13 October 2018 Worn Boot Bash ride - Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Old codger wacked at Mt Clear

Saturday 13 October: WBB – Mt Clear – L/M. Our annual madness: ~ 30 km with a mountain or two. This is the same as last year: Mt Clear car park, Sam Aboud’s Dunny, Long Flat, border trail, Mt Clear, northerly spur off track down to Demandering Hut, Naas Valley firetrail, car park. About 25km and roughly 600 m ascent. Leaders: Rob and Jen H.
Geocaches GC7E6T8 Twisted Tree and GC3YZPX Demanding Ride for me.

Further Information

Still with sore feet, the leaders allowed me to ride the Worn Boot Bash this year, accompanied by geocaching buddy IamCoust.

Summary

Distance: 36.4km | Climb: 1240m | Time: 6.25am – 2.10pm (7hrs 45mins), including 50 mins of breaks | Grading: L/E; M(11) – ride

Photographs

Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.

Waypoint and Track Files

Download the gpx file for this trip (if your browser does not automatically download the file, it will open the gpx file in a new window and you can then save it). To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.

Track Notes

6 of us drove out on Friday arvo/evening and enjoyed a ‘car camp’ at the Mt Clear camping ground. It saved us battling the roos early Saturday morning, as Rob wanted a 6.15am start. A convivial time around the fire in the constructed fireplace. I had a comfortable night’s sleep in the back of the Tribute, with 4 pillows and 2 sleeping mats. Up at 5.30am for breaky. 4 more walkers arrived in 3 cars and we were ready to ride and walk at 6.25am.

A cool and overcast morning. I started riding in 3 thermals and 2 pairs of gloves.

Our first leg was along the Long Flat Fire Trail. A bit of an off and push up the wiggles. A stop at Edward Brayshaws Hut site – Sam Abouds Hut site and Sam Abouds Dunny. A little more pushing up to the north junction of the old and new sections of the Long Flat Fire Trail.

Next a ride along the new Long Flat Fire Trail. We knew that the walkers would walk up Long Flat, but it’s too fragile a place for bikes. Out onto the Carey Fire Trail. At the southern most corner, we left the bikes and walked in the sort distance for Neil to log GCK74J Southern Outpost.

Riding/walking up the Carey Fire Trail we ran into the walkers. So the ride along the new Long Flat Fire Trail is a lot slower than walking up Long Flat. We had a joint morning tea at the gate where the Fire Trail reenters Namadgi National Park.

The fire trail loses elevation for a while before joining the Mt Clear Fire Trail at Top Flats, so we got a start on the walkers. It was then riding and pushing to find and log geocache GC7E6T8 Twisted Tree on the side of the trail. A final push up to Mt Clear.

IamCoust found GCT6WF A CLEAR Loop; I collapsed on the trig; and the walkers arrived. They were making excellent time.

Here we finally parted company. The walkers went off-track down a northerly spur to Demandering Hut.

We rode on down to the north, following the Mt Clear Fire Trail and turning onto the Let Hand Creek Fire Trail. Some parts were so steep that I wouldn’t ride down them. We certainly tackled the hill the better way, from south to north (rode Mt Clear from the north on 27 Oct 09). Check out the profile! Arrived at Horse Gully Hut at 11.55am.

During lunch 2 horse riders arrived. We had amicable conversation – didn’t mention feral horses in KNP!

Setting off for the last ~10km, we stopped at the track into Demandering Hut, ignored the ‘track closed’ sign and walked in over the ‘Eddie Cheetham’ bridge to the Hut and to log GC3YZPX Demanding Ride. At last – I’ve been waiting for this cache since 15 Aug 15 and have done 3 WBBs to log it.

The final ride and push back to the cars, with a caching detour on the way. Looks like a bit of work has been done on ford 1 – much easier to cross.

A well deserved beer back at the car, then drive home. IamCoust did a more caching on the way home; I had an ice cream at the Tharwa General Store. The walkers got in around 4pm, it was reported.

Thanks Rob and Jen and all, and Neil, for another great Worn Boot Bash.