Thursday, October 01, 2015

Thursday night Worsley ups and downs

Usual pick up from work and through to bottom of Worsley's, parking on the flat next to the poplar trees (just by what will be the entrance to the new park).  Craig turned up on his 1988 Yeti, crazy classic, mint condition, and we trundled on up the hill.  Hopped onto Fluffy Sheep for the climb up, them bowling on ahead at speed and me left behind gasping for air.  Plugged some asthma gas in and still gasped but made it up and then up the road from here.  Through the gate on the right and into the climb on the right hand side.  Beginning of the steep there was a fallen over bushy vine covered tree, leaning into the gorse on the left.  Had to get off and push through it, then, ugh, breathing killing me up the steepest, and a little greasy in here too.  Finally out to the leveling off, mini stream crossing, then more steep and the other two were awaiting me at the top, Nelson on the phone.  Quick descent, then climb again, but easier, and then another small descent and more climb, around over Braille track and on up up up, a couple of groms wafting down through the jumps next to us as we ascended.  Out the top and onto the main drag, seeing some guys that'd been at the carpark when we rolled through.  We duly ignored the Forest Closed sign and headed up the entrance, then on up the route to Tommy2's.

Took the first left, into Debbie Does Dallas, nice roll down here, into the dark and on down, Craig really enjoying it, then into Alice's Restaurant.  First few sections all good, but then when the going got steep I got chicken and walked a few corners.  Below the rocky wall I got my groove back.  Just before the next creek crossing, Craig lost his front wheel over the edge of where Nelson crashed back in May, breaking a spoke on his nearly 30 year old wheel.  Rolled out the rest and up the exit track to the junction.  Craig bailed out here on account of the wheel... heading down.  Nelson and me headed up the Guts track, cleaned it all, overtook some groms up top at the clifftop and then we rolled on up the old Original line.

On up the Tommy2's access track and all the way to the top (cos Nelson thought the uber-Enduro dude on his tail was me...).  Chatted with him for a bit and another group of huckers passed through and then we headed back down to our new trail down the funky boulder strewn gulch and through the dark forest, a couple of whoopdedoos, then (a trail seeming to come in here from the right (note to self: explore next time...)) following the stream a bit, then out into the open (below Deb's), around the rocks now, then back into the forest, sidling, seemingly just above Alice's, off cambernation, on across the slope to the 2/3rds down Tommy2's, railing and nailing this all, blasting down to the bottom.  Back into the exit climb, light getting a bit dim now, catching 3 guys Nelson knew, chatting with them a bit, before heading on down the outgoing trail, me baulking on the log again, and Nelson smacking his derailleur on a rock just before it, and it somehow locking the switch on it!?!?.  Rolling again and out the finish, down the wee singletrack from the upper carpark.

Down the road and into the Far Side trails.  Utopia appears to be no longer, and light was failing, so Fluffy Sheep, out in the open, it was, back down again.  Swoopy swoopy, popping yumpies at the bottom and down round the corner and down back to the car, streetlights on by this stage.

Noodle Canteen and a BOOM to finish.  

Mapped, nearly 16 kms, and just over 680m altitude climbed.

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