December 9, 2021
Day 3: Mount Bryan East to Laura
C'mon Legs Do Your Stuff
I was sad to leave the old schoolhouse. Such a charming place and I had a pretty good night's sleep what with it being totally quiet. It's amazing how much noise there is in our suburban lives.
I got away at a reasonable 8am. I will come out with it right now...I cheated and decided to skip a bit of a convoluted section of the trail, instead choosing a more direct option that rejoined it later. I suspect many others may have done the same if they overnighted at the hut. Do I feel bad? Nah. Knocking out 135k today was plenty.
Quite a lot of this trail is convoluted. But that is a state of mind I guess. I have got into the swing of spotting the trail markers now. Hats off to the folks that set the trail up and put the markers in They have done a great job, although I have cursed them on occasions 😁
I knew today was going to be challenging to get to Laura today. And it was. Some big hills, one of those being a few kilometers out of Hallett. The legs were feeling heavy. Had the crosswind thing going on again today, and a bit of a soul destroying headwind at one stage. However, the wind gods got behind me for much of the final run to Laura before slapping me in the chops again 5k out.
Our bodies are amazing things if we treat them right. I have learnt the importance of glucose on this trip! With a strong will not to give up and a tub of High5 you can go far! And I always marvel at how, when your legs feel like lead and the mind is weak, that you can find that burst when you know the end is in sight.
It was actually cold all the way to Hallet and beyond. Like, feet numbingly cold. Then it seemed to heat up a bit after the big climb to the wind turbines. How strange they are. I would not be surprised if they were to unplant themselves from the ground in some War of The Worlds or LOTR manner.
Very slow going today, as well. Some bad surfaces and technical terrain to navigate. I was looking forward to the Bundaleer Forests section but this turned out to be a disappointment for me. Perhaps I was just tired. Just a bit of singletrack, well rutted with the passing of animals. I guess condituons can change depending on the season. I had imagined towering pines and the like. There were a few of those, but there were also large rutted tractor tracks and empty fields all over the place. Perhaps just remenants of fires a few years back? Not that I am complaining! But I will call it The Gates of Bundaleer section. Nothing worse than a gate to stop your momentum. Especially one you can't open easily. Bike down. Gate open. Lift bike, through gate. Bike down. Close gate. Bike up...
Ooo. I almost forgot...I did another cheat and did some road ridung to miss the Bundaleer Aqueduct section just outside Spalding. It has a reputation as being puncture-ville and I...I think my legs made the decision and my mind just went along. But an afternoon of punctures was the last thing I wanted to risk.
Anyway, I loved my few k"s on the highway! Gave me a chance to ride with my head up and take in the vista and steam along without worrying too much about where my front wheels were heading. There have been a couple of occasions where a last second bunny hop has literally saved my bacon...I am really a roadie...and I like to savour the down hills I have worked so hard for and not focus so much on picking the line. Some of the stuff can be hard to see and read until you are almost on top of it. Maybe I just need to slow down 😉
Felt like I was riding on sand for a lot of the day. I probably was. I got to Laura and headed straight to the pub for a huge steak dinner and a beer. I am ashamed to say I actually ate the lot...because when you see it on the plate it looks impossible!
Going to hang around Laura for the day...cafe...pub...IGA shop...wash my clothes as I have been wearing the same stuff for 3 days. Do some Stretching, Feed up and prepare for a big day tomorrow...I have a friend in Melrose where I could stay...but I'd like to get to Quorn as it gives me the option of another rest day and makes the chances of me actually getting the bus back a bit better as the winds and heat are turning against me 🙄
Anyway...here is are some pics from the day. In no order 😆
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Today's ride: 135 km (84 miles)
Total: 360 km (224 miles)
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Great adventure - great reading
That 500g steak wouldn’t have touched the sides
3 years ago
3 years ago