Rail Trail from Wangaratta to Beechworth : March 19 2024

Wake to a clear blue sky. Always easier getting moving from a cabin. Dropped my bag off and headed into coffee shop to meet the crew

Early morning light over the creek on Stockbridge into town. Ride today is all on the Murray to Mountains rail trail - up to Everton and then up the climb to Beechworth

This is the longest established rail trail in Victoria - all sealed all the way

First old station is Bowser. Each stop has a structure like this with table under cover and toilets. This location has a touch of aviation history. The air field was used as emergency landing field for aircraft flying Sydney to Melbourne. Also where Amy Johnson landed to end her England to Australia solo flight

Distance marker - 33 kms for us up to Beechworth

Temps are rising. The cattle are resting down in the shade just past one of the creeks

Forward view of the climb - we are turning left to get on top of the ridge

Nice old house with wrap around porch

Everton station. Garbage man came to take away the bin. Picked it up. Off to truck and comes back to find a red bellied black snake curled up under where the bin was. Just put the bin back and went on his way

The route map - key bit is the elevation chart in the middle going up above 500 metres

The last leg - 3 kms easy and then 13 kms climbing

Last time cycled up from the road below from Myrtleford

Good tree cover along the way. Quite a few cuttings to keep grade even

A wallaby popped out on the track in one of those cuttings and kept going. Turned off as soon as it could and then stopped to pose

Next station up just above where trail breaks out of the trees to the grassland - Baarmutha - sign of the coming storm heading in from the south.

The old Beechworth station. No signage left. Headed from there into town for lunch before heading to our respective accommodation. All stopped in Bridge Road Brewery for lunch and a beer.

Got hold of my bag a d headed to the motel I booked this morning - big rain coming

Motel is in the old nurses quarters for the mental asylum next door. A bit spartan for the price. Got tidied up and then walked the Asylum

The view from the side I walked in. Long history as a mental health facility especially after WWII - also used for corrective centre inmates

Pretty sombre buildings - no idea what they were used for - could feels the troubled souls as I came around this bend

Some of the buildings being used for maturing wine in barrels

Guessing this is part of the older section - paint job matches the front of the main building

Front of the main building. The facility had 120 acres and was pretty well self sufficient for food.

View over the farm lands

A spooky place indeed

A lot of the land has been sold off for tourist stuff. Below the resort hotel the Mayday Hills Church is intact - not that old a building but the style is old.

Ride summary - a day about the hill and not the kms

The promised storm came with gusto. Hit just as I was going to ride early to town for dinner. Waited for rain to ease a bit - got wet despite waiting

Beer in the beer garden waiting for the others. Good choice of beers. We all had dinner in the pub - great steak dinner cooked on woodfire.

Rain had stopped by the time I rode up the hill to my motel - fully dark. Tomorrow we go down hill

Made a few covered call trades in portfolios missed the day before. Bought NDA.DE

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Cycling, Daily Activity