This is the thread.

And just got a message from the BOM

BOM New South Wales ‏@BOM_NSW 12m12 minutes ago
First April snowfall in Oberon since 2008. Snow also fell on the Snowies and Brindabellas. 20cm at Mount Ginini

Woohoo. Pack your woollies. And an extra spanner.

Not sure when I am leaving. Traffic on any day will be bad. Long weekend. Start of the ski season.

Good old Oberon - living up to it's reputation. The Grabau brothers and I were there for their annual hot day in March.

I'm planning on going again Rosskko, assuming life goes according to plan, and was wondering about you getting out to Goulburn on the Friday afternoon/evening since Waz has mentioned that he might be a starter as well it could be a convenient meeting place and overnight stay.

Any Hunter Krew that might decide to go could probably make it to there on the Friday as well. We would then have a choice of heading to the rally site from either the west (via Tumut) or the east (via Cooma) and possibly making it a round trip coming out the opposite way.

I put the site coordinates into the map and it's basically on the Snowy Mountains Highway where it crosses the Yarrangobilly River between Adaminaby and Talbingo.

Cheers

We shall be making another attempt to go south for the Alpine Rally if I can get Margs bike fixed in time which gives me 9 weeks from now and seeing as the insurance Co has said yes then it is feasible even with my back the way it is.
Count me in

Just checked the dates. I'm keen but it's going to be tricky. Wife's birthday 6/6 and 30th wedding anniversary 8/6. I suggested she come for a ride in the side car to Alpine rally for our 30th anniversary and she has lost her cense of humor. When she calms down I will try again, still ranting about the time I brought her a BBQ for her birthday and lawn mower for Christmas. Some people are hard to please.
I thought she would like a weekend in the snowy mountains.

Waz, tell her the mountains are beautiful at that time of year, the air is pollution free and bracing, the kompany is entertaining (especially once the anti-freeze is added), we'll likely have Rosskko the group Fire God there to ensure we are able to have a warm social space available and the accommodation? - well with two people in a small tent the possibilities are endless.

Do I need to go on any further?

Good luck with the "planning".

Cheers

Waz, what better birthday present could she have than for you not to be there?

Waz wrote:Just checked the dates. I'm keen but it's going to be tricky. Wife's birthday 6/6 and 30th wedding anniversary 8/6. I suggested she come for a ride in the side car to Alpine rally for our 30th anniversary and she has lost her cense of humor. When she calms down I will try again, still ranting about the time I brought her a BBQ for her birthday and lawn mower for Christmas. Some people are hard to please.
I thought she would like a weekend in the snowy mountains.

You need to get her one of these. www.irobot.com They also make lawnmowers so you have a chance to redeem yourself in time. You buy both along with a case of http://www.aussiewinesonline.com/html/chardonnay.html because women are into what is known as multi tasking. These two tasks combined work extremely well.

If that doesn't work you buy a google self driving car and disable the return home feature.....

Thanks Gaz but I think Rosko has a good point. I should be able to get a leave pass just by being me between now and June.



Olaf
I am not game enough to buy appliances for presents and more, not after she told me where she will store them if I do it again.

A thing I learnt a few years back....buy her a nice trip to somewhere. But give it to her on the anniversary so she has time to look forward to it. As opposed to taking it on the anniversary! ......

I was joking, appliances are not always the best idea on such occasions, been there. But those iRobot thingies are something else! A friend has one and he introduced his friends to it by inviting them over for a glass of wine while he cut his grass but proceeded to sit down with them instead of cutting the grass. Then events took their course and this flying saucer thingy appeared, set by a timer, does the business and proceeds to return to base all by itself. How long did it take was answered by 'two bottles'. Nuff said. Same applies to the vacuum cleaner......Now dear, what will we do while the grass is being cut......?

Back to the rally. Take her but after the rally take the long way home and bring her for a trip to a 5 star hotel.

My daughter has an irobot vacuum cleaner which is largely useless because the nearly two year old thinks its a toy to be interfered with while doing its duty!

Bill

Your daughter must have got the deluxe 'childminder' model. Just programme it to do the housework at night.......

