Munting Friday Stooge.

Killer of a ride today. Absolutely sucked every ounce of energy from me.  

Headed up to Skidder, drank some water, refilled, then dropped down into CAP, spotting Toka, which I'd never done before, and heading in, given it leads to Askins and lower Gungho, both of which I knew.  Well...  it's not very long, in no time flat you're on Askins, jumpity jump, then eventually I peeled off into lower Gung-Ho, which was more my style.  The combo should be called Tokaskungho... 

At the bottom I had a rest then headed down through the carpark and out into the wetland tracks, following my nose out to Worsley's Rd.  Headed up this, grind grind grind up then dropped off into Farside, somewhere I'd not ridden for over 5 years - long time since.  All the way into the bottom of the valley and meandered down and out to Penruddock, then over Happy Home, cruising from here into the wetlands area, finding my way across towards the Quarry park.  

In here, drinking heaps and refilling again, and up to Download, then climbing C2, Crocodile, Low-Road, Siberia and finally the long and painful grind up Kennedy's. Heesh, what a bastard. Across the Summit Rd, and climbing up the Mt Ada track, surprisingly long way to where the crater rim track crosses, peeling left here for a fun blast down to the saddle, then onto the road to cruise around and enter Lower Nun for a hefty rockstrewn descent.  Surprisingly the Park was shut by this stage, but I guess it was 6.30ish.  

Up the Summit into the top of Vic Park for the usual fun, down around the jumpies, down the rabbit, into the rocks, gums, pop and weave all the way down to 19th, then road from here to dogparkcarpark and entered the overgrown ways around and through lots of lovely bermy fun, good jumps, and nice flow out to the very bottom.  Clamber, road, home.

Substantial 25 kms with 806 m climbed - no wonder I'm so stuffed.

Off to Poteriteri early tomorrow.  

Wednesday Evening Pleasant Until Inclement Castle Return

Groovy ride with Nelson tonight.  Drizzle had started to push on the blustery wind on my way home from work, and I nearly called it, but he said it was fine at his place so we figured we'd manage...  

Got to his and it was fine, so bikes on his car we shunted up to Upper Major Hornbrook where it was humid and very windy, easterly/nor-easterly.  Hit up Britten, not really knowing where to until we got to the top of there...  Decided on Castle Rock, so off we went around top of Britten, staying high, then up Broadleaf to get to a nice blast down towards Cavendish.  Nelson OTB'd not long into the overgrown, twisty, rocky singletrack.  No harm done, so onwards, and I didnt get any flow on until we were on the long traverse towards the west, nice tail-wind behind.  Nearly lost it on the fateful corner of time's-past, but kept it reigned in and we were over the stile and down to the saddle in good time.  

Up the ziggy zaggy to the top of Cavendish, around behind the building and into the steppy steppy rockville down to Bridle-top.  All good.  All fun.  Although I dabbed a fair chunk of some sections.  As we climbed to Castle the cloud lowered, the wind pushing hard, and we dropped into slicky rocks and drizzle driving into the eyes making for some seriously blurry descent.  Sketch was the way.  Greasing gingerly around the hairpins and between, then Nelson powered off on the climb while I was committed to muppetry, slip-pinging all over the rocks as I ascended, rolling out to the road to where he was waiting.  

We ventured around under the gondola.  Nice and calm out of the wind around here, then full facial blast around the corner, but only briefly - finding that a little further up the road it was sweet calm again.  Weird wind direction.  The drizzle certainly wasnt relenting tho.  Low visibility up around the road through the cutting, a couple of cars encountered, then dropped off into Britten, for a keep-it-to-the-lowest-common-denominator roll around in the slick rocks.  Full blast wind around the outside edge, then down the new(ish) sprayed in trail to the VeeTwin descent, which we just took back to the car, wetter and wetter as we descended.  No mudguard on Nelson's bike meant his face was splecked up good.

Surprisingly miserly 10 kms, but with 457 m climbed, not a bad climb:distance ratio

Saturday Morning Unintentional Reverse Enduro

Limited time due to chores, so headed up on the Jeht.  Before 19th there were a bunch of riders and organisers heading in.  "What's happening today?"  "Enduro, you can join in if you want?"  "Thanks, but I'm limited in time"  and I continued on my way over 19th, an through Skidder which was getting set up with sun-shelters and lots of people.  Good climb up the grunt and up through to the top of Vic, taking Thompsons #1 down, then back up the road, pushing a good pace.  Off down and around over the jumpies, and out across the rabbit paddock into the Rockgarden.  One THWUNK in the rear end and I thought, oh, that didn't sound good, pedal through top of gums and around and, uh oh, back end's getting washy...  Damn it.  Total flattage.  No gear, just water bottle.  So...  Started walk-running down.  Tape in gums directing the racers down my usual way, so I ducked under it and took the short version down to the left.  Down to the jumpy trail from the left, following it down, keeping away from main tracks all the way out to 19th then below road, Taiwharaunui, dogparkcarpark, lovely, shady walk through here, then out 'To Harry Ell' and down home.  

Ride up, walk down.  Sucky.

Wednesday Night's Captain Greenwood, I Presume

Up into the fog and back down into the darkness... 

