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ALBANY VINTAGE & CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE CLUB

OCTOBER 2001 CLUB NEWS
Not the Fernhook Falls

Merv and girls at FernhookIt had to happen - first day of Spring and it's wet. We had a good turn-out though, 16 bikes, 20 odd people and two cars. So start them up and it's off to Fernhook Falls (or that was the plan). We met Don on his Indian at Denmark, where the roads were still dry, before heading to Bow River where Mike, Angie, Bob and Mary were waiting. At Bow River some of our crew didn't turn up. After a while a 4WD pulled in saying that the others were at the side of the road, about 10ks back. 

So Ross and I rode back, passing Merv and the girls coming the other way, before we came across Don. The Indian's gearbox had seized solid, leaving an impressive skid mark down the road to where he and his bike were. We had to admit it was a great piece of riding not to fall off. Merv had taken Don to a phone where he asked Judy to bring their trailer out (we weren't that far from Denmark). Ross and Don took the (endless) drive chain off so as the bike could be put on the trailer easier. Colin and son also arrived with their vehicles to see if they could assist, but Don was happy to wait for Judy. 

Nothing left to do we headed back to Bow Bridge and rejoining the rest. We decided to go the back way (all bitumen) to the junction of the North Walpole Road. It had rained again and the gravel roads either side of the road we were riding were looking pretty slippery. At the T-junction, we stopped and discussed whether to keep on going onto the dirt or not. Beardmore Road is quite undulating and would be pretty sloppy at the base of the dips. 

The majority voted to go to Walpole instead (how democratic is that), where there's an undercover area with tables, chairs and BBQ. So that's what we did, Colin and his family carried on to the Falls in their vehicles. They later told us that the road in was OK - if you were in a 4WD - so we made the right decision. But Fernhook Falls will definitely be in the Calendar for next year, although most probably a couple of weeks later - see you then.