Trail Report: March 30th 2003

Now since the last outing Crusty Quinns has developed two new strategies:

• In response to a sign which reads something along the lines "don't park here or we'll get you" the trailer-bound bike-loadin warriors have called Pippidinny Road as the new starting point. Apart from the extra distance required to be travelled, it is not near any houses so you can be as noisy as you like :)
• Andy's Sausage Sizzle. Andy brings along the porta-BBQ and snags for an afternoon treat :)

Some had ridden in from Quinns, some had trailered in, either way the first port of call is to ride back to Alkimos, looking for some dune jump work. Not to be found. A wet dune jump has proven in the past to be a difficult thing. Once you cut a trail it stays - unlike the dry sand which falls back in on itself. Whats more, the wet sand seems to cut deeper ruts. Both these reasons left the players pretty much unable to find any decent line.

Rob is video camera enabled on the Alkimos hill but there wasn't much to be filmed.

"Right," he says, "I saw a hill a few days ago back down the track that I reckon no-one will be able to make it up. I've got a King Sized Mars Bar for the first person to prove me wrong...

...and the hill will be named after them."

With an offer like that the players set off. "Wolfie's Peak!" "Anvil Mountain!" "Rob's Knob!" And so the hill was met.

Rob quickly establishes himself a vantage point for filming at the top of the hill. Tim426 joins him. At base camp, the players cast a concerned eye over the incline. It wasn't _huge_ but it was big for the area, the slope at the top was such that you couldn't hold a bike there but it was verticle...some players were ready to go.

Marty Moose leads the pack and throws the 'ole KTM up the slope. First pass, he pulls out the the right before the top. Second pass the old girl has jumped up near the summit and he's dropped it on its side. Third pass, success! "Marty's Mount" is named, Marty Moose picks up Rider of the Day and the King Sized Mars Bar. A clean sweep.

Wolfie in the meantime is sizing it up, but JAW has other ideas. "Pfft, it doesn't look that hard!" From a distance JAW calls it a 2nd gear job (running his horrible road-gearing) and launches himself at it. About 75% of the way up he realises what the drama is: huge pot holes and lumps of dirt. With plenty of power on tap the anvil lunges over a lump and ends up heading backwards. JAW has jumped clear but rolls back down the hill with the bike following but eventually comes to a halt in a precarious spot.

"Hey JAW", Marty, king-of-the-mound, "Need a hand?" "Umm, yeah, actually I do" he says having a hard time re-pointing the anvil down the hill. Stack of the Day is called - whats more, it's all locked on film.

Not to be put off Wolfie has a another attempt and becomes the second player to complete Martys Mound. Taunting starts at the base camp but not much activity except Marty doing his Mound several more times. JAW fires up the anvil and on a third attempt makes it over the top.

The continuing competition between Tim426 and Andy raises to a head and both have more attempts; with Tim426 just squeezing over the top and Andy not quite making it. Rob adds another anvil to the podium by being the last player to make Martys Mound; although on video playback Rob has decreed that only Marty, Wolfie and JAW made it cleanly striaght up the guts; Tim426 and Rob made it with a minor veer to the right. Acceptance of their completion is pending a further review... ;)

Back at base camp Nathan and JAW are talking and Nathan notices a problem on JAWs anvil. The bolt attaching the bottom of the rear shock to the swing arm has sheared off. Part of the thread remains, but the head is gone. JAW decides that he'll have to bail out and takes a slow and careful line home. Well spotted Nathan :)