Oberon Ride 4th Apr 2024

 What a forecast! Would anyone turn up?

After a very slow trip to McGraths Hill TJ and I arrived to see some anxious riders waiting for their leader, and from their greeting I deduced that they weren’t expecting me to turn up.

After a hurried briefing and a sensibly quick change into wets 8 of us headed off with TJ at the tail.

It didn’t start raining until almost Mt Tomah, then a steady drizzle almost all the way to our planned morning tea stop at Oliver’s South Bowenfels. We only had 1 mutiny along the way but picked up one at Kurmond Rd so still 8 riders. By now we weren’t just wet, we were cold and wet. TEC stopped into the Lithgow shops for some extra layers.

Then the big debate over morning tea, to abandon or to modify. One decided to abandon and returned the way we came. Now we were 7.

Oberon was ditched in favour of a shorter ride via Hampton.

Riding down Hampton Rd became interesting as a pea souper of a fog descended giving extremely poor visibility. We turned left into Jenolan Caves Rd then right into Lowther Siding Rd where the fog cleared to give us a spectacular vista across the valleys, we popped out near the Lolly Bug at Little Hartley then rode up Vic Pass, across the Darling Causeway and finally to the new lunch destination at the pub at the top of the hill at Kurrajong. Four made it to the pub leaving 3 missing including TEC.

We warmed up, had a coffee, and headed for home.

Thanks to all the riders that trusted me, and I hope that all appreciated the diversion down the Lowther Siding Rd into the spectacular valleys around that district, and thanks to TJ for his TEC duties.

Cheers Jim