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Todds Cervantes Run
The big man Todd called his annual Lano - Cervantes run during the week.
I think everyone was watching the weather for this one as it's been over 4 years since a few of us have done this ride since the Army closed the main route & the highway opened. The piss taking starts as soon as everyone is there & doesn't abate for the next 7 1/2 hours (yep. that's how long we were out there for) Now everyone knows I'm not a fan of sand, or deep sand, or sandy whoops but we had all of the above thrown at us today & not one complaint was heard by anyone. The bikes were all suited to that terrain & not a serious breakdown or problem amongst us. Todd leads off up the main route & we dodge & weave our way around the live firing range on old & new track until we hit Wedge. As we're having a break the Rangers pull up & the first words out of his mouth are something like, "I really hate to ruin your day fellas..." but was stopped almost straight away when more than a few said, we're all rego'd so you ain't ruining anyone's day. Rothy is trying to score, we're not sure with which ranger though. Time to hit up the beach & away we go. There have been time when this was a brilliant run & other times when it has been crap. Today leaned more to the brilliant run. 90-100kph along the sand can feel a bit sketchy at times. Inland, back to the beach, slow crawl through Grey, back to the beach, boggy deep smelly sand, tight packed fast sand. Into he Cervantes Country Club (yes we are going up market & trying to improve the image of the trail bike rider) for the best steak sang I have had in years. Shame about the XXXX beer though. Everyone is fed & fat so it's back to Lano. Some of the same tracks back to Wedge then it's a beach run home. Again it's on & off the beach hitting up some trails that haven't seen vehicles in years by the looks of them. Oh no, the track has run out & we need to cross a dune to get back to the beach. 9 off the guys make it to the top of the dune. Cass is still trying to get onto the dune, I'm sinking up to my ankles & the bike is down to the hub in soft sand & Tommy is trying to decide which way to go. Looks like all 3 off us need help. This was really soft sand in spots. Finally back onto the beach for the final run home, passing bogged 4WD's, Muppets on 80cc Honda's & a variety of other people as the closer we get to Lano the busier & thus boggier the beach becomes. Everyone is smiling & knackered. For some of us this is the first hard ride this year & personally, I can feel it. I hadn't done anything like this on the KTM, only on the DRZ & I am so glad I made the change, as is Jacko i think too, as it is more fun when you have a bike made to do this even though the sand still dictates which direction I'm heading, just ask JNR. He said I'm the hardest person he's ever had to try & pass in the sand. Again, thanks Todd for the lead, Harve & Tommy for the sweep & the middle bunch for the laughs.                           |
