Roasting Saturday Morning Cashmere Vic Blowenvaled

Had a little time to ride - had to be home by 10am. Parked on Eastern opposite Bowenvale and headed around to Lansdowne thru to Hollis and up. Steep grind up the seal, but with a bit of welcome shade part way up.  Into the walking track, stairs, ride, stairs, push, stairs. Across Longhurst into next section of walking track cruising up under the houses, up the zig zag, under more houses, and eventually into the barbed-wire roots next to the pines track up to the dog park. Up through this and then up to skidder site.  From here I followed a couple of other riders up K2, one walking, one riding and me stopping for a gasping breather before continuing.  Through Brake Free and I stopped for a rest in the shade on the rabbit paddock. It. Was. So. Hot.

Back on and down through rock garden, gums, and hung my usual left, but then further left into a new left off my favourite left.  Bombed down this, some nice wee bermies and a couple of pop-over jumps, then scrabbled into the lower sections of the usual, and then out to the skidder site.  Lots of people walking in here with tools, so I headed up the middle road over to Cool Runnings, that's been newly rebuilt. Passed more of the people heading in to work, apparently, on Tilted Sally. Cool Runnings was really dusty,but fun, - big table top jumpy flow. Then into Bridges where a guy came into the trail ahead of me off Sneaky Ridge jump and was a couple of corners ahead of me but I rounded one and he was gone, cloud of dust. Then I saw him on his back on the trail below! Stopped to see if he was ok. He'd pulled over to let me pass and had toppled over the bank!!  He said he was alright and started hobbling, said he was gonna take it easy from now.

I continued onwards down nu bridges then down valley and into the Hidden Valley Bonus climb.  Ooosh hot too, and up onto Old Skool for a good blast, finally cruising down the road to car. HOT ride.

11kms and 400 m altitude.