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Midwest Beach Pony Express.
Report by Brownie
30 knot winds and driving rain.. Oh yes this was going to be fun!!! Twas the morning of the last Midwest Trail and Enduro club Pony Express for the year. I peeked from under the doona, out the window, into the gathering light. It was messy! Up and at em. Chomped down some breaky and raced out through a slight let up in the squalls to load the DRZ onto the ute. Clutching a hot coffee in one hand and twiddling the heater with the other I set off for the course, which was only 30 mins down the Hwy towards Dongara. Driving in from the Hwy turnoff, the track was getting a little soupy, but word was the course was sand so, hey, wets good right? Rolling up to the pits revealed a mixed group of the usual neer do well Midwest types and their various mounts of choice. Merv, Colin, Jamie, Sharky and myself were the crusty types and Ifor wandered over for a chat and walked away a Crusty and keen for some trail rides with the group. The rain was easing up and the sun poking through the black clouds but the wind was still gale force nonsense. Riders meeting was brief and straight to the point. Followed with the suggestion do not return to ride the property after the event. Or you will be shot. The sighting lap showed up a fantastic course, cut through the grass covered coastal dunes with a slasher, that ran about 15kms. I honestly do not think there was a flat stretch of ground on this course. It was set in steep rolling hills, right on the coast, and wound around in a tight area but provided a huge variety of terrain and hills. Best ride of the year is my call. We all put in about 6 or 7 loops (Colin pulling the most I think) and it was good fun getting to know the lines better each lap. Merv was looking a bit fitter this time round and no ladybird calls of Im a bit knackered, think Ill sit this lap out. He also took the pics, so well played Merv. Jamie was still coming to grips with his new Kwaka 450 but enjoyed himself and was going hard, with a couple of minor offs. Sharky cruised around having a blast on the KTM 250F all morning. Some of the gusts almost blew you off the ridgelines as you tried to stay on the narrow singletrack, but once down in the valleys the view through to the water was postcard stuff. Ifor was punting the big KTM around smoothly and enjoyed lapping in groups of 3 or 4. Colin takes Stack of the day for colliding with a roo. No standouts for ROD , all going good. By the end of the day the course was getting fairly cut up and whooped out and the crowd started to thin as riders headed for warm showers and a quit reflect on what has been a great first year for the METRC club. Might be time for one or two more rides before the dust rears its ugly head. Cheers to all for a great ride.  Todays Pony Express - That's the Brand Highway in the back ground about 13 k's south of the S bend.  Brownie  Jamie  Merv's bike  Is that Col about to fall off?  The Boys  Jamie  Col |
