After biking home into a nor'west and feeding dog, I navigated traffic across to Nelson's and we got going about 5.30pm. Up Parklands Dr briefly to first cul-de-sac then down the walkway to Centaurus, and around to and up Bowenvale Ave. We hit straight into the Old Skool climbing bastard steep in places, and it didn't help that the wind was now round to southerly and howling down the valley, trying to push us off at every turn. The few zags with it behind us were sweet tho. I walked many techy bits. Seemed like ages but eventually we made the pylon and headed around and down Hidden Valley Link. All the way down this and into the the 'road' in the bottom of the valley.
Up the valley walk track, past bottom of Lavaflow, and into techy good/badass-ness. At the junction where we usually turn right (around to bottom of Brent's), we stopped for a snack, and then thought, 'lets explore up valley a bit.' Up we went, riding and walking, lots of steep tech rocks (which Nelson had ridden down once (and crashed on)) - and he faced his demons by riding the bit he'd crashed on. Then around sidling for a bit then climbing. Heaps more country in this neck of the woods than I thought was there. Another junction - downwards towards bottom of Lavaflow? or right, and up? We chose up. Feck that is steep. Farm track, Nelson cleaned it all, I walked a tonne. Finally up onto the Traverse and headed, lee of the hill - wind not so bad, around to Vic Park.
Stopped just before the trees, and I decided we hadn't been down Upper Fenceline for years, maybe worth a look. Poked our noses down another new track briefly, but stuck to the plan and rode Fenceline. Nice trail across into the trees, fun jumpies, then now there's options, one straight down (old way), and one that sweeps around and then takes you across back into the park, crossing Tilted Sally and other named or nameless DH tracks, then eventually to the intersection that Cool Runnings starts at. We headed down this. If you knew it well, it'd be super fun jumpy, but even just taking it as it comes it was pretty good. Bombed out the bottom and through the fence onto Flow, and Bridges - Nu Bridges down the bottom of the valley again.
Back into and up Hidden Valley Link, climbing climbing and cleaning, then the epic blast down Old Skool. Wind still howling, pushing us along the trail except where it sidles back up valley midway, where normally you can carry your speed, pumping, had to pedal hard this time. I was getting really tired in the bottom reaches rolling out the bottom relieved to be done!... Finishing with a nice tailwind coast down Bowenvale Ave and around back to Nelsies.
Up the valley walk track, past bottom of Lavaflow, and into techy good/badass-ness. At the junction where we usually turn right (around to bottom of Brent's), we stopped for a snack, and then thought, 'lets explore up valley a bit.' Up we went, riding and walking, lots of steep tech rocks (which Nelson had ridden down once (and crashed on)) - and he faced his demons by riding the bit he'd crashed on. Then around sidling for a bit then climbing. Heaps more country in this neck of the woods than I thought was there. Another junction - downwards towards bottom of Lavaflow? or right, and up? We chose up. Feck that is steep. Farm track, Nelson cleaned it all, I walked a tonne. Finally up onto the Traverse and headed, lee of the hill - wind not so bad, around to Vic Park.
Stopped just before the trees, and I decided we hadn't been down Upper Fenceline for years, maybe worth a look. Poked our noses down another new track briefly, but stuck to the plan and rode Fenceline. Nice trail across into the trees, fun jumpies, then now there's options, one straight down (old way), and one that sweeps around and then takes you across back into the park, crossing Tilted Sally and other named or nameless DH tracks, then eventually to the intersection that Cool Runnings starts at. We headed down this. If you knew it well, it'd be super fun jumpy, but even just taking it as it comes it was pretty good. Bombed out the bottom and through the fence onto Flow, and Bridges - Nu Bridges down the bottom of the valley again.
Back into and up Hidden Valley Link, climbing climbing and cleaning, then the epic blast down Old Skool. Wind still howling, pushing us along the trail except where it sidles back up valley midway, where normally you can carry your speed, pumping, had to pedal hard this time. I was getting really tired in the bottom reaches rolling out the bottom relieved to be done!... Finishing with a nice tailwind coast down Bowenvale Ave and around back to Nelsies.
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