Parked at about 7pm at Slumnervale and headed into the OG Thomas climb.  Walked the usual bits, and dabbed a few others.  Pretty mild down here, and overcast and foggy on top so quite humid.  Good enough climb, struggling with my weight and feeling every inch of belly fat.  Onto the road, decisions to be made - up into the fog? or out Godley...?  Upwards.  Locked out the squish and pushed a good pace up the road.  Into the clouds just up and around a little.  The big Richmond Pines were making their own rain, and I climbed over the stile and went up Knapsack/sheepshit alley.  This was nice.  

At the top of this I was debating heading around the road and up Broadleaf for the full run, but it was 8pm so I checked sunset on Met which said 8.20, so decided against the top of Pleasant - instead, hung a left and rode the OG Greenwood 'entry' and then proceeded to enjoy, thoroughly, the descent of Greenwood.  Bony. As. Fuck. But Jeht responding and performing laudably.  A couple of short rests and in the lowest gulch (before the last blast to Evans) it was 8.15.  Hoo-boy, 5 minutes to sunset...  Blitzed out the rest, down to the road (with audience in the boy-racer carpark) and straight up onto Captain Thomas, the overcast sky getting dimmer as I descended.  Stopped a couple of times to get blood flow back into hands, otherwise cleaning all of the trail, loving the tech.  Light was still good even once into the bushy sections, but man, visibility was hard once into the piney section in the lower reaches.  Feck'n'ell.  Managed to cleane out the nether reaches and then back along behind the gabbion wall and through the park to the car for around 8.30...  Nicely nicely.  

As close to 14 km as you can shake a stick at, and deliciously, 575 m climbed.

Monday Night Local Jeht

Short up down up down tonight.  Jumped on the Jeht and chuffed up the hill.  Over 19th and into the Skidder.  Contemplated heading up the grunter but I really couldn't be bothered, so headed in the middle way and dropped off into the Rad entry, then across into Razza's.  Nicely techy down here and dry's a bone so no slippery roots.  At the bottom, hung a left, baulked at the first Rad jump even tho I easily would have had it, and then headed straight out, across onto Sneaky Ridge.  The whole time concerned for my tire pressure - felt I needed to ride 'light.'  Biff boff baff down into Sneaky, nice rolling and no Juarez, until I leapt off the wee wooden jump at the fence and found myself aiming for, and landing in, a rut.  Ugh, juuuust managed to pull it out, but lost all my speed and dabbed, drifting in the dusty loess.  Mild adrenalin hit as I continued on my way, across into Nu Bridges and down.  It's all been weed-eaten and the druff is all over the trail.  I should really get down there with a leaf rake or something, or someone could walk down it with a leafblower, cos it's fucking sketchy - although, it did soften the rocks a bit.  

Down valley and into Hidden Valley track, climbing, granny, rest on first corner, another one a up in the pines.  Cleaned it all otherwise.  Steep.  Then around onto Old Skool, thankfully meeting two dog walkers in opposite directions just at the high point before dropping in, meaning I didnt meet them on a tricky spot.  Good blast down here, riding nicely.  A couple of weird shifty bits in some of the lower hairpins, something felt weird, but made it through and then headed up valley, grind, grind, and more grind.  Met quite a few riders bombing down.  Many quite unfriendly.  Worked my way methodically up and eventually made the 40footer and then onwards up around the Radzone and up to Skidder.  Dropped into the CAP track peeling off onto my usual out to the road, where I saw H's car...  and him and friends (naughty! - cos he shouldn't have been driving them) hanging up in the 19th park.  Below road from here, onto the coast, then into DogParkCarPark, narrowed entrance, but otherwise looks pretty clean, great swoopy blast down here.  Fun fun.  All the way down, the lower reaches have been cleared too, and out onto H'Ell, clamber to road. Home.

Just over eight-and-three-quarter kms, and just over three-and-three-quarter hundred metres.  Jocular solace.

Sunday St Homestrianglead Run

Nice wee blast around the circuit up the road (in direction of Lake Tennyson), peeling off onto the the cycleway, climbing the 4wd track to the Edwards Saddle / Peter's Pass. 

Dropped down to where the Waterfall section peels off and then headed, hooningly, back down the Homestead Run towards the house.  The others (Tra'y, Lynn and Anth) were out walking, and I met them and stopped to chat.  They turned around here and I bombed off onwards down back to base. 

Again, panoramic, 14.55 kms, with 253 m escalated

Friday St James Homestead, Run Fatty, Run

A jaunt on the Fattster (for a change- and cos I didn't quite get the new Stooge brakes bled-in Thursday night).  Headed up the St James Cycle Trail from the homestead, into the wind.

  At the Pass, I found the new (to me) route at Peter's Pass up over the top of a waterfall then ziggy zaggy down into the valley.  Continued on down Edwards Valley (but because of the wind, it didn't feel like downhill), further than last time and when I got to where the track crossed the river, couldn't see a way not to get my feet wet.  I'd pretty much been riding long enough, so I decided to turn back here.  

Gentle climb back up valley, assisted with the tail wind, back up to the ziggy zaggy climb, which is VERY steep, back up over the waterfall and then the fun began.  Carrying speed on all the ups, standing and cranking, fun, grippy blast back down to the homestead.  

Headwind nor'westers all the way in then uphill all the way back until the final run. Fast fatty, fast.

Nice waterfall up the top and some awesome good falcon watching on the way back down...

Meanwhile, Tra'y walked off piste up and over the top of the triangle to Peter's and back. Nice!

A picturesque 23 kms and 476 m climbed.