[DLicious]

Well, even though I was on my lonesome, I still took to op to head down to Cooma for dinner.
Here's the map for the route I took, Marulan NSW to Marulan NSW - Google Maps
Left late (as usual) around 1130am and slabbed it down to Canberra along the Hume and Fed, and can say it wasn't a pleasant ride till I got under the hills surrounding Lake George. The wind was bad to put it mildly, and gusts over the road were something else, moving the bike sideways.
Stopped in to Choccoloco's place to catch up with Michael who I haven't seen since Urunga, and to meet Lina, Giovanni, and Marchello (hope I spelt them right!) Can only say it was a real pleasure, and very nice to sit and have a cuppa and chinwag with Michael for a couple of hours, although the time did get away and it was nearly 5pm before I left darkness would fall before I got to Cooma.
Can only say it was an interesting and slightly chilly affair riding the Monaro Hwy on dusk and darkness!
Got into the Apline Hotel around 615pm, checked in, parked the bike, had dinner with a couple of ambers for afters, sat by the fire, listened to the local booze bogans, went to bed, missed the fight, got woken up constantly till 1am in the morning by said bogans :headbang:, and woke up to find it had A: Rained B: Blown a gale, and C: friggin snowed!
So much for the weather forecasts!
Anyway, packed up retrieved my key deposit! $50!!! and after a chat with one of the early morning pub workers headed for the East End Cafe for Brekky

It was then off for some fuel first before heading out towards Numerella and the high country through Deua NP
It was just out of Cooma that I began to think, that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go that way!

I decided to push on and see what would be.............and this gave me second thoughts!

Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound as they used to say, it was onward and upward, taking my time though with ever growing patches of ice appearing on the road, amazingly, quite bewilderingly always on corners! till finally I had a first, I was actually riding during a snow fall!

But at least it did give me the oportunity to take some nice pics and enjoy some spectacular sights along the way.............

Then it was onto the NP and the gravel/mud/ice/snow/water/freezing cold part of the ride
And some more photo ops!

I stopped a couple of times merely to take photos, and to let my heartrate calm down! The bike was a bit of a handful with conditions being as slippery as they were.

I also tried taking some video but unfortunately the vibrations off the handlebars was so bad I just junked them.
Then finally it was back onto the black top for good and the ride northward and home, but via a last minute decision going by way of Harolds Cross Road to Captains Flat to see the Logan Water Wheel, which I still can't find!!!!

Did it test my skills ........ YES
Did I almost lose the bike a couple of times ......... YES
Did I enjoy it .......... HELL YES
Would I do it again .......... YOU BETCHA!!!

Because happiness is a muddy Strom!

Cheers

 

[OZ STROM]

Hi Mate, EXCELLENT Photos, I felt COLD just looking at the pics with the snow ,Thanks for posting ,Cheers Paul .

 

[v-chops]

Goodonya DL. Bloody cold and slippery looking, glad you didn't bin it :hurray:
Great pics again and ta for posting :thumbup:

 

[windinhair]

Great pics DL and report,sorry I had to bin the ride but the timing was adjusted due to my new shed being built,spent today getting the conduit in the ground for the power ready for the final pour on Monday,having a nice red at the moment watching the Bunnies pound my Tigers ah well.:yesnod:

 

[graham downunder]

Good to see you made it OK .Thanks for posting about it ,it reminds me to book in for the Snowy ride in November when it should be warmer

 

[choccoloco]

Nice photo's Paul

I heard there had been snow dumped there.... I did think of you, that you might feel it.... :green_lol:

Glad you stayed upright considering the conditions you rode under. :thumbup:



It was a pleasure having you here, spelling almost right for all bar Marcello's, np.

 

[saturn 5]

Enjoyed your excellent pics and comments. It's 10 years since I last rode in snow. I found it to be "warmer" to ride in snowy conditions than in the cold hard frosty mornings, warmer is of course relevant! Did you find the same or was it just me on the day?
I enjoyed the pics very much as I like this country and it's time for me to visit there again. I have a bad habit of not stopping enough for pics as I get too involved in enjoying the ride. As for staying in pubs, I have experienced the same on several occasions. I cruise past slowly two or three times to check out a pub before I decide if I should chance it. Bogan bands, lots of yelling and fights in the wee hours (upstairs and on the footpaths) to keep your tired body awake.
I usually choose a caravan park now, clean and quiet at the end of a ride.
Thanks again D.L.

