Tuesday pre meeting quick blast

Got the txt from Nelson saying "Leaving now" at 4.30, so he picked me up out front of work and we rushhoured to the top of Huntsbury with but a quick OneSquare pickup on the way.  FREEZING cold easterly blasting across where we parked, so good to get going, off over the fence, up beside or on the jumps line trail where I checked my watch and it was 5.15. (wanting to be back to car by 6.45 to allow time to get eats and make my 7.30 meeting)  Checked out the jumps as we climbed and over the gate and onwards, brief stop for a couple of txts, on up the singletrack and over the fence and up the landing strip then the gravel to the top.  Straight into Vernon, good run, taking the old, disused line and switchbacks then blaring down the swoopies and into the dumb corners above Farmtrack, and on down, pulling off piste a couple times to let climbers through. 

Straight through the top of Rapaki, hardly anyone about, and into Witch.  Nelson blew the first rocky section, nearly putting his foot in the hole again, then a downhill rider came thru, but let us through and on we climbed around, good run through here and down onto the road.  Round the road and up, top of Castle Rock before 5.50, sun still sitting above the horizon, but as the trail was in the shade, was time to lose the sunnies.  I led into here and realised within metres that my Climb setting was still on, so pulled up ever-so-briefly to flick it over to Descend, then we were off agin.  Blasting down here, not noticing the wind, but later Nelson mentioned his bladed spokes (and his weight-weenie-ness) were getting pushed about by the wind.  Absolute form, I had, down here, weaving, me travelling one beautiful sine-curved line back and forth, my bike travelling its own independent, yet coincident, line, leaning this way and that following the contours of the trail and everything was just perfect, speed was my friend, trail-bliss was mine.  Into the hairpin and I think I holla'd "Trail Gold!"  Ducked and dived the next sequence, and the rock that caught Nelson last time sent my front wheel askance, thankfully not fatally, onwards into the next corner and down to the bridge and climb time.  Nelson caught quick and my fast-twitch muscles just aren't as explosive as his so I bogged, but pushed harder than ever, and he powered on up behind me.  Across the 'flatter' bit and I was gasping for air from the previous efforts, then, still puffing like mad, down the rockgarden and around through the last couple curves to the end at the Bridle Path.

Up the road, good pace and over the top, spotting someone with a bike right up the top of the hill above (on the left) before we began our descent, rolling, Nelson dropped his seat and aero-styled, while I sat up normally with my larger mass and slowly accelerated faster than him til quite a bit lower down, when my air resistance outweighed his lack thereof.  Then, I peeled across (in front of some other riders) onto the new(ish) Crater Rim walking track just above the road and had myself a wee singletrack time while Nelson continued to aero-coast ahead. Once he must've noticed he'd lost me he got onto my trail and we rode the rest of it through.  Great in this direction.  Back onto the road to cross onto Witch Hill trail and on up this then the blast down to Rapaki-top, nearly taking out a couple walkers crossing the road at the end.  Huge group of fellas on bikes parked up here, and we rolled on past and hooked straight into Vernon.  Pushed up through the haipins and above, Nelson leaving me behind, then I met Matt (Tom's bro) and paused to chat with him while Nelson got miles ahead.  Rolling again, nice climb round to the road again, and whattayaknow, it was only 6.15 - heaps of time left.  Group of runners coming down off the top of Mt Vernon towards us, so we huffed it up over the stile into Scott's Knob track.  Lights on finally in here, climbing the sweet singletrack around through the trees and then descending, nice roots and steps and more roots, down to the road.  Decided to stay on the road for a bit around til we could see a good spot to jump the fence onto the highest part of the Traverse, upon which we rode back towards Huntsbury.  Pulled over to let some of the Rapaki-massive past, and again, and then, again.  Then the trail was ours and past Lavaflow-top and down through the tussocks and more tussocks and lost the trail and found it and lost and then down the landing strip, over the fence and singletrack around and down, jumping some and some not and Nelson got most of them, and then arrived back to the car at 6.40ish.  An excellently well spend hour and a half under our belts, and plenty of time to spare...

Nasi Gorengs from Ferry Rd, to Trees For Canterbury and scoffed, meeting, then Twisted Hop where we found Wazza and Wayno having just completed their ride.  Darkest Days were followed by Victory at Sea.