Overnight bike ride

With two days of good weather coming as a break from the constant rain I had to go for an overnight bike trip, my first this year.

October 2 I took the train to Lilydale and got onto the Warburton rail trail. Again I had difficulty finding the start. I have a love hate relationship with this trail because of all the times I've run on it for the Trailwalker but it is a lovely trail to ride, especially on a sunny day. The stretches in the bush are nice and the views of the mountains around Donna Buang are great. Everything is so green now. Near Woori Yallock I had a problem with a swooping magpie and this prompted me to go to the bakery. Another magpie was waiting for me on the road back to the trail. At Yarra Junction I turned onto the Noojee road and had an undulating ride to Powelltown, although I found it hard because I haven't ridden any hills all year. After a short break in Powelltown I continued and immediately had a 5 km serious hill which was seriously hard. It was mostly in forest. Parrots. On the descent I got quite cold. I passed the High Lead car park and after more undulations I turned off for the Latrobe River campsite. Last visit, the weekend lockdown finished, it was overflowing with people but I had expected to be alone there today, midweek; I had forgotten it was school holidays and the place was packed. I strolled down to the river. I put up my tent (the one I hadn't used for over a year) in the picnic area. Well, I tried to put it up but I found that the zips on the inner were all seized up and I had to unclip it and just use the fly for shelter. I was concerned about the mozzies buzzing around, luckily they went away at night. 64 kms

October 3 The beautiful tall trees were shrouded in mist at first, then more sunshine.

First up a nasty climb to a plateau with views back to the Yarra Ranges and towards Mt Baw Baw. I just don't feel very fit. I stopped to make coffee at a rest area overlooking the Tarago Reservoir.

After that a pleasant surprise - an off road trail, sometimes beside the road and sometimes well away from it in bush. It undulated a lot and was rough but I was oblivious to the road. Then a smooth rail trail deep in forest, all downhill. I emerged at Rokeby to follow rural roads with distant mountain views. I had a welcome descent towards Drouin and the last few kms were a bike trail through wetlands and parks until I reached the town and the station. 46 kms