PFMTBC Inc Annual Trip... Central

got myself and my baggage to Pete's Friday 17th morning. Andrew, Wayne, Pete and myself, drove to meet Steve, Nelson and Tony at cookietime, where we all bought up big on One Square Meals etc. then set off for Tekapo.

rolled into Tekapo, kitted up and set off round the lake and up mt john. some grunty wee climbs, as bad as the body bag, several in fact, and peaked, had a coffee at the top, took in the views, and hit the descent. bombed down the way we'd come up, very fun. couple of flats, but otherwise no sketchies and no crashes, cept for Andrew hitting the chain at the bottom. then it was off to Wanaka. In the evening, Dave, Hubby and Mark rolled in. much frivolity was had.

Scored a map from bikeshop night before, and Saturday a.m dawned with a bit of rain, but that cleared up soon enough and off we treadled, up Hendersons? Rd, down to Rata St, turned left by accident and ended up grovelling up a double fenceline to Double Gate. rode round and hit Hoe Down down, then back up it, then down Easy St and hit Venus, bliss... then grovelled up Crank'n'Grind, then hit Scooby down to The Hub, then grovelled, mistakenly, up some downhill track (14 or 16). then back down to doublegate and Mark and Dave hit Bilentus, while the rest of us hit Venus extention (8a) and we all met up down at Venus Landing. somewhere in here Hubby blew his calf out, or was in danger of doing so, so he bailed, and was out for the trip. from venus landing we hit Thread the Needle over across and down to Beacon Pt Rd to ride back out to town for lunch... lounged a bit and headed out again, this time riding round the waterfront and hitting the Outlet track hoping to find an easy-ish uphill. Dave did a sideways landing off a random hop jump and snapped his chainstay..., round the outlet a we ways, then i lead them up a cool ass little track that was carved into a cliff-face, narrow as, with massive drops off the side, and eventually landing up near Outlet Motorcamp Rd. where we took a wrong turn, rode a little singletrack then grovelled up a steep ass hill to the top of the Sticky. once up there we hit Twin Towers, round to Hoe Down, back up that, hitting venus again i think and maybe a couple of loops down to the hub and back up 10 which proved a nice climb.

The next morning, Sunday, we packed up our shit, and drove to clean up a few more of the tracks we'd missed or re-do the ones we loved. in the carpark before we even set off i was just riding about and my chain snapped, bloodying my knee. fixed that and we headed in and randomly met a local, who took us under his wing and showed us a few wicked xc track across above the rivertrail and on out, then down Rockabilly Ditch, back along outlet and up an awesome zigzaggy climb to venus landing from the motorcamp. we hit crank'n'grind again, up and a few of us did Bilentus. getting sketchy remembering. when we'd finished, we headed for Alexandra.

KEE-RASH!
Rolled into Alex, got cleaned up, and rode into town to pick up some supplies... on the way in, i'd forgotten i had a slow leaky front tire, and was popping a few jumps here and there, when on the line up for a curb, my front wheel washed on the low pressure and on some loose shit in the gutter, and WHAM! down i went. Left palm, right knee, right elbow all skinned, right shoulder tweaked bad (severe bruising) and a good smack to the helmet. first aided up a bit, and later we rode the river trail up to Clyde, ate dinner and then rode with lights back down the railtrail.

Monday a.m, headed into town to bikeshop Dave knew, i bought a new helmet (Giro Xen... niiiice), hooked up with bikeshop owner's son (Ashton), who took us up an interesting trail (singletrack starting in under the Clock on the hill, up a valley, then hang a right up an evil steep 4wd track over some tops round to the right and back down out next to Sewage Treatment). Dr Strangelove i believe the descent was called. then we hooked up with one of the young mechanics (Jimmy?) from the bikeshop on his lunch hour plus his girlfriend (Michelle) and they took us through another trail (up same under clock round along behind range sorta towards the Lower Manorburn Dam, then back out the front to the railtrail), something about a Leaping Lizard, that was a good ride too. Michelle offered to take some us out for a ride the next morning. Dave, Nelson and Mark headed out with Jimmy for an afterwork ride too. i rested. by all accounts, that was a good ride too.