WARDY

 

[ockerstrom]

Great RR again Paul.

Thanks for posting it up [now I'm going in to turn my electric blanket on, feeling a definite chill in the air since looking at the excellent pics :bom_santa3: ].

It reminds me of winter riding around the Ballarat-Daylesford area in Victoria.

 

[Donunder]

Absolutely great RR Paul. And the pics ... fantastic!

The first time I read it I couldn't get away from how cold and slippery everything looked. Then when I read it a second time and could relax knowing you hadn't come to grief, the beauty of the countryside you passed through became apparent.

It's a shame that others were unable to meet up with you for various reasons but good on you for pressing on and confronting what obviously was to come. Another notch on the gun belt. When you next decide on one of these get togethers perhaps head north! I'm a bit sunburnt from a couple of days up the Sunshine Coast last week.

 

[AstroBob]

Thanks DL, as always great pics :thumbsup:

Did look a bit chilly, must have been that "solid mist".:mrgreen:

Will catch up for a ride soon.

:cheers2:
BOB.

 

[mudrat]

what they said :thumbup:

 

[DLicious]

Hi Mate, EXCELLENT Photos, I felt COLD just looking at the pics with the snow ,Thanks for posting ,Cheers Paul .

Thanks OZ STROM

Goodonya DL. Bloody cold and slippery looking, glad you didn't bin it :hurray:
Great pics again and ta for posting :thumbup:

Thanks Chops, am glad I didn't bin it myself, was a challenge but well worthwhile!

Great pics DL and report,sorry I had to bin the ride but the timing was adjusted due to my new shed being built,

Its cool Don, well actually it was cold lol, there'll be other rides and dinners for certain!

Good to see you made it OK .Thanks for posting about it ,it reminds me to book in for the Snowy ride in November when it should be warmer

Thanks Graham!

Nice photo's Paul
I heard there had been snow dumped there.... I did think of you, that you might feel it.... :green_lol: Glad you stayed upright considering the conditions you rode under. :thumbup: It was a pleasure having you here

Thanks Michael, it was great catching up, and even riding the Monaro during dusk was worth it lol

Enjoyed your excellent pics and comments. It's 10 years since I last rode in snow. I found it to be "warmer" to ride in snowy conditions than in the cold hard frosty mornings, warmer is of course relevant! Did you find the same or was it just me on the day?
Thanks again D.L.
WARDY

Thanks mate. Normally I would say yes Wardy, but that day the wind was cold so the temp was down accordingly. I plan on doing that road again soon, but maybe after winter, I still missed on seeing a lookout called Pikes near Snowball, so another run is required lol

Great RR again Paul.
Thanks for posting it up [now I'm going in to turn my electric blanket on, feeling a definite chill in the air since looking at the excellent pics :bom_santa3: ]

Thanks Stephen! It was fun!

Absolutely great RR Paul. And the pics ... fantastic! The first time I read it I couldn't get away from how cold and slippery everything looked. Then when I read it a second time and could relax knowing you hadn't come to grief, the beauty of the countryside you passed through became apparent.

Thanks Don, I missed out on some of the really good views for photos because I was trying to video it instead, and I wasn't about to turn around after the vids failed to get some photos lol
North sounds good mate, I'm heading that way in July on my holidays, and I have another 10days off coming up in June to make use of!

Thanks DL, as always great pics :thumbsup:
Did look a bit chilly, must have been that "solid mist".:mrgreen:
Will catch up for a ride soon.:cheers2:BOB.

Thanks Bob, was a bit chilly, and the best part is with solid mist, you don't get wet! :green_lol::green_lol: I'll let you know when I'm headed up your way!

what they said :thumbup:

Thanks Muddy! :mrgreen:

 

[Snab]

Awesome ride report mate, shame I didn't make it. Next time aye!