Nowra (Yalwal / Sassafrass areas) Ride Report 22-1-05 with Kim & Bram

Trail   Direction       Grade   Direction       Grade   Comments       
"The Link"      Down hill       3       Up hill 3              
7 steps Down hill       3       Up hill 4              
Baringella Valley       Clockwise       4       Anticlockwise   4              
Basswood        Down hill       2       Up hill 4              
Blackwood Road  Down hill       4       Up hill 4              
Death Hill      Down hill       4       Up hill 4              
Dusty Hill      Down hill       3       Up hill 4       Ha Ha made it up and down this one !   
F6      Down hill       4       Up hill -              
Fern hill       Down hill       3       Up hill 4              
Flat Matt's Track       Northbound      3       Southbound      2       Formerly known as Matt Philpotts loop  
Frankie's Trail Southbound      3       Northbound      3              
Honeysuckle Trail (also known as "quicksand trail")     Northbound      3       Southbound      3              
Nth'n Distributor       Northbound      2       Southbound      2              
Nutbush Trail   Down hill       3       Up hill 3              
Penda Road      Northbound      3       Southbound      3              
Sandiman Head Trail - East      Northbound      2       Southbound                     
Sandiman Head Trail - West      Northbound      2       Southbound      2              
Sapling Trail   Down hill       3       Up hill 3              
Boolijong Creek Trail   Northbound      2       Southbound      3              

Bram (WR426F) and Kim (KTM525). A condensed (only eight hours) ride with some exploration by map.
Mild temperature and overcast. Drizzle then storms just after ride completed.

Albatross (0830) to Braidwood Road.
Honey suckle trail??? / Salt bush trail to Powerlines
Dean's Gap Road / power lines.
Mintbush trail (Monkey Gum Road) - Unlocked gate. Extensive work has been done to upgrade Monkey Gum on the northern end to enable safe passage of fire tankers. Shoalhaven council wanted to close Monkey Gum for recreational vehicular access - it is only open due to lobbying from user groups like the DSMRA and Four Wheel Drive clubs.   

Downhill Single-line track (BassWood Track). Saw another single-line track that I haven't ridden before - worth exploring.

Rode down to the creek where we found a wrecked Subaru.
Wombat Flat plenty of 4X4s camping and driving here from "Well Sprung" "On Four Wheels" and "Traction 4" clubs.

I went up and down Dusty's Hill. Steep and rutted - I got caught in a rut towrds the top and just spun on rocks placed in the ruts by four wheel drivers.

Rode out of the creek towards Sandiman overtaking six 4X4's - waved through by them. I wish everyone was so courteous when I'm on the road on my mountain bike !

Sandiman Head single-line track - a very rutted track to the beginning. Trees down all along Sandiman and Penda - needed to go over, under and around them.

Penda single-line track turns into a 4WD track - very rocky towards the intersection with Monkey Gum (saw Bram riding right angles to track direction a few times).

Monkey Gum Road - fast, open and sandy.
Wandean Road - starts off smooth but deteriorates into rocky, washed out sections. Went into reserve close to Wandandian so I didn't need the extra two litres of fuel I was carrying in my backpack.

 
Wandandian for Lunch for one hour.
 
Wandean Road. Acces through the farm is now closed off with fences and signs.
Slab Hill Road - saw a family driving around in a Pajero.
Gnatalia Road to end.
Single line (new for us). Unreal - travels along a dry creekbed for a while. Some narrow and steep sections with a few ledges.

Wandean Road (under cliffs).

Monkey Gum Road - Locked gate
(monkey gum becomes mintbush)
 
Deans Gap Road
Powerlines. Saw four other riders at end of track.
Braidwood Road
Albatross (1630).

 

Kim Bazley