Well enough talk about the suckers we meet and back to the Alpine Rally.
Marg isn't going and not because the bike isn't ready but she has wimped out because it will be cold.
So the result is a week long leave pass, not that I really need it.
A nice long way home after the rally sounds like a good idea.
Lets make some plans now so the shit can be shot out of them when we decide that a better way is so obvious after some antifreeze is consumed.

will try to put in for leave ...but already have a training session up in cairns the week of the event 3rd - 4th  ....but will see if there is a hole for me to get back and on the bike

have another appointment the week after  ....about the 9th I think 
ill hope to get some conformations in this next week

Rick, my early thoughts were that I would plan to be in Goulburn for a pub stay on the Friday night which would make a good meeting point for others from places like Sydney and the 'Gong.

This would let us decide whether we go into the rally from Cooma or Tumut letting us have the option of coming out the other way for a round trip.

Looking at the news tonight the early snows have arrived and I'm guessing that it will indeed be colder up on the mountains than it was in the Brindabellas last year. I haven't actually camped in the snow before.

Cheers

I am leaving work at around 3 I hope on the friday and heading down to Goulburn? with the rest of the long weekend traffic.
I don't think it will matter which way from there as it will be pretty choccas.

Might have to bring an extra fire starter and a second sleeping bag.
I will be making a trip to Kmart for supplies if anyone wants me to pick them up something. Did I hear hot water bottle?

Gaz80 wrote:I haven't actually camped in the snow before.

Nor have I and I don't intend to spoil a perfect record.
Might have to catch you as you come through Sandy hollow again if you are going that way.

There was a rally here somewhere.


Alpine 2008, it was me who one Long Distance Solo Male. Logan Village Qld to the site on an R100. Woulda froze me nungas off the first night if not for a kind solo female rally goer who offered up some body heat. It was not a two dog night.

The times I've seen snow coming/going from the Alpine have been alongside the Snowy Mtns Hwy and quite deep too.  Haven't seen proper snow at the actual Yarrangobilly site yet.

This was going to the Yarrangobilly site in year 2000, the black sidecar in the middle is mine. We stopped for the obligatory snowball fight.
No snow on the road going in from Tumut, was snow on the road leaving the rally to head to Tumut, no snow on the ground at the rally site. Not sure if I'm going yet.


Al

Rosskko and I are booked in for a pub stay in Goulburn for the Friday night, thanks to our local man on the ground, Indian036. He has suggested that he will be up for a ride to accompany us down to Cooma to catch up with one of the locals there.

Need to keep a close eye on the road condition reports for the section between Cooma and Yarrangobilly.

I'll be avoiding the traffic on Friday for a nice ride in the country down the western side of the mountains while Rosskko battles his way out of Sydknee with the start of the snow season rat race.

Cheers

"while Rosskko battles his way out of Sydknee with the start of the snow season rat race."


No problem. He can lane filter now. 

We should be able to share a meal together Friday night at the pub or at my place.


Bill

I'll be heading down on Saturday. Dont get home from work till 6:30 on a Friday so no chance of me heading out then.

Looks like we have a bunch meeting at the front of Hungry Jacks at Marulan around 10am Sat.

Al

Al, are your lot going via Cooma or Tumut? We'll be down the road well before you on Saturday morning but there could be a leisurely morning tea at Cooma.

Bill we may need some advance information about establishments in Cooma that serve skones.

Looking forward to the run.

The discussion indicated doing the dirt from Tharwa down to Adaminaby (it chops about 100km off the Cooma run. Dependant on road/weather conditions (snow) of course.  I've done it before, not a bad road at all, but a bit rough once you cross into NSW.  So Adaminaby would be our last fuel/food/shopping stop.

Al

Just finished packing, can't wait

Played with my brakes. Didn't remove teh reservoir cap. Blew out the sight glass. Argh

Hopefully Munich have one handy or else it will be silicone or a big stick.

Ive been packed for two weeks
Waz

I haven't even started yet. Too busy playing with the new toy.

Finally bit the bullet and did the second rebuild on the K1100LT water pump. Thought I'd have trouble getting the failed (on initial startup) seals out again but it went well and I tried to be VERY careful putting the new ones in this time. Pump is back on and I'll add fluids tomorrow arvo. Doing a few little clean ups as well around the bike since I have the lower fairing panels off.
................ meanwhile the K75 sits patiently on standby.

Glad to see other members looking forward to the weekend.

Cheers

Gaz80 wrote:Al, are your lot going via Cooma or Tumut? We'll be down the road well before you on Saturday morning but there could be a leisurely morning tea at Cooma.

Bill we may need some advance information about establishments in Cooma that serve skones.

Looking forward to the run.

The establishment we will visit on Saturday will have skones available. Some serious discussions with the proprietor and his wife resulted in positive indications.



