous sections in broad daylight. Riding gear and tank, tail and rack bags were quickly organised with two empty cans in the rack bag and plenty of room in other bags to de-layer the bulky but warm under jackets (a great move that). Then into bed for a couple of hours snooze. Alarm set for 12.00 midnight – well so I thought. Amazing how just a wee small error in organising can affect greatly one’s well planned (hopefully) ride.
Woke up some time later feeling totally refreshed, yep totally. Checked the clock (small digital alarm clock) in the dark and read *3:26. Me thinks, that’s good, must be 23:26 (it’s a 24 hour clock display). Get up leisurely, go to the kitchen for water and note the microwave clock is showing 3.26 am. Oh no! Didn’t hear the alarm. Must’ve slept through it. Naaah! I never do that. Have another look at alarm clock and note that it is set for 12.00. Oh no! That should have been 23:59 or 00:00!
Quick check of FarRiders forum to see whether anyone went out on Sunday to pick up Treasure or TAG. No. Gotta go. Shower, dress and on the bike to the servo two km up the road and on the way out of town; fuel up, collect receipt, turn on eTrex and TomTom and I’m on my way just after start time of 4:16 am.
Getting out of Melbourne at these early hours is a real breeze: eastern freeway to Alexandra Parade. And Alexandra Parade is like the main street of a one-horse town, just like Olary, SA at midnight. Just on an hour and I’m starting up the Pentland Hills on the A8 heading west towards Bordertown and all is good … until FOG! Not too thick at first but then it thickens. Oh no! Not again. My last memorable ride on this highway was made miserable by the fog. But then The Shrink did promise me a memorable ride! Sometimes visibility is down to three or four white lines (almost rode into the service centre at Ballan trying to follow the fog line); sometimes not nearly so foggy. I thought I came out of the fog just before Ballarat. But no! Not until after Ararat did the fog lift. I did check the eTrex for altitude. Seems the cloud (fog) ceiling was around 1300 feet.
(With apologies to IBA members who may also be members of the FarRiders (Australia) forum, this is posted specifically as a reference for Howard Entman)
Reckon a flea got In my ear Sunday arvo. And it was on a mission. An ambassador from The Shrink! And if it wasn’t a flea on a mission from The Shrink it was Hackle channelling me (but I don’t believe in this “channelling” bit).
Came up with the crazy notion to get out with The Shrink on Monday. Promised me a memorable ride as well as the possibility of getting an SS1600 done. Ahhh! Too tempting to resist.
A quick check of the weather maps and forecasts. Yep! A high pressure system was covering the lower southeast of the continent. Inference? Very light winds, if any. More likely some slight movements of air. Gentle zephyrs, I think you’d call them. Temperatures? Warm days in the high 20s with minimums down near 8 or 9C. Hmmm. Weather looks good.
Where to and what for? Well now. There’s the FarTreasure sitting out near Bordertown. Yeah … There’s the FarTAG stuck out at Rankin Springs. Yeah … And pick up the two on the one ride and you’d have an SS1600. Oh boy! What a great idea. Knew I kept The Shrink on the payroll for a reason. Then this flea mentioned that the roads are pretty quiet Monday mornings, much more so than the rest of the week. I was sucked in!
The ride plan had been constructed weeks ago. It was just waiting for this flea in my ear and the weather to get me going. Departure time? Yeah well … Rising at 3.00 am is not what I’d call my favourite “get up” time. Checked the route again and … ummm.
Wild life and ‘roos? Better I get an early start to ride the most dangerous sections in broad daylight. Riding gear and tank, tail and rack bags were quickly organised with two empty cans in the rack bag and plenty of room in other bags to de-layer the bulky but warm under jackets (a great move that). Then into bed for a couple of hours snooze. Alarm set for 12.00 midnight – well so I thought. Amazing how just a wee small error in organising can affect greatly one’s well planned (hopefully) ride.
Woke up some time later feeling totally refreshed, yep totally. Checked the clock (small digital alarm clock) in the dark and read *3:26. Me thinks, that’s good, must be 23:26 (it’s a 24 hour clock display). Get up leisurely, go to the kitchen for water and note the microwave clock is showing 3.26 am. Oh no! Didn’t hear the alarm. Must’ve slept through it. Naaah! I never do that. Have another look at alarm clock and note that it is set for 12.00. Oh no! That should have been 23:59 or 00:00!
Quick check of FarRiders forum to see whether anyone went out on Sunday to pick up Treasure or TAG. No. Gotta go. Shower, dress and on the bike to the servo two km up the road and on the way out of town; fuel up, collect receipt, turn on eTrex and TomTom and I’m on my way just after start time of 4:16 am.
Getting out of Melbourne at these early hours is a real breeze: eastern freeway to Alexandra Parade. And Alexandra Parade is like the main street of a one-horse town, just like Olary, SA at midnight. Just on an hour and I’m starting up the Pentland Hills on the A8 heading west towards Bordertown and all is good … until FOG! Not too thick at first but then it thickens. Oh no! Not again. My last memorable ride on this highway was made miserable by the fog. But then The Shrink did promise me a memorable ride! Sometimes visibility is down to three or four white lines (almost rode into the service centre at Ballan trying to follow the fog line); sometimes not nearly so foggy. I thought I came out of the fog just before Ballarat. But no! Not until after Ararat did the fog lift. I did check the eTrex for altitude. Seems the cloud (fog) ceiling was around 1300 feet.
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