Kep Track

Saturday, 25th April 2010

We rode to Northam on the Kep Track with Toc and Tamantha on Saturday and returned on Sunday. We also had one of Tamantha's fellow students with us, young (very) Phil. Cheap mountain bike, no cleats, and, like, Toc, a pack on the back but he survived.

It was a seriously huge ride considering it was off road, we had gear for overnight and, including getting a little lost in places, around 100km to get there. Interestingly, the trip back was only 85km - no getting lost and we took the main road out of Northam and so missed out on the single track to the speedway/big water tank point. This section of track also included a huge downhill (there, uphill back) where I hit over 50km/hr but with a degree of hesitation as I had not been down it before. A very sharp left hand corner at the bottom proved such doubts correct. You get to have a very good look at the previous skid marks left by people locking up the back wheel as you do the same . . . @#$%^&*() dangerous. Toc also nearly had 'issues'.

We also had a couple of double gee incidents. Actually, still having them, just fixed my back tyre.

The Kep Track to Northam actually starts out from Mundaring Weir. We had caught the train to Midland and then took the northen leg of the Heritage Railway Trail to St Helen's where we picked up the Kep Track east out to Clackline and beyond.

As can be seen from the photos, it was quite sunny, though being late April, the shadows are long. All the photos are taken by myself apart from those taken by Tamantha - * and the backpackers at Clackline.

Phil and the track just past the tunnel, John Forrest National Park*.

A bit later, Toc and Phil*.

Susanna and I had caught the 7am train from Fremantle and we did not catch up to the others until St Helena, they had left an hour earlier, when it was dark and cold!

Susanna and Phil, further down the track*.

Andrew and Toc, later*.

Susanna and Phil . . .*

Barkers Hill and Susanna's first flat, she is dancing because I am fixing it.

Bakers Hill is two thirds the way and had a bakery, funnily enough. We were there around an hour, eating lots and fixing Susanna's first flat. A dozen road bikers turned up from the CTA so we had a bit of chat with them and checked out their machines.

Catching some rays after lunch.*

Clackline and the first slice of bitumen - the roadies passed us here and one of them gave us conflicting advice. There were two young lady backpackers taking to an old biker on a red Honda Deansville tourer in the shade of tree. (If I ever get another motorbike, it will be this one . . .).

We arrive in Northam around 5pm to find our accommodation way too noisy and a little anxious about finding alternatives in the closing light. The motel in the end. As tired as we were, 6 1/2 hrs in the saddle, we managed to go back to the town centre for a nice big slap up dinner at the Fitzgerald Hotel.

Sunday, 26th April 2010

Northam is a surprisely big and pretty place, with the Avon river being wide and shallow and dotted with white Swans, the only ones found in WA (and to have survived from being introduced decades ago).

Sunday morning and we begin the return trip after a huge breakfast at Fitzgerald Hotel - and some tyre swopping - knobblies on the front are an absolute must as Tamantha discovered, hitting the deck twice that I know about. She and Toc swopped types, his back knobbly for her front slick. I had changed Susanna's front dynamo hub wheel for the original with it's knobblies and despite still running a slick on the back, she had no problems on the gravel.

Tamantha crossing the Avon River on the suspension bridge.

Back on the Kep track and following the water pipeline.

Field of goats and a horse.*

Susanna's second flat, just before Clackline.*

Valley of white.

Tamtha and Phil.

Susanna and Toc.

Somewhere just before St Helen's.

After a big late lunch at St Helena's pub it was mostly down hill but a slight sea breeze robs us of higher speeds - hate that, we had an easterly almost the whole way to Northam on the Saturday.

Susanna and Tamatha, just past John Forrest, all down hill from here.