Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Wednesday Night Farside Worsley Nun Traverse Skooling

Quite a sizeable ride this evening. Met at Nelson's after work and we moseyed across the loop and Thorrington, along the river, Cracroft, to Worsley Rd. Headed up the grassy side and dropped back down into the Farside. Excellent wee roller this, and has been cleaned up since the other month when I did it - with fallen tree removed. We blasted it it all the way to the bottom down in the catchment pond dam valley, and then explored up the valley towards Andy's new place.  Ran out of tight singletrack in the valley, so climbed up onto the 4wd track, then up the old zig zags back up to Worsleys Rd and on up - riding the brand new seal above the road before onto the old singletrack above the road.  Then up past Worsley Heights, and just past Agaia Pl, Nelson noticed a wee trail off to the right, which google maps tells me is called Helius Way.  Could be a nice lead in sidling track around to the Worsley zone if it continued...  unfortunately it ended at a planting area so we rode back out.

At the old carpark (end of the seal) we rode through the gate, into our old entrance up towards the burned forest...  Rode up this for a ways, under the burned trees, but up near where the stream used to be, decided not to continue on that track, as it was looking less used, so we climbed up to the road and continued our way up.  Seems steeper than it ever was in the past, even tho it's smoother.  We think it used to level off, and have short steep bits, now it's just constant.  A van passed me just before the top of the smoother stuff.  Nelson was waiting for me there.  Next section is more old skool then it's up into the Body Bag.  What a prick.  I ended up walking quite a long way up top.  For some reason my legs just about run out of climbing juice.  Up the track to the top of the Nun and we settled in for a snack and observation of the view - and a layer for me.

Into the Nun, rocky and bony as hell, with a fair bit of easterly wind, and I was catching a bit of dust from Nelson's progress ahead.  Bombed down, enjoying most of it, railing the berms and smooth until the really rocky section started, then I stalled a couple times and lost my mojo.  Below the Park section I got a bit of grove back, and man the lower half is hacked up.  Too many muppets braking too much and wrecking the trail.  Into the Summit Rd and the climb was just SO hard for me, up to top of Vic, and we hit the Traverse and all the climby bits were killing me.

FINALLY we made the top of the Huntsbury trail.  I took the lower line, Nelson started from up top.  We bombed it but I didn't have as good a run as last time with Paul.  Easterly wind was pushing all the tussocks over the track making it hard to spot the line.  And I wonder if my lights were set wrong.  Down the landing strip and we explored the tussocks for an entry line, eventually finding it where I usually do, then I led down first section to the stile/gate.  Then Nelson led into  the fun sections, tho missed one of the crossings, went back up and put a couple rocks for directing people into it, and we continued on down.  My back end was getting rattly, so under the pylons I took a call from home and then tightened up my loosened rear axle. (second time this has happened, i need to keep an eye on that.)  And into Old Skool, I was getting really tired down here and my flow was out of whack, and I just couldn't reel in Nelson.  Out to the end, and down the road back around to his place...

A very generous 22.8 kms, with 669 m of climbiness

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