10 Aug 2008

If so, give this a try some time. The bureau’s warning:

Hazards include snowfalls down to 400 metres affecting roads that rarely
experience snow. Black ice across roads. Dangerously cold conditions for both
livestock and people in the bush or outdoors. Squally winds in the west of the
State with gusts around 85 km/h.

The actual conditions at Sassafras were -0.5 degrees, with heavy snow falling. How do I know? We spent three hours on the MTBs up there. I’d show you photos to prove it, but my fingers were so frozen I physically couldn’t get it out of my camelbak. Coming back up the singletrack to Sassafras after deciding to call it a day and finding the ground covered in a layer of snow, with the long cold descent still to come, was not the best feeling. We got so cold on the way down just grabbing the brake lever was an exercise in the impossible. Carson decided the service station at the bottom was the end of his ride, and a taxi was called. Semi-coherent and unable to stand it was a fair call. The harder (or perhaps just better dressed) amongst the group put our hands complete with gloves under the hot tap in the toilets to get the feeling back, then jumped on the bikes and tackled the hour ride home in the rain. Brrrrrr.

Anyway it was an experience, and next time I’m feeling miserable in a race I’ll just need to be thankful that it’s A) not below freezing and B) not snowing.

Posted by erin @ 4:50 am

One Response to “Think you’re hard?”

1. Thylacine Says:
   August 10th, 2008 at 9:59 am

   I’m kinda glad I did some Winter clothes as part of the new Team Gear.

   Apparently this was the coldest, snowiest day in over 20 years, with snow down to 150m!

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