Wednesday 17th February 2010

[BMBEN]

WEDNESDAY’S RIDES
All welcome to join in

Meet :- Blaxland McDonalds, GWH, BLAXLAND, NSW, 2774

for a 9.00am Start

Ride Leader :- Franz (BMBEN) 0427 830 712
Ride Reports/Videos :- Eric (I will film it)

Avon Dam


This week's Wednesday ride the 17th of February.
I arrived at the usual time of eight thirty at McDonalds' to find Franz, and seven other riders already there and the ride would be to Avon dam the weather conditions for to-day were 25 in the city to 29 in the west and Buckley’s chance of any rain.
So we headed off at 9:00 AM down the hill to Mulgoa road where we turned right and headed out through Silverdale, around the back roads and on to Thirlmere where we stopped for morning tea the ride across the top of the ridge was exceptionally good and the rain that we have had has really greened the countryside, the air was crisp and clean, we stopped at Thirlmere at approximately ten thirty had morning tea and then continued on to the Avon dam, we arrived there at approximately eleven thirty so we rode down to the dam wall and then walked across the dam wall itself, it is built like the pyramids with laid blocks of sandstone stacked on top of one another to build the wall, the dam was built in 1921 and finished in 1929 and its water flow goes to prospect reservoir.
When you ride into the dam itself, it is quite surprising how far the ride is into the wall and the parking amenities, this is my first time to visit the Avon dam as it has only just been reopened in the last few months and it is well worth a ride in as usual all the dams amenities were spotlessly clean and tidy and there was an MG car club there so we did not have it all to ourself.
While having lunch with Franz, Les, David (BMW), Peter, Richard, David, Noel, and our visitor Malcolm, from the Nepean branch, in the top shelter we looked up to see John ride in on his new bike it is a 2008 model Yamaha 1300 pearl white paint, with aftermarket shocks and exhaust system and also a small wind screen on the front, and it really is a great looking bike I hope it brings you many joyous miles john or I should say kilometres, so now if you see a Grey, Nomadic, Ulysseian, riding a white Yamaha, you'll know it is John.
After telling our usual jokes and stories and a bit of reminiscing about the good old days we headed off to Warragamba observation tower for afternoon tea but on the way, their a few of the riders David, and John, and Noel, who had some other things to do and left us to go their own way.
We stopped at Warragamba and from the observation deck and you could see where the damn water had risen quite a considerable amount the conditions had got quite warm so we decided that we would not have afternoon tea there and would make our own way home so after saying our goodbyes, I headed off for home with Les and David following, I arrived home at approximately 4:10 after having done 200 kilometres for the day's ride.
I know there are quite a few of you Ulysseians that are leaving for Albany either this weekend for next weekend, and I wish you all well last ride report and I do the same again.
I speak for all the Wednesday riders, we all hope you have a wonderful time and take care and ride safe.
Regards Eric Baldwin.