We didn't need much convincing to have an adventure ride rather than a serious training ride today so we decided to take a detour off our normal One Tree Hill trails to explore a bit further into Mandurang. Steve had ridden this area many years ago on trails cut in by some locals and had a general knowledge of how it all linked up. We picked up the first sign of the trail where Steve recalled but it wasnt long before we were backtracking around to find the right path to follow. This become the pattern of the day as well as doing a lot log hopping and listening and watching for sticks in derailleurs. Suprisingly this didnt become a chore and in the grand scheme of things was quite enjoyable.
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| The trails are still visible if you look hard |
The trails in general were slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature but there were enough clues left to let us stay on the right path most of the time. Even with our stop start riding we could see why someone had gone to the trouble of making these tracks. The country is perfect for riding. Short climbs, a few technical rocky bits all topped off by some sweet single trail decents. The best thing of all is that due to our great navigational skills (read good luck) we managed to join all these tracks up into a complete loop which was an unexpected bonus.
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| You have to love the bush around Bendigo |
