1st October 2023

Backtracking slightly, apart from a couple of cafes (I only found one..) Jarrahdale is a bit of a desert for M B riders. The only accommodation in town was expensive and booked up and no resupply options of note, much the same as last time. In the end my riding companion of the day and I decided all we could do was wild camp at the local mountain bike park.

Very nice secluded dell with a flat surface and some inquisitive Magpies. Only it rained when it was time to pack up in the morning. So I ended up ramming a soggy tent into a bag and hoping I’d find somewhere to hang it up to dry before too long (and to get rid of the unwelcome extra weight of the rain!

The following morning started a bit late as I met Michael in the cafe for breakfast. My treat, he’d brought me a new inflatable mattress to replace my disintegrating one. Can’t thank him enough for that!

The ride: temps ok in low 20s but overcast. Started out ok with only the odd spot of rain, went uphill, then descended steeply into a river valley. No guessing what came next. Mile after mile of pushing the bike. It tends to be either too steep to ride a laden bike up or it’s covered in gravel that’s impossible to ride in and saps your strength because of the drag.

The scenery was much the same as the last couple of days until a couple of miles out from the reservoir where it opened out a bit into fields.Then, as I was pushing up a steep road the intermittent showers turned into a downpour. Well, my kit is really just shower proof so I gave up and hid under a bush for a while!

Last time I was in Dandalup the weather was perfect. Blue skies, view out to the coast etc. This time, murky, windy on top of the dam and, time for a quick photo opp and push on. Fortunately the hut wasn’t too far away (after some more gruelling pushing) so time to eat and dry out. No point in looking at the spectacular view this time, there wasn’t one thanks to the cloud.

Animals of the day: a pair of blue tongued lizards (guess why!) and a real find, an Echidna!! Never seen one of those before. About the size of a football. Once he had decided I wasn’t a threat he got back to snuffling under a rock for his lunch.