16&17-4-05  Taralga/Wombeyan Caves Ride with Kim, Gary, Marty, Scotty & Jeff

Marty KTM400 EXC
Garry WR450F
Scotty YZ250F
Jeff WR205F
Kim KTM525 EXC

I left home at 0630 and we met at the Sutton Forest Service Centre at 0730. We fuelled at Goulburn and arrived at Lochmaree (Taralga Trail Bike Farm) at 0920. We signed in and paid $30 for a day's riding. Riding commenced at 1000. As the tracks were very dusty, the pace had to drop off unless you were leading ! We conquered the two main hill climbs, Scotty turned back halfway up on one attempt and Garry said "I didn't know there was a roundabout there !" There are some big downhills as well, which were dusty and very slippery.

We rode out of the farm along a very fast fire trail (130kph +). On the fast track there is a wombat hole right on the apex of a corner which we managed to hit every time ! We then took a single line track which was tacky and loamy. We met three other bike riders who followed us through the single track - a Husaberg 650, XR650 and DRZ400. Some sections were very slippery on the track after the single line, with throttle control critical. The bikes were gasping slightly because of the altitude.

We rode back to Lochmaree for lunch 1300-1400.

We headed straight out to the single line track from the morning to explore and it turned into a race. After a few dead ends (one of which ended at a collapsed hut) we continued onto a pine plantation which is a dirt bike heaven - loamy and cool with single line tracks, hill climbs, creek crossings and anti-erosion mounds to jump (2 metres + of air). We rode through the darkened and moist pine forest, making our own slalom tracks around the trees. Two metre high roosts of pine needles, dirt and, pine cones were sprayed onto each another ! All you could see were the headlights followed by a rooster tail ( I was glad that I had done the first repairs to my bike Fri night - a new headlight globe). Garry overtook me on the inside but I got past him when he went wide and hit a pine sapling.

We came out of the pine forest onto a track and saw a gnarly single line track up a steep hill. Garry said to Scotty - you go first and show us how it's done. He took off, went about two metres, hit a log with his front wheel and came to a standstill ! As he spun the rear wheel to try to get over the log the rest of us rode around him and went up the hill ! This was some of the best riding I've ever done.

On the way back to Lochmaree we jumped some anti-erosion mounds on an uphill section - Marty and Scotty both launched off together, sailed elegantly through the air and both landed badly when they cased out on the next erosion mound !

We returned to Lochmaree at 1700 to drive to Garry's parents' farm 8ks from Wombeyan Caves. That night we kicked back, had a bbq and sunk a few beers - who needs TV or comedians when you have these fellas to entertain you ! The tears were running down my face from laughing so hard ! The two KTM thoroughbred pilots gave as good as they got to the Yammie workhorse riders. Marty panicked when he realised he had only brought six beers - I laughed until I found that my stash was only seven !

Rode 0930 - 1130. Met the new neighbours who were on their bikes and just happened to have a motocross and a supercross track on the property ! We rode along a powerlines track back to Garry's property and rode a few hill climbs and creek crossings.

We left for home at 1230 and I arrived home at 1515.