Best part of 200 km, all dirt, one "bush nap", all fun. More to follow.

Here's a couple to get you started.:wink:

Mount Dale lookout with a serious bushfire to the south.


Panorama just off Allen Road. You can cross here when the water's low. Sure!


Put in about 200km all up. The map below shows the rough route only as my GPS **** itself. (Back to Garmin today. Tssss!) Did about 3 loops in the forest hills around the lower Helena River and in the back of Mundaring. There are some serious hills in there along with a few car swallowing bog holes and plenty of washed out rocky descents. No fear for me. I just plugged away. Confidence through the roof as I hammered the harder sections for the second and third times without any penalties. (Knighter would be proud.) D606 rear is **** on hard wet clay, (what tyre isn't?)



Took a break after about 90 minutes for some R&R. Headed up to a nice little camp spot above The Mundaring Weir. Looks like a sweet place to camp although I'm not sure how noisy the road below would be at night. The Munadring Weir Hotel is just down the hill so liquid refreshments aren't far away.:freaky





The view above inspired me, so I headed of towards Allen Road for some more adventure having only been out this way once before a couple of weeks back. Thanks again Bully et al.:super

Dropping down from the campsite there was more than one boghole. Untempted I skirted them all. Yes I'm a girl, but a dry one. This area looks like it would be very busy with walkers/MTB/ 4X4 and the like at the weekend. Didn't see a sole all day.:ricky :ricky :ricky



I had some fun trying to find where the road crosses the Helena River. Before I did I tore up more than one of the logging trails in the pine plantations in this area. Sweet singletrack. Got back onto Allen Road and crossed the river (edit: stream) and headed west up the side of the "stream" to find some more fun. Having a feel for the terrain, (remember no GPS now,) and having been out this way a couple of weeks earlier I managed to cob together a couple of fast loops of the trails south of the reservoir. Great trails with a great mix of terrain, some loam in between the pines. Plenty of fast hard pack trails and just enough sand thrown in to keep me honest. I get it. Ride faster in sand is the key. I do it. It works. Still have that feeling that I'm going too fast for the terrain. It's a control issue. Who knows? It was fun and I kept the bike upright 100% abeit with a few evasive, very long rear lock ups.:gdog

The next trail was was heading down hill fast. I've been here before. (Rangers at the bottom on the last ride forced a retreat despite my impeccable credentials. Time spent showing your permits/documents/license is all tiem wasted IMO.) All roads lead to Flynn. Well around here they do. Before I dropped onto the flat and headed to Mount Dale for my "chow down," I spied a loamy hill just off the main trail. It had some height and I thought it would be good for a photo of the surrounding area. I'd only gone about 100 meters up when I came across this. The trail was really overgrown and bloody steep. Good effort if you ask me. I've seen better parking though.:wink:



An inspection was warranted so I parked and had a look. Farrk me, she started. Haha. That was all though. No drive. No go. I mounted up and headed up where the trail got a bit steeper. Paused. Gave it some. "Going well. Log! No problem. Still going. Round the tree. Yesss. back on trail. I'm down. WTF. Lowsided." Wet clay under the loam had caused my demise. No biggie! I mounted up and made the top but didn't like the look of the descent down a rock strewn stream bed. I did what everyone else that's been up here did and made my way safely down the way I had come, cautious of the "disguised clay."

The bike parked above the parked car. The black tree on the right had to be rounded as there was a large log blocking the trail. Just beyond is where i "took a nap."


It was a fairly easy ride onto Mount Dale and I enjoyed my lunch watching the bushfires develop to the south. Looked like a large front. Rain was forecasted for the rest of the week so I was sure it wouldn't become too serious a problem.

Owards for the return down the powerline track. [b]Note for others.[/] This section of the track (Mt.Dale Road back to Mundaring) is best avoided. Although the track is passable, due to the large number of quad bike and 4X4 users it is in a pretty rough state. Speeds were slow and cautious due to the large number or erosions. Lots of rock showing through. One section is about 200 meters of perfect 'whoops' in our best sugar sand. Fun if you're into MX, I'm not. The following sections from Mt.Dale Road beyond the Brookton Highway are in contrast a joy to ride and flow very nicely giving the bike some space to stretch its legs.

I made Mundaring Weir without incident and headed off for one more loop of the same trails I rode earlier, only this time in reverse.

A great way to spend a lovely winters day.:thumb :thumb :thumb

How was work everyone?
I work plenty of weekends so I have no problem ot

 

Awesome! Will you fly me and my bike down there? I need to get out of dodge.

 

awesome stuff! here i was thinking aussie was all red dust and fosters!

deej. As his country next door neighbour, I think WestOz will be more inclined to paying for me to go. Never fear...

I'll take plenty of pics.

 

Hahahaha nice!

 

Bump for the update.

 

BuMp...

 

aamazzzzingg!!