Carinyah to Wungong
Munda Biddi Trail
Start
Carinyah Hut
Time
3-5 Hours
Finish
Wungong Hut
Date Ridden
22nd August 2021
Length
36.5KM
Elevation
597m
Traditional Custodians
Wajuk People
The Ride - Day Two on the Munda Biddi and after cutting the first day 36km short of the target, it was agreed that we would be up early and out of camp by 7:30am at the latest. This would give us plenty of time to reach Jarrahdale and assess our options from there as we attempted to make up some lost ground. With a tried and tested sleep system, I had a nice rest made more comfortable by keeping my earbuds in all night to drown out the collective snoring of everyone at camp that night (including me). One of the three guys that rocked up in the afternoon the day before had warned us and brought his own large bag of earplugs but I found they didn't quite do the job. Riding at the end of winter was always going to present the challenge of cold mornings but it wasn't too bad as we went about packing everything away and loading up the bikes.
With multiple bags spread out over the bike, I find packing up when riding much easier as there isn't a specific order to things and there are less bottlenecks of what needs to be ready first. After a nice tea beverage to warm the insides, we were ready to leave and said goodbye to the three guys doing an overnighter, knowing we would see them again at some point today as they overtook us heading into Jarrahdale. We made it all the way to the end of the spur trail leading into camp before Aron had to faff about with his gear (now sporting a third story on his back rack) but were soon riding off into the She-Oak, looking very spooky in the misty conditions. With wet and humid conditions, my camera wasn't playing ball and was fogging up quite a lot early on, meaning the photos weren't very good. I think I've salvaged enough to fill the galleries but it wasn't ideal. Having cycled this section to Brookton Hwy with Donovan last year, I knew it was a pleasant, if a little forgettable as you ride through the forest. With a good mix of flowing vehicle track, single track and excellent forest riding, it was just nice to be out and about.
I was stopping frequently to photograph the various wildflowers and forest scenes along the way, having to wipe my lens before most shots. This provided a nice opportunity for Aron to catch up and we'd exchange a hello or a nod, something that would happen hundreds, if not thousands of times over the course of the next three weeks. Mixed in with the forest through here is a taster of what to expect after crossing the highway with some open granite sections providing some variety. With lots of grey clouds around and a foggy lens, the photos don't do it justice but the scenery was really calm and moody, something I enjoy quite a lot. At one point you head towards the highway and think the crossing is nearby but then the trail loops around on itself and you ride parallel for a few hundred metres before reaching the official crossing. Finding the blue wooden marker that lets you know where to go next, we made it to the other side and continued on towards Albany Hwy. If we didn't have such a long day ahead, I would have taken the side trip to Boulder Rock by heading west along the vehicle tracks just after the crossing but that would have added another 3-4km (at this point my plan was to cycle 90km+ to Dandalup).
On the other side of the highway you continue along vehicle tracks, some containing extra large puddles, through more lovely looking forest. A mix of She-Oak and Jarrah & Marri, there are some beautiful old trees that survived the chop when this area was logged sometime in the past (like most of the forests of WA). The first of many granite platforms that the trail runs near comes into view and my camera was finally starting to un-fog. This meant better quality photos as we joined an obvious rail formation that was raised above the surrounding creek system. An old wooden bridge that looks just about ready for retirement allows you to cross Poison Gully before a smol puppa hill extends out of the valley. Over the course of the ride we would talk about hills in terms of being a smol, medium or big puppa and I think this helped make them seem like less work if our minds associated them with dogs. While riding along, just like with hiking, my eyes were always scanning the edge of the trail for different wildflowers. I'd like to think that my wildflower radar is pretty good but being able to spot shapes, colours and patterns while riding at pace would present a challenge.
I would also need to stop fairly quickly in order to be in position to photograph it without too much backpedalling and thus the hills provided the best opportunity when the pace was much slower. After a really good day yesterday spotting several Spider Orchids and an array of other wildflowers, my good fortune continued with some Pink Fairy Orchids and lots of Couch Honeypots lining the trail through here. Aron and I would play to and fro through this section as I frequently stopped and then caught up. Reaching another granite platform, this one was different as the track took you over the granite and into the forest on the other side. Unfortunately this area is well frequented by idiots and one of them had discarded a gas bottle in the middle of the granite. Up ahead there was more unpleasantness with a large pile of tyres dumped on the edge of the vehicle track. Unfortunately there aren't enough rangers or DBCA staff to patrol these areas properly and the bogans are allowed to roam free through here pretty much doing what they want.
