Plan B

I went out for a ride and reached Rosedale and had to make a choice: Turn Left or turn right to go home. I decided that I would turn right and ride to the Tom's Cap Winery with the only intention to purchase a bottle of their lovely Riesling wine.

As I walked in from the car park I noticed Graham cutting back the vines. Quite a different scene from summer as all there was not a trace of green, just a dull, seemingly lifeless grey/brown. I walked over to Graham and learnt a tip or two on pruning the vines. I noticed the Graham was using a pair of electric shears to cut the vines and commented on them. He said that after an operation to help alleviate RSI, this was his solution. Very practical. I remember an employee of Valley Ford who used an electric screwdriver because of the same issue. I relate this as I use a computer keyboard and mouse as some of my tools of trade and they have caused me trouble in the past. I had nodules on my tendons as that was causing a notchy action in my finger movements, especially in the mornings and other muscle pains. I had the luxury to rest my body parts rather than resort to surgery. I became a bit of a couch potato sure, I even put on weight thanks to my lethargy, but I didn't have to undergo the trail of surgery.

As we were talking, somehow the topic came to ways of getting home from the winery. Graham mentioned that there was an alternate way home, although it wasn't on sealed roads and comes out ream Hiamdale. This had come about as the result of the Midland Highway becoming closed due to an accident and patrons of the winery having no obvious way to reach the winery. Graham sent out one of his staff to guide them by the alternate route.

I purchased a bottle of wine and then set off for home looking for Plan B. The road was simply signed Tom's Cap Rd and I followed that. Very quickly the signs disappeared and a multitude of roads presented themselves to me. Which road to take? I figured that the most used road at any intersection was the way to go.
Not long later the soil changed to the grey/sand type and became rather loose. To make matters worse, dirt bike riders had been through and torn up the surface making the soil very loose. I came to question the choice I had made, but persisted. At times I just had to idle the engine and rely on the torque to see me through the sandiest sections without moving the throttle. On and on, until finally I reached a point in the road where the easement for the gas pipeline presented itself as the major road. I continued along this for a short time until I reached a crossroad where I spotted two cars with trailers holding dirt bikes. They were removing their protective gear and we waved at each other. I'm sure they must have thought "What in the hell is a cruiser doing out here?" a very good question.
At this point there was a road that headed North, so I took it and ended up following the northern most part of the Old Rosedale Road and finally reached a sealed road.

What an adventure. The heart rate was up, but I made it through without coming to grief.

On the sealed road, the last half hour or so faded quickly, but I must say I enjoyed myself.