Day Three at Outback Packers

Wednesday:
This day was probably the hardest, most gruelling, frustrating and exhausting day I experienced at the ranch. Wednesday we were introduced to the Ag Bikes (AKA dirt bikes). We were instructed to suit up and meet at the bikes early Wednesday morning. We grabbed our shin pads, helmets and goggles nervously and walked over to the 2 wheeled monsters. Once again, Craig did an excellent job of showing us the important functions of the bike and also how to service them. We then tried our hands at some figure eights. Firstly we started with nice wide turns in first gear, then proceeded quickly to second gear as Craig pushed us to turn sharper and also closing us in making our figure eights tighter. Thinking this was a big enough challenge in itself with these 100cc bikes considering the last time I was ever on a dirt bike was on my cousins little 50cc about 10 years back where I hit the front breaks and tumbled over the handle bars and swore I would never get on a dirt bike again.

Momentarily after I got a good feeling of my less than perfect figure eights, we carried on to the trail along the property with Craig leading our pack. We started off cruising along the dirt trail once again through some fairly easy terrain with some twists and turns and hills that had a gradual slope to them, but for me I felt like I was on a roller coaster, feeling my stomach enter my lungs every time we dropped from the top of the hill. Managing to only stall the bike a few times, my team mates and I felt pretty good about these bikes. So far.
I'm guessing Craig could sense our confidence building up, because right when I felt like I was getting the hang of these 2 wheeled beasts, he led us to the top of a gulley. He dropped into the gulley with his own bike, gliding down one ridge and right up the other, making it look so simple. As he stood on the other side he motioned to us that it was now our turn to replicate what he just did. I think all of us just look at him as if he were crazy. But, one by one we dropped ourselves into the gulley putting in place Craig's assurance that we weren't going to kill ourselves that day. Trevor managed to reproduce something similar to what Craig had demonstrated. It was now my turn. Trying to focus on all the instructions that were given to me in order to successfully end up on the other side of the gulley, I took a couple of deep breaths before launching myself down into what seemed like a plunge of too many risks. One thing we were told while in this course was to always believe in yourself that you can do the task at hand and also that you don't have an option to back down. I think the world could sense every inch of fear I had in my body at that moment, because as soon as I hit the middle of that gulley and attempted to proceed up to the other side, Katie B was the first to fall off her bike in the group. The bike went one way, I went the other and all I could hear in the background was Craig yelling Katie, "START YOUR BIKE! START YOUR BIKE!" This phrase became a common sentence that came out of Craig's mouth throughout the day (and week), as he explained that if you don't start your bike right after stalling it, it might not start and you would have to wheel your way back to the ranch which was a VERY long way. So, START YOUR BIKE, then cry, then ask questions, yell... whatever! Just make sure you START YOUR BIKE.

After several tries, and several falls, we all managed to cross the gulley successfully. I was quite pleased with myself, and was ready to dust off my hands and ride back to the ranch like a little kid coming home with her first dictee score of 10/10. Quickly, my smile and confidence started to diminish as Craig informed us that that first gulley was the first of many gullies we were going to tackle that morning.

The day got progressively worse as I had stalled and fallen off of my bike numerous times and battering my body from the trees, rocks and the incredible weight of those bikes landing on my body time after time. Near exhaustion, my breaking point and my physical strength down to null, the bike lay beside me on an uphill climb with Craig yelling in the background furious at me for stalling and falling once again and for battering his machine. The background noise quickly became foreground noise as I try to hold my composure and finish the day with an "at least I tried" attitude and didn't give up notion. "PICK UP YOUR BIKE! KATIE, START YOUR BIKE!" repeating in the air, over and over again as I struggled to get enough energy to even just pick myself up.

Craig, Owner/Operator of OutBack Packers

Luckily for me, our leader wouldn't let me give up. If there's one rule that Craig sticks to with Outback Packers, it's that he will never let you give up. EVER.

Eventually, with a little bit of Craig's help, probably because he sensed I was pretty much at the breaking point, we managed to escape the bush and cross the finish line back at the ranch where I hope to lay that bike to rest for the remainder of the week. If anything, I learned how to somewhat operate a dirt bike and later on down the road I could laugh at my mistakes, hopefully.

Lastly to conclude that day, I am so happy that I chose to pack some A535 with me. I almost left it before leaving Canada, but I am sooooooo glad I chose to keep it. This bottle of hot and cold helped my battered body for the rest of the week. Needless to say, I may not have pictures of me riding the bike, but I definitely have the bruise, twisted muscles, blisters and scrapes to prove it! Day three..... DONE. Thank god.