THE SNOWY RIDE CONTINUES
You will have read all about The Snowy Ride, what it is and what it's like to be part of, on the previous page. This page will give a brief up-date of each year. (Or maybe not so brief if I actually make it down there to one again!).Anyway, it's a great event, and deserves to get some coverage; and the organisers and sponsors deserve all the encouragement we can give them!2006
2006 was actually going to be the last Snowy Ride. What had begun as a "good idea at the time" by some private organisers had grown into a huge event. I'm writing this in 2008, so I forget some of the details now, but legal things were involved. It was too much for a private group to run. However at the last minute sponsors and corporate organisers stepped up to the plate to ensure that it continued long after 2006. There were about the same number of bikes in attendance, and the amount raised I believe was well over $200,000.The weather was a big improvement over the previous year; it was fine! I was entered and everything was arranged to go. Particularly as this was going to be the last one, I wanted to be a part of it. Unfortunately, a family crisis came up and I wasn't able to go.A riding friend who was there in 2005, and was going again in 2006, didn't make it either. He got half way there and the clutch on his BMW exploded! But for those who did get there, they enjoyed it!2007
The fact that the ride was to continue must have been an inspiration for prospective attendees, because 2007 saw the greatest number of entrants ever! 2,834 was the official number of entries. Total donations for the year was quoted as around $200,000, which was slightly down on some previous years' figures, but brought the total money raised since the ride began to $1.5 million! Once again, the weather was fine, as can be seen from the photos.I didn't plan to go in 2007. Things were just a bit too busy around that time of year for me. And there were a couple of other factors that just made it impractical for me to go.My cousin's son goes every year. He and some mates do a three-day trip from his home south of Sydney down to the bottom of Victoria and back up through the mountains to Jindabyne where they stay. The two photos on the left are from a former pupil of mine who is now a regular reader of the site. He and his father go down each year. His bike is the Honda Blackbird in the background, his father's is the Triumph Sprint in the foreground.The Alpine Way, where the photo on the left was taken, is a popular route for riders to travel on the Snowy Ride. It's about 250km of mostly twists and turns. Sometimes very tight twists and turns! Especially at higher altitudes the weather can be more fickle than lower down. Over the years the Ride has been running it has seen everything from sunshine to pouring rain and even snow! Yep, all in November!
2008
In 2008 I was determined to go! Accommodation was booked. But, "The best laid plans of mice and men..." as they say! As the time got closer it ended up not being practical. There were a couple of reasons, but the main one was financial. Our finances were a bit tight, it wasn't too long after I'd bought a new bike, and my wife was anxious to get a bathroom reno done. So, prioritising our finances, (translation: wife says, "We're doing the bathroom before we spend more money on bike stuff!") meant putting it off - again! But I agreed with my long-suffering wife, I suppose the bathroom reno should take priority! A riding friend, Rod, did go though, with a group of other riding friends. This was his first Snowy Ride. Everyone enjoyed it so much they were already planning for the next year's trip by the time they got home!The weather wasn't as kind this year, although not as bad as had been forecast. It didn't rain on the day of the ride, even though it looked as if it would. The photo on the left is of the group at Charlotte's Pass, where the temperature was just 6 degrees! From there they went back down the mountain and up to Thredbo.The second photo is of the group outside their accommodation for the weekend. The bikes in the group were a real mixture; including a couple of Honda Shadow 750s, a Yamaha FJR1300 a Triumph Rocket III, a Triumph Speedmaster, a Harley Wide Glide, and a 1993 Yamaha Virago 250. Yep, a 15-year old 250! 
Riding that far on a 250, and a not-so-young one at that, I thought was admirable! Although the owner might've begun to re-think when the little cruiser started running on one cylinder about an hour and a half into the trip. They made it to Goulburn, where the local Yamaha agent spent about an hour cleaning some gunk out of the carby, charged just $50 and waved him merrily on his way. From then on it ran like clockwork! Oh, and it's done 104,000km with no major work having been done! (Yamahas! That's why I like 'em!). By the way, it's the red bike in the centre of the group in the photo above.
Speaking of Yamaha, some intrepid members of a Yamaha Owners club rode down from the Central Coast of NSW. Okay, so what? Well, they decided to ride down on the day of the ride! Impressively, they made it to Cooma in time for (a late?) lunch, but it was late afternoon by the time they got to Thredbo and handed in their check-points stamped cards. Then next day they turned around and rode home! Yes, they realise now that wasn't the way to do it!
Some observations from people I spoke to confirmed that it was a great event - again! It will probably prove to be the most successful yet, with around 3,000 bikes entered; and donations also being at record-breaking level. Great to see!A sign-of-the-times was the number of scooters on the ride. And not just the maxis; my mate Rod said they even saw a little Vespa heading up the mountain towards Perisher. (Now that is keen!).
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2009
There's something missing from this photo of a group at the Snowy Ride; me! Despite much encouragement and arm-twisting (well, not quite arm-twisting!) from friends trying to persuade me to go, I didn't - again! But if I had gone, this is the group I would've been with. (Hi, People!). I did consider it very seriously, but it's a fairly long haul from where I live; and the old body really isn't up to that distance in a day. Well, maybe it could manage it, but common sense said it would be pushing the limits. And to split it into a two-day trip each way would be too expensive (more time off work) and also seemed a bit pathetic! (It's not just the age - there are a couple of older riders than me who made the trip - but a couple of physical problems thrown in as well that make me less able to cover long distances). Anyway, how was it? Well, according to all reports, it was a great success! A friend (one of the arm-twisters) summed it up with these words: "You missed a great weekend's motorcycling!"The weather was great, with perfect temps (unseasonably warm even) and sunny skies.There were well over 3,000 bikes there this year, making it even bigger than last year; the biggest yet, in fact! Which also, I believe, made it the best in terms of money raised too.I really want to get back down there and do it again! Maybe next year I'll just take some more time off and make sure I go!Anyway, here are some more pics of the event; courtesy of a reader, Noel. (Thanks for letting me use the pics!). 