Tuesday a.m. Sour Taste in the Mouth Time...
Told we wouldnt really find any more trails without help, we agreed (with encouragement from Dave) to pay Phil from the bikeshop to guide us. he upped it from $25 to $30 a head when he heard it was only Dave, Mark, Nelson, Pete and me, and off we rode. this time up what's called Shit Track, on account of it stinking riding past the Sewage Treatment Works. nice climb up a nice valley, some techy wee sections, all good. then over some farmer's land we werent supposed to be in, up onto the tops, up to a big rock shaped like a seal, the other boys rode down this for fun. i's nursing my body from the crash so was taking it easy. then we rode down a neat flowy track, over another fence, and across these wicked tops and down a techy wee gulch, then grovelly climb up for another ridge run, and then finally down this super technical descent, which i dabbed/walked/and rode, finally out to the Roxburgh dam trail, back into town.
2.5 hours, ie, 150 minutes, ie, $1 a minute for Phil. they say a fool and his money are soon parted, i guess we're fools. we reckon this was a little steep. Everywhere else you go in nz you either buy or are given a map, and you self guide. you roll into Alex, the locals say, no, you gotta get a guide, in which case its either a matey thing, or you pay. Also, we got back to find out that the boys that'd been out with Michelle had been told by her that Jimmy had been reamed out for guiding the others for free, and that he'd reamed her out, and so they gave her $20 a head... so, Phil, you got your $25 a head from all of us in the end. sure, do this to tourists, but not to kiwis. its not like it was a pain in the ass for you to come out riding with us. if you ever come to chch, we'll be asking you for $30, each. not impressed.
anyway, drove on through to Naseby that afternoon.

got a quick ride in before dinner, from campground headed onto waterrace, me guiding (for free, note) round to the big dipper and to Andrew's Tree from 5 years ago. bark still not grown back. neat wee gulley. headed out back of forestry, found a singletrack nelson and me had maybe riden, took that down then up the shoot and down the shoot, and then up for change and dinner.

Wednesday morning, packed up, and most of us got out for ride. left along waterrace, headed up past hoffman's dam, found neat flowy (bottle lake with a hill style) track which we looped twice, then back down round and dropped down what we'd known as cemetery track which had changed cos of logging... then across to do the shoot once (or twice or three times for some). drove home.

Sunday, tag and worsles.

In the morning i tagalong'd with O to a trees for canterbury planting at Horseshoe Lake. some of the boys had ridden via bottle lake. afterwards, steve obtained permission from one of the rangers, so we rode the walk track thru, much to the thrill of O, who commented later in the day how much fun it was riding the boardwalks... at the Avon we peeled right and followed the river home, and the boys headed on down stream.

at 6ish, got a txt from Nelson, so i chucked the bike in the car and drove over to his. Craig joined us and we grunted up Worsley's. the lower half was as usual, but the top half, including the body bag, has been bulldozed. felt a bit asthmatic to start, but managed to climb okay (craig miles ahead, even on his heavy Commencal Meta6), and cleaned all of bodybag. then onto Flying Nun fun. new bits near bottom getting further and further down. then we bombed down to kiwi and on down below dyers. then up into vic, and took in the whole of cool runnings. out and down. all up a good ride.

Thursnite Farm, Witch, Castle, Britten, MacCormacks...

Steves, 6pm. Andrew, Tony, Wayne, Pete, Steve and me. round to Farm track and up. one dab on first section, middle ring the whole first half. all tootling up pretty well. then blast down to top of rapaki, much better flow than last time. Witch hill was good, then up road and i'm starving so stop for snack.

While i'm snacking, Steve leads off, followed by Tony. then Pete goes, then me followed by Andrew and Wayne. Pete got himself a good start but i caught him a little. dunno what gain he put on Tony and Steve. anyway, carry on round summit road, and onto Britten... finally cleaned the rocky bit i usually blow. normally i hit it in the wrong gear, last night i changed just before and managed to clamber over it. then BOMBED down britten reserve. following the track this time, instead of off piste. got rutted a couple times, nearly losing it, then near the bottom i'm hearing a weird rattle... turns out its my cluster come a bit loose... tightened as best i could by hand. meanwhile, Steve had lead off down road, so we all chased him. then into the MacCormacks trails... SWEEEET, walked the steps then rode all of the rest. wicked descent, such a fun we track. took a look down the pines i'd gone the first time, veeerrry techy riding in there so we clambered back up to main track and blasted down the fun but mildly boring last section...

then round road, i peeled at ferrymead and slogged linwood home. just about run down at Gloucester corner, with a car crossing the cycle lane right on top of me. i abused the crap out of the fucker, tried to chase them down but didnt have enough left in the tank, even with added adrenalin, cunt got away. i woulda picked up my bike and smashed in their window with my pedal and punched the shit out of their face if i'd caught them, i was so mad.

