Swansong in the woods, Tuesday Worsley

Well, quite a nice wee ride tonight.  Met the boyz on the flat approaching Worsley's at 6.20 or so, Andrew and Tony rolling in from their nearby abodes, Steve and Robin in the TFC van, and Wayne, Warren, Pete and me all in our own vehicles.  Bikes all onto racks of Wayne and Warren and we drove to nearly the top of the road, riding from there up into the woods to find a sign saying Forest Closed, and Danger Keep Out tape that we promptly decided to ignore, riding up the guts of it all. Andrew had been through in the weekend, so how much could they have done in 2 days?  Put up some tape or something???  Yeah, nearly.  So, grunty grunty up the guts to the clifftop where a well earned break was had, then onwards up to the top of the forest, and up the steeeep to the top of Debbie Does...

Into here and one or two difficulties for one or two but a great run had.  As we came into the darkness of the spruce, and the old stone ruins, I noticed how low the forest was, way more branches than usual kinda in your face.  I led the boys up the garden path, peeling left onto the wee exit traverse track, but hell it was overgrown, and they, as usual, gave me stick (pun intended) about "Richard leading the way again".  Weird, considering only 2 and a 1/2 months ago it was sweet...  Anyway, once out of the dark forest it was alright, and back into the bigger woods and down a short bit of The Original B-Line before hopping over onto Tommy's, where I chose the left hand choice, bombing it down, swoopty woopty through veering very slightly left as far as you can swoop towards the pylon clearing then leading back to the main guts drag.

From here it was decided to have one last swansong on Fight Club, seeing as how it might all be shut up and ruined, so, short climb and then into it.  Awesome run, swoopty woopty again, down and down, dusty as all get up, out to the exit climb, only to be greeted with a Closed Keep Out sign and tape.  Also a brit Blur TR rider was coming down, and we gave him directions back up, so he was ahead and round the corner there's the bloody big skidder machine and a fair bit of forest already cleared - removing all the windthrow from last year's storm.  Met him again at the junction and followed him down the exit trail out, then down the road, again giving directions to Farside.

Past the cars and down the road to Farside.  Straight into it and what a wee blast.  The brit on Wazza's tail on Pete's tail on my tail.  Both Pete and Steve were first timers on this and enjoyed the crap out of it.  Finally, down the road to the cars.  Ribulet feeling the ride with a bit of an ache.  I took the other two shuttle drivers back up while the others very kindly waited, and then Pete and me stopped at Poms for well earned beverages.  Yummo.