Dirty 'Free'ver (sort of)

[restlessshawn]

Cool let's aim for that

got a couple more bits to recce next month :)

[Ray Young]

I should still be able to make it.

[techno]

Looks good for me too.

[restlessshawn]

Excellent

will post some pics from my next recce

[Roobell7]

i'm interested. Train to Lockerbie isn't horrendous

[restlessshawn]

Had a little ride there today in the snow checking out some trails

26196116_10215541535751279_3283541092654874605_n by Shawn McFarlane, on Flickr

26230793_10215541657674327_4238307142145031074_n by Shawn McFarlane, on Flickr

[pushbikemike]

Afraid to say but I can't make the new dates. My partner is off to Australia to see her daughter around this time. I'm on driving-to-the-airport duty and childcare/dog walking duty for a few weeks solid.
On the other hand I've got a couple of days free in February so I'm off to cycle some of that area then.
Silver lining.

[JohnClimber]

Has a date been set in stone(ish) yet?

[techno]

Has a date been set in stone(ish) yet?

Yeah, March 17-18th at the mo.

[thenorthwind]

Bumping this thread because I looked it up to check the dates, and it's getting nearer. Who's coming?

Glad I did, because I hadn't clocked the date change, so I had the date wrong in both my calendars (one the original date, and one a date I seem to have completely made up ). Luckily, another thing I had on that weekend has moved so I can still make this.

[fatbikephil]

Think so - hoping to make this my March BAM

[Ray Young]

I'm still hoping to attend but will be making my own way to the bothy.

[Ray Young]

I'm still hoping to attend but will be making my own way to the bothy.

#**¥¥≠≤¢≥##*#! Can't go. A wedding. Someone I hardly know and don't actually like very much!!!!!

[restlessshawn]

Reconnaissance of final section has been prevented by endless useless weather. Hoping for a big thaw so I can head down at the weekend

[jamiep]

the forecast looks to be sleet between now and that weekend. It is still in my calendar tho, weather permitting

[restlessshawn]

Still a lot of snow here on higher ground and since the route goes up over 500m at one point and 449m at another I'm wondering if a slide to the end of the month would be prudent to hopefully give the snow a chance to clear? These are mostly tracks that won't be in use by much. The rally that was supposed to be this weekend was cancelled due to snow.

Thoughts please? I can do 31st - 01st (can't do 24th - 25th as on call on the 24th)

[fatbikephil]

I'm now going away next weekend for a week so 31st / 1st works for me

[thenorthwind]

Hmmm, that's a shame. I'm reluctant to sack off next weekend entirely, having kept it free and mentally (if not physically, in any way, prepared). Is it worth looking at lower route options, even if shorter, or something completely different? Would conditions in, say, Galloway Forest be any better? I don't have plans for the 31st/1st (remember it's Easter weekend) but I'm doing a lot of travelling for work between then and was trying to keep it free to spend some time at home. Otherwise, my weekends are pretty tied up til the end of April.

[restlessshawn]

Friends were road riding today and back roads at just 360m were still basically impassable due to snow (see pic). Quite hard to stay low really as it's a big hilly forest!

[thenorthwind]

Wow, yes, that doesn't look like easy going. I was up in Kidland Forest just this side of the Border the other week and even though there wasn't a huge amount of snow, what was there was very wet and heavy and trudging through it almost reduced me to tears. At one point I was carrying my bike on my back, on a perfectly good fire road, downhill. I should probably try to avoid that situation again for a while, for the sake of my sanity.

I was out in the Lakes today, and even over 2,000ft, there wasn't much in the way of snow remaining and it didn't hinder riding too much. Strange what a difference 60 or 70 miles can make.

Can't tempt anyone further south next weekend (not necessarily the Lakes)? I did wonder about doing the Sandstone Way in Northumberland. It's not top of my list, but it's so local I feel almost obligated to do it