late tuesday soggy bottle lake single spin

title says it all. kids to bed, supermarket shopping needed. had a niece staying, so missed out on riding with the boys, which by the sound of it is just as well, as southerly had mostly blown thru, so took the singlespeed out to Bottle Lake and had a quick spin. i was the only car in the car park, got out there at nearly 9pm. hit the internal loop. pretty mucky, surprisingly wet. then, out near landfill corner they've logged out a heap, including my two favourite little jumps, and detour had to be made for the beach. stopped a bit, deciding whether or not to head south or north. headed north. snuck back into usual singletrack via an old trail half way along that's sanded up, then took some of the trails less travelled. then came out behind closed tapes. took the loop out towards spencer and then back into carpark. uneventful bar a couple of near off front wheel slippages. back to car 9.40 something and off to Stupidmarket...

Sunday a.m. greasy Rapaki to Taylors to home

Met at Steve's 8.30ish to find Steve, Andrew, english Mark, Wayne and Tony. quite wet, drizzly sorta rain, forecast to clear so figured why not... headed up Rapaki, it was much soggier than you'd've imagined. i felt lousy, due to a late night... but still hammered up the hill in good time, tho cruisier than normal. quite wet at top, but headed round Witch Hill, which was very rideable, bar the slick rocks. no real mud, just a tiny bit sticking to tires which then made for slippy rocks. along road, cautiously tackled Castle Rock to bridle path, and quite enjoyed it, with the squirrelly flicks that rocks throw at ya. then round road, Britten. Steve and Wayne were behind the rest of us and we decided to stay on the road, by half way round we realised they'd taken the singletrack, so i jumped the fence and joined them for the last bit. then we hit Greenwood...

Beautiful run down Greenwood. the damp rocks kept things very interesting, but the armouring and drainage has treated the trail well. the slats werent too slick and all was good. i had one very near off, just after the rocky descent that follows gloomy gulch, before heading into the switchback area, managed to keep in on board and continue down tho. Tony stayed well on my tail down the rest after that, he was on form!.

then godley, up and out, went pretty good. the backside before livingston was freshly dug, probably on saturday during the hot norwest, so there was a fair bit of exposed clay which stuck something wicked to the tires. got off and walked the worst of it, and then the descent to livingston on the newly formed line was sweeeeet. much better flow for me this time than last. Hubby was under a rock on Livingston, fixing a flat. we carried on, following these two identical nomad riders up the next climb, sneaking past them when one of them toppled off a rocky section that i cleaned. bomb to breeze all sweet, turned to watch tony crash just after the final cattlestop.

then a BLAST down the anaconda, caught excellent air all the way down. bit mucky in the bottom section, tail all good, climb over taylors not bad, nicholson good, dot com good. left ahead of others to get home for lunch, very tired by the time i made the end of Linwood ave.

Tuesday night Captain Godley Snake, first no lights ride

biked Linwood Ave to meet a lift from Andrew, to DotCom. in attendance arrived Steve, other Steve, Tony, Wayne, Hub and the dreaded Mark. trundled up Capt Thomas, the new boosters on the steps near the bottom make them HEAPS easier climbing, cleaned up much of it before the short walk. the rest is good, cleaned many wee grunts, off for the usual., ruts near top fixed.

had an apple at Evans, then hit the Godley. Steve hadnt stopped so it was chase time. he was already past the first rocky climbs when we started. i seemed to be pushing a taller gear last most of the time, like i was riding a singlespeed... Caught steve eventually, up on the flats. we regrouped at the fence before the worst of the rutsvilles... Mark took off in lead, me following. good run down, the ruts in the usual bad bit were as bad as ever, quite tricky avoiding them, taking a wide berth at times. then the fast bit. i was staying on mark most of the way down, bike riding really well, me too. then near the bottom where i did my ankle in they've altered it, slowing right down, with curves, makes you control your speed a bit more.

Next bit over to Breeze Col was good, i followed behind mark, him spinning a smalll gear on the climb and me standing and singlespeed style cranking. the descent was good, one nasty rut section on the down, then the last bit to the road i could barely see, my eyes were watering and kinda glugging up...
then, the bomb down the Anaconda. i chased Mark and we hauled ass. caught wicked air, my form was ON. felt really good. he stopped before one of the last corners, and then when hub carried on round and down the tail of the snake, i chased him down with mark in close pursuit. above the baches hubby baulked on a rock, i got along side just creeping through while mark ran into the back of him got past and chased me down the rest... all fun.

from taylors mark and hub headed back round to boulder bay cos they had their lights, the rest of us headed up and out. fast climb with andrew, then quite a dark wee ride down through nicholson park.