Bill

Helps to have  relations in the kitchen I believe. Not that sort of relations, family type relations.

Cooma today

Cooma today


The Hume at Breadalbane:

What are your saying Al?

Is it going to be a two water bottle camp out?


brrrrrrrrrr

spewing ill miss this lads. 

Have a few cans for me.

You cant drink cans they freeze. To get anything to stay liquid it has to have an alcohol content higher than 10% like JD or a good red

A problem I always have camping in winter......getting a 'good red' to room temperature! 

Have fun,
Paul.

Paul, with our summertime temperatures we are used to having to chill our reds to get them to an acceptable "room temperature" but I agree that this weekend the outside temps might be just a wee bit cold.

I think the best solution to fortify me against the cold is to take a bottle of fortified wine such as port - should do the trick.

Packing day tomorrow - need to sort out the thermal layers. Long term forecast for the weekend at the rally site is for about -4 C so not too bad really. No snow forecast.

Cheers

RTV black into the hole left by my shattered master cylinder spy glass will hopefully hold till Monday evening.
For once I am letting something cure for the recommended amount of time before adding fluids.

Fingers crossed.

Now, where did I put those snow chains?

Oooohhh. And the hot water bottle.

My K1100 is alive! I left it a couple of days for the sealant to cure after installing the water pump and with my heart in my mouth, crossed my fingers and hit the starter button. It burst into life and I immediately got down on my knees (no not praying) to inspect the water pump area ........ well, well, no fluids leaking out. 
Warmed up and checked that the fan was cutting in & out - it did so now to put the fairing lowers back on and get it out on the road for a little test ride.

Looking forward to Friday.

Cheers

I am ready to roll tomorrow and even washed all the dead bugs off after the fateful Eden attempt

Packing the outfit tomorrow, leaving first thing Saturday.

Al

Well it wouldn't be a trip of adventure if something didn't go wrong.
First attempt at sight glass replacement failed terribly.
Second attempt now. Going in stages. Slowly slowly.
Fingers crossed.

You don't have a spare 1100 front master do you Al?

Will have to consider hard before taking the /2 into the cold again.

rosskko wrote:Well it wouldn't be a trip of adventure if something didn't go wrong.
First attempt at sight glass replacement failed terribly.
Second attempt now. Going in stages. Slowly slowly.
Fingers crossed.

You don't have a spare 1100 front master do you Al?

Will have to consider hard before taking the /2 into the cold again.

 Only the one on the bike I'm not taking.

Al

Looking less than 50/50 for tomorrow.
First attempt at brake glass fix was a failure.
2nd attempt on now. Needs 24 hours to cure.
/2 decided it did not want to start this morning.

Had the K1100 out for a bit of a test run today, all good and tested out the heated grips ... yes they're working.

Loading up this afternoon ready for the kick off tomorrow morning. Just spoke to Rick G and he is safely into the pub in Denman having had an uneventful trip down from Stanthorpe. I'll meet him there tomorrow for our trek south to Goulburn via Oberon.

Speaking of Oberon, which will be our lunch stop, the evening news weather forecast just mentioned snow flurries there tomorrow as a cold front passes through. I'll bet the Grabau brothers are kicking themselves for missing that opportunity.

Rosskko ....just put the good battery into /2 and buy a couple of newspapers tomorrow to stuff into the front of your jacket just like Granddad used to say. You've probably still got the pink blanket from last year.

Hope to see you in Goulburn tomorrow night.

Cheers

totally pissed off that I have work commitments on Saturday ..

im sorry cannot get away at all

bugga

Brake repair seems to be holding.

Took a test run to get dog food and milk. You should try it sometime.  Mmmmmm

Leaving work asap after lunch. I won't beat all the traffic, but I may beat some.

See you at the hotel.
What is it called again?

Good timing! Purchased a $99 AEG heated hoodie from Bunnings today. Youcan run it direct from a cig socket or from its own battery pack(you have tobuy the extra bits either way.  Beginning of last weekend only one heated grip was functioning, thats fixed too.

I dont intend to be cold.

Al

all the best for the weekend, Ill get there on year, just got allot of other commitments at present, including emptying the ute full of honda cx500 parts donated by a guy you all know might know from the karuah rally,now rides a gs1150
have a blast, and ouzo is good to keep you warm

Try looking here for it Rossko

Astor Hotel Goulburn

Good luck you blokes...-3 here this morning and tonight I am sitting front of the fire.....do not envy your trip...sorry I am a wouse.