Not letting the rubbish dumping get to me, we continued along and reached the base of the first big puppa climbs for the morning with almost 100m of vertical to cover over the next couple of kilometres. While not massive, with a fully loaded bike they take a fair effort to get up with some of the steeper gradients taken at just over a fast walking speed. I pressed on and let Aron go up at his own pace, enjoying the forest around me as the legs started to burn and the heart rate increased. Stopping every now and then to photograph something was a good way to catch my breath and provide some variety to the photo galleries as endless shots of forest lined vehicle track can get a little boring. Luckily there were plenty of drosera varieties around including the delicate vines and what I like to call the Candy Apple Sundew because of the tasty looking green and red colouring. Around the top of the climb and the start of the descent down, there was some lovely She-Oak that was really nice to ride through. Leaving the vehicle track, the trail heads onto single track and a new realignment that from all accounts in a huge upgrade to what was previously here.
After waiting for Aron and taking some close-up shots of my new Restrap bottle holders, we both headed down the flowing single track that feels very much like something you'd get on the Kalamunda MTB Network. Enjoying the riding way too much and also going a bit too fast to be stopping all the time, I didn't get too many photos but was just happy to be riding through and wasn't overly worried about getting shots for the website. The Munda Biddi Foundation is doing a great job in targeting certain areas with these types of realignments and if this continues then the riding will only get better over the coming years. Forgetting that I had a lot of gear attached to the bike, I was having a hoot flying down the switchbacks and riding the berms with the bike feeling fairly nimble despite the weight. At the bottom of this new section you reach the banks of the Canning River and a return to normal as you head towards Kinsella Road where you use the traffic bridge to cross the river. As with every river crossing, it usually means another climb is coming up and after following Kinsella Road for a while, you turn off onto single trail and start another big puppa climb.
With Aron starting to push his bike up most of the hills, I decided to power on towards the Gleneagle rest area and enjoy some riding on my own. The hill climbing wasn't fun in sections with the pea gravel swallowing my tyres at a few points but it eventually got better as I got closer to the highway. I knew the trail ran parallel to Albany Highway for a while but after reaching the pine plantation next to the highway and hearing all the cars, I thought it wouldn't be long until I was at Gleneagle. I was wrong and the trail seemed to go on forever here with lots of small ups and downs to contend with. The reward though is some nice single trail with some thicc boi trees within view plus some granite sections that I've seen from the highway driving past and always thought would be fun to check out. After a long downhill section I arrived at Gleneagle, a rest stop on the edge of a pine plantation that I think has recently received a makeover. Setting up on one of the picnic tables, I figured I'd built up a big gap between myself and Aron over the last hour. With this first 33km taking over 3.5 hours to ride, we weren't going to make it to Dandalup today so I started thinking about where we would stay if we stopped in Jarrahdale tonight.
After a quick Google search I was worried we would be stealth camping somewhere in the forest but found a room in a BnB that was right in the middle of town and suited our needs. The three guys we had stayed with at Carinyah arrived and I waved hello as they tried to figure out where the highway crossing was. Eventually Aron arrived and we agreed that Jarrahdale was a good stopping point for the day so I booked the accommodation. With just over 30km to go for the day, we had a rest here before setting off for the final 3.5km into Wungong Campsite. The campsite is accessed via a 1km spur trail and Aron decided it would be best if he continued on towards Jarrahdale so we parted ways as I rode on to Wungong. Zig zagging up some vehicle tracks as you cross a small creek, I was excited to experience the campsite in person as it looks quite nice in photos. Set in a nice pocket of forest and somewhat shielded from the noise of the highway by a hill, it didn't disappoint. Parking up my steed in the purpose built bike shelter (with proper spaces for new bikes), I had a wander around, taking in the surrounds and photograph the campsite. Vowing to return one day, this plan is very likely given the close proximity to Perth and lots of access points to plan a fun overnighter. A good first half to the day with all the big climbs gone, it was now a case of catching up to Aron and enjoying the ride into Jarrahdale.
Final Thoughts - After the events of day one on the Munda Biddi, the time to reflect and re-centre in the afternoon had given me a new perspective and I was able to calm my farm a bit.
Setting off early was a good call as it meant pace wasn't going to be an issue to make it to Jarrahdale and it also allowed us to enjoy the crisp morning air as we rode through the forest.
While Carinyah to Wungong may not feature on the highlight lists of many Munda Biddi riders, I enjoy the easy going nature of riding through the Jarrah/She-Oak forests this part of the Darling Range provides.
Sure, it may look a bit scrappy in places and the bogans have decided this is an area they can treat as a bit of dumping ground/place to ride their dyrt boik but if you don't let those things get to you, there is much to like about this section.
Wungong as a campsite is one of the better locations in the northern half of the track and as I said before, I look forward to staying here one night.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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