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29/02/2003

I WAS GOING TO BE UP NORTH AS I WAS DUE TO SEE MY CHILDREN. IT HAD BEEN SNOWING IN WALES, ONLY A FEW INCHES BUT IT WOULD OF BEEN MORE ON THE HILLS. A PLAN WAS FORMING. I RANG A FEW PEOPLE .... VERY SHORT NOTICE ... IN THE END ONLY SIMON TOURON AND VICKY WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT. IT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME THAT THE NEWLY LIFTED X90 WOULD OF BEEN OUT TO PLAY. WELL WE FOUND THE SNOW ... READ ON

WE AGREED TO MEET AT THE PONDEROSA CAFE. SIMON SENT A TEXT SAYING HE HAD GOT THERE BUT WAS SURROUNDED BY LANDROVERS

3" BODY LIFT, 3" CALMINI KIT, STAINLESS STEEL SNORKEL, STEEL BUMPERS ON ORDER AND A FULL EXTERNAL CAGE ( THE SNORKEL TOP DOES LOOK LIKE A LAMP SHADE THOUGH ... HEE HEE )

THIS IS THE HILL UPTO THE FOREST LANES NEAR LLANGOLLEN ..... VERY ICY ON THE WAY UP.

INTO THE RUTS FOR ITS FIRST TASTE OF MUD

THE STERT OF THE NEXT LANE. THIS IS LLANARMON, ONE THE LANERIDERS HAVE USED A FEW TIMES BEFORE. THE FIRST ATTEMPT FAILED DUE TO THE ICY. SIMON BACKED DOWN AND I HAD A GO AT IT. I WAS STOPPED HALF WAY UP AS TWO MOTORCROSSERS WERE PUSHING THERE BIKES UP THE HILL AND I HAD TO STOP .

I BACKED TO THE START OF THE LANE AND HAD A FRESH RUN AT IT. ALL THE TIME THE BACK END WAS KICKING OUT TO THE EDGE OF THE PATH.

SIMON WALKED UP BEHIND ME AND WE DECIDED HE SHOULD GET AS CLOSE TO ME AS POSSIBLE THEN PUT A STROP BETWEEN THE TWO TRUCKS, ONCE DONE I WOULD WINCH US BOTH OVER THE WORST OF THE ICE AND THEN WHEN WE HAD SNOW UNDER THE TYRES AGAIN WE WOULD CONTINUE UNDER OUR OWN STEAM

YOU CAN SEE THE LSD'S WORKING

HERE COMES SIMON AND VICKY.

LOOKS GOOD. I CAN TELL YOU IT FLEXES WELL TOO. IT WILL GET EVEN BETTER ONCE THE SPRINGS HAVE HAD CHANCE TO BED IN

ONCE I HAD WINCHED THE TWO TRUCKS OVER THE ICE, WE CARRIED ON UP TO THE TOP OF THE HILL ...... ONLY TO RUN INTO A 2-3 FOOT SNOW DRIFT... VIRGIN SNOW THAT ONLY THE TWO MOTORCROSSERS HAD PUSHED THEIR BIKES ACROSS.

WE TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK OVER THE FORESTRY TRAIL. THIS GAVE US CHANCE TO TIE THE SLEDGES TO THE BACK OF TONKA AND TOW THE KIDS ALONG ... GREAT FUN ... MY KIDS LOVED IT.

TOP OF THE WAYFARERS NEAR THE VISITORS BOOK

"TONKA" DID WELL. SHE GOT US ALL THE WAY FROM KENT TO LIVERPOOL THEN TO WALES AND BACK TO LIVERPOOL AND THEN HOME TO KENT AGAIN ... WITH NOTHING BROKEN !!

MATTHEW ENJOYING THE SNOW

"GENERATION X"

SHARON DRIVING TONKA, SO I CAN TAKE SOME PICTURES

SIMON AND VICKY IN THE RUTS

THE WELL KNOWN WATER SPLASH

LOADS OF BROKEN ICE ALL AROUND THE SIDES.

WE TRAVELLED OVER THE WAYFARERS TILL WE CROSSED THE RICKETY BRIDGE AND THEN TURNED AROUND BY THE LITTLE BRIDGE. WE WENT BACK OVER THE WAY WE HAD COME UNTIL WE HAD THE CHOICE OF EXIT ROAD.

I HAD NOT BEEN THE HIGH ROAD FOR A WHILE SO I TOLD SIMON WHO WAS LEADING TO HEAD THAT WAY. THE GOING WAS HARD DUE TO MORE ICE UNDER THE WHEELS BUT WE MADE GOOD HEADWAY. THEN WE ENCOUNTERED VIRGIN SNOW AGAIN .... SIMON HAD A RUN AT IT AND GOT THE X90 WELL AND TRULY STUCK. I WINCHED HIM BACK AND WE REVERSED BACK TO THE GATE. WE THEN TOOK THE ROAD OUT THAT EXITS WHERE THE SUMMER CAMP SITE WAS.
A QUICK STOP IN LLANGOLLEN FOR FUEL AND A COUPLE OF BAGS OF CHIPS AND THEN WE HEADED HOME.
IT WAS A GOOD TRIP AND WELL WORTH GOING TO SEE SIMONS X90 IN ACTION. WE LEFT LIVERPOOL AT 8.00PM AND FINALLY GOT BACK INTO KENT AROUND 12.30. TONKA NEVER MISSED A BEAT ALL THE WAY THERE AND BACK. GOES TO PROVE EXACTLY HOW GOOD THESE TRUCKS ARE AND HOW RELIABLE WITH THE ADDITION OF A STEEL AXLE. THANKS TO SIMON AND VICKY FOR A GREAT DAY OUT...........