Tuesday 2 December 2014

Day 3 Liffey to Miena (the big climb)

This was the day where we would attack the Caves Track, a 990 meter climb up onto the Central Highlands. None of us were sure what we were in for as last time Dale and Nigel had done the trail the track was closed due to the amount of rain the week before.
    Once we headed off at around 8:00am leaving the little school house behind with the Western Tiers covered in cloud. We headed down Liffey Road before saying good bye to Cheryl and Barry in the support vehicles and also Leo as he was not keen of the reports of the whole "carrying" your bike thing up the Caves Track so decided to that the Poatina road climb, we then turning right down Blackwood Creek Road which eventually took a left turn where we went straight on and along Hop Valley Road.
Quite a few farmers corners along the road finishes and you sort of head up someone's drive way and ride past their house and to a gate. This first gate has a Tasmania Trail box on the post which has a book to sign in to keep track of who is on the trail. After another gate you come to a little creek which was at the time able to be crossed without getting your feet wet. From there you head up a rough rock strewn track and through another gate and then the climbing (pushing) begins!

Heading for the hills

Signing in

Where the trail get rough

Creek crossing
 
 
The first part of the Caves Track has some quite technical climbing but mostly doable by experienced riders with a bit of fitness behind them. Then the gradient lessens a little and the riding is very enjoyable all be it a bit over grown with nice view over the plains. After the odd steep pinch you reach the "Caves" large sandstone over hangs big enough to park a bus in. From there on up the track turns to steep loose rock that resembles a dry river bed and probably is with heavy rain. Almost all of it here up is not rideable so pushing or carrying is the only option but I did not think it was that bad, only wished that the view was still to be seen as we were now in the clouds. After reaching the top and meeting the Poatina Road we met Cheryl in the mist who directed us further down the road where it was warmer an the mist had lifted and Barry was waiting with the support trailer and most importantly FOOD. We had climbed over 990 meters at this point and only rode about 21km. Unfortunately my Garmin went flat at this point so I could not record the last half of the ride to Miena but this part is pretty straight forward.
 
The steep but rideable part

Little creek crossing, ride it if you dare!

Some of the trees had been cleared....

...some had not

Some one took a spill. Sticky cleat? :)

The Caves



Up in the mist

Here's where it gets unrideable

Food!
 
Once again we leave Cheryl and Barry and head down Poatina Road until we turn right and under the boom gate, (there is a second book in here to sign out) then up the hill on Arthurs Flume Road which once at the top of the hill follows the water channel. This road goes to Todd's Corner Road and you can turn right to go to the pump house a few hundred meter down the road or left and back onto Poatina Road. From the Poatina intersection it is only 8km to Miena and about 10km to the Great Lake Hotel where we were staying. Overall 60km ridden and 1600 meters of climbing, 990 meters of it in one hit, still a good day the walking/carrying gave my legs a break (different muscles) and the road ride was fast and furious.
 
The part of the trail my GPS missed. Down Poatina road and onto Arthurs Flume Road

Poatina Road


The channel from Arthurs Lake to Great Lake

Following the channel

Great Lake

Our destination for the day
 
 



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