Get the gdb file here …

Total distance 201 km

The Riders

Ally Kawasaki D-Tracker 250
Phil Suzuki DRZ 400
Captain_Slash Kawasaki KLX 250

We met on the 1269 and headed off to Samoeng on a cloudy morning

On the 4029

Phil had to leave us here to get back to prepare for the Horizons Unlimited meeting tonight so now its just Ally and myself

We dont actually encounter any rain but are often riding on wet roads

Its a lunch break in Yang Moen then off along a dirt road that doesnt show on the GPS

Thankfully this is a dry track with bulldust in places rather than wet clay

A dull overcast days ride today

We emerge onto the 6033/4021 depending on either the GPS or the road sign and ride a loop back to Samoeng

A new building going up in Samoeng

It will be interesting to see it when its finished

Lasagna at Pizza N Pasta for 129 Baht
Get the gdb file here …

Total distance 208 km

Tourists riding elephants isnt something I normally associate with the 1269 but I saw these along there today

I take the 5032 out of Samoeng then after a potholed stretch its a right onto the 4029

Roadblock ahead

The road is a mess to start with from landslides and damage from the rainy season but then turns into this lovely road for a while
On my last ride here last year there was a bumpy unmade section from N18.52.722 E098.36.618 to N18.53.247 E098.36.102.
It is now asphalt from N18.52.722 E098.36.618 to N18.52.982 E098.36.458 and from N18.52.982 E098.36.458 to N18.53.247 E098.36.102. the surface is ready for the sealing coat of asphalt

Looking down on Yang Moen

In Yang Moen and this man is about to set off on his spraying duties

Knobbly tyres seems to be the norm on lots of bikes in the hills these days

Its a good fun ride in places but as you can see theres loose gravel that takes the edge off of it and care is needed

I ride back to Om Long then take a left towards Pang Term on a road that is concrete to start with until N18.54.869 E098.36.252 then it turns into a dirt track

The scenery is well worth the ride here

The sunflowers are being tended to

Its a dry bumpy trail to start with

Just this tiny water crossing today

Then the surface turns to this damp wet surface that I am not that fond of

After 11.8 km of unmade I reach a concrete surface at N18.57.124 E098.39.082 then soon after I take a left and ride to Tung Ting

At Tung Ting its a right and on to Mae Pa where I take a left onto the 4017

The 4017 soon turns into a lovely road and this small reservoir is up in the hills a bit

Another one thats slightly overflowing

The twisty 4017 through the trees, times getting on and I ride the fun 4017 to Mae Rim then take the 107 home

Brownies steak buffet tonight, all you can eat for 88 Baht

Get the gdb file here …

Total distance 179 km

The KLX got a 3000 km oil change at a Shell garage today, as its running on Shell oil I thought there was as good a place as any to find it.
137 Baht for the litre plus a bit extra that I had left over from its 1000 km service and off I went, the oil change itself was free

Out of Samoeng and along the 6033 for a potter around some roads that I have rode on before plus some new ones

A bit of damage to the road surface here

Good scenery, hardly any traffic plus a mostly decent road surface makes for a fun ride

At Pang Term theres a couple of helicopter landing pads

At Mae Tung Ting I turn right and on previous trips along here there has not been a sealed surface between N18.57.944 E098.41.835 and N18.57.859 E098.42.462.
This is now being surfaced and apart from about 50 metres still being worked on the rest is finished so in a week or two this should be completed

A local enjoying the road too

I take a left onto a road that is a concrete surface for a very short time until N18.58.224 E098.42.772 then its a mixture of dirt, concrete and occasionally a bit of asphalt all the way to the 1095

A new road for me today

A surface like this is easy going

On reaching the 1095 its a quick lube of the chain then a right to ride back towards the 107.
I always used to look forward to and enjoy riding the 1095 but sadly nowadays I only ever use the section between the 107 and Pai if I have too as its completely lost its appeal to me and I was relieved to take a right onto the 3009 and ride another new road for me

A couple of playful friendly dogs along here

Now a third one shows up

The 3009 was a much nices quieter road with some decent bends along its length

I ride to the 107 then turn right and on home

Walking to the restaurant and lots of pigeons at the moat

A big vat of Moo Hunglay and thats what I have tonight, not the whole vat though

A large portion was 60 Baht plus 12 Baht for the rice, I only just about managed to stop the lady before it got covered in green shit though, thats not something that I have encountered before with this dish.
It was deliciously cooked as it was when I ate this dish before at this restaurant right next to Dang bike hire

