Megalong Valley Ride 8th June 2023

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 I had already looked up on the weather app when the rain was due to hit Oberon (9am) and Lithgow (11am) and realised that the ride was heading straight into the rain inbound from the southwest. I had also seen the ride leaders pleas for a substitute leader falling on deaf ears (including mine 😈). So it was no surprise to arrive at McGraths Hill at 9:30am to find the group sans a leader and the clock was ticking.


Even though I know the predictable result I couldn’t just sit there and let what dry weather was there be wasted by prevarication so, given the lack of enthusiasm for Megalong Valley, I suggested an alternate where we would be heading away from the rain band, i.e.heading Northeast. Good idea but next week’s ride is going there someone piped up - damn!

Shuffling furiously through my slightly dysfunctional memory banks for a similar but different alternative I thought of the Bulls Ridge turn off the Putty and the idea of a Wisemans Ferry bound ride popped up. But where to stop for smoko, well we hadn’t been to the Tractor cafe for ages so that ticked a box and we were confident in the amount of cover from any rain there and at Wisemans. So all around nodded in furious agreement with that ride plan and of course ALL proclaimed they had no idea of how to get there, thus I was elected ride leader - BIG SURPRISE!

We set off on time and with minimal fuss and made good time up to the Bulls Ridge turn off, so good in fact that we were WAY TOO EARLY for smoko at the tractor cafe. The image my memory had provided had the turn off at least another 20kms further up the Putty. So after checking with each rider (bar one apparently - sorry Pete) that we were ok to go for smoko at Wisemans we set off once more. I had the choice of the West Portland ferry and the River Rd or the Sackville ferry and the Sackville and Wisemans Ferry Rds. I’m not a fan of the River rd so chose the latter which turned out to be the wrong choice because of maintenance on the south side the ferry was closed for 15mins whilst we all stood around bored. Then on the Wisemans Ferry rd multiple more single lane with traffic control due to trimming of the road hedges.

Finally we all made it to Wisemans Ferry park about 11:10am and were the only ones there. Snacks were consumed except for one rider who was so taken by his lunch he ate it all there and then😆One rider announced his premature departure due to grandchild sitting duties and another rider had already left the group at the East Kurrajong turn off to visit his relos in Katoomba (good luck with that I thought) so we were down to 6 riders.

At 11:35 I called the ride and we set off for Mangrove Mt shops for lunch, the weather was catching up with us and there was a slight drizzle and a damp road at the start but we sped clear of the rain and after arriving at the shops all had a dry lunch, except of course for that rider who was now lunch-less so he made do with buying morning tea instead 👍🏻

Just as we were getting set for a trip from the Mountain to the Pie the rain hit and everyone scrambled into wet weather gear. The overwhelming consensus was not to bother stopping at the Pie but to head straight home so that’s what we all did. However the rain never really amounted to anything much, just intermittent showers so I was still dry when I got home.

Apologies to all today’s riders for all the waiting around at stop/go boards, boom gates and traffic lights, seems like it was just one of those days, I hope you enjoyed yourselves despite all😜

Until the next time

Andy

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