Get the gdb file here …

Total distance 197 km

The new rack has been made and fitted on the KLX

Plus the pannier frames,4500 Baht the lot

Now to decide what finish to have, powder coating or paint

Along the 1013 and the onion fields are growing

Some of the workers are having their well earned break

While others still toil away in the fields

A well surfaced twisty fun road is the 1013

The kids are getting ready for a swim

I stop to look in at a small hydro power plant and the dog comes out to greet me

Not much water flowing down from the reservoir as most of it is coming down the pipe to drive the turbines

The spent water soon replenishes the stream

This is the sign at the entrance on the road which has now become the 4016

Just up the hill theres a turning for the small reservoir

A bit further along and the surface is quite bad for a while but the scenery makes up for it

Then this good surface takes over for a while

I call in at the Huay Thong reservoir

Its my opinion that this one is full to capacity

I take a right N18.45.387 E098.32.397 onto an asphalt road

Lots of sunflowers along here

After 1.8 km at N18.46.085 E098.32.738 the surface turns to unmade but not too hard going

I stop in a small village and these piglets run across the road

I ride on but its this wet red slippery stuff and its rather steep too, as I think its a few km of this I turn back.
The KLX has amazing engine braking and going down here in 1st gear with the throttle closed does the trick and no brakes are needed which was a good thing on this surface

I will try again when it has dried out

Back in the village and this pleasant friendly girl who speaks good English stops to chat

The guy picks the wood up then drops it missing the little puppys head by a couple of inches

A friendly little fella

Often when I pick these small pups up they yelp and want to get away, this one just seemed to want to stay in my arms

Time to ride back to the 4016 and great scenery up here

As I ride on the surface really deteriorates and anyone riding here for the first time would think that it had never been paved, I have never known it like this up here before.
I ride along and take the other end of the track that I just gave up on, this is asphalt until N18.46.980 E098.33.349 then it turns to unmade but a dry surface and my GPS tells me its only 1.4 km to where I gave up earlier on.
Allowing for the curve its probably between 2-2.5 km but I cant be bothered trying it now and it can wait until next trip

I take the offroad section to reach the 5032 then its a right and back to Samoeng where I call in at the recently opened 7-11 for some water

As I was passing Pizza N Pasta on the way home a lasagna and garlic bread for 149 Baht was consumed there

Get the gdb file here …

Total distance 121 km

I had enough time for a quick trip around the Samoeng loop today and its always a pleasure up here.
First stop was at N18.48.618 E098.48.949 to see how this building was looking, heres how it looked in march on my last ride here

The building blocks have got a bit wet here

No cement mortar here, just mud

Some bottles for the windows

Now the nearly finished product

In the valley below there are lots of them

I ride through Samoeng and at N18.50.755 E098.43.914 a new 7-11 is nearly finished, I was told it opens in a weeks time on 22nd

I carry on riding south on a concrete road that I have never been on before, the paved surface finishes at N18.48.908 E098.43.845

Meal time for the workers

A shot from along the 1096

The obligatory photo from the viewpoint

A pleasant loop then it was home to get my new seat for the KLX

That looks better, the area that I sit on is nearly twice as wide as the standard seat

Tomorrows ride should test it out properly, 2500 Baht for this

I call in at Kawasaki for the 1000 km service and see this KLX with a monster seat there

Thats a seriously modified seat

Tonights food was a lovely chicken parmagiana with carbonera for 180 Baht at Riders Corner Bar & Restaurant

a href=”http://www.captainslash.com/maps/20111115.gdb”>Get the gdb file here …

Total distance 100 km

This dog was very friendly but not the prettiest one that I have ever seen

Now off for a ride on a lovely sunny but cold morning, and a cloudy Ping river

Along the 1269 and its clear up time

A dry surface in open places but a bit wet and slippery in the shade

The building blocks have got a bit wet here

No cement mortar here, just mud

Some bottles for the windows

A lovely twisty road

A lot of cloud but no rain today

It was a lovely ride around here and it warmed up a bit by midday

It was a pleasure to be out riding again after two completely wet days
Get the gdb file here …