Wednesday Evening Pleasant Weavening

Nelson and me met at McCormack's bay and headed up McCormacks.  Usual gasping for air, and for this time of year, as usual, stopped to crop the blackberries.  This was at the bottom of the burned zone, from a fire a few weeks back.  Whole side of the hill up to the switchbacks (lower) was burned.  Here's between the switchbacks...

Walked the 2nd, then rode the rest of the way, I couldn't get over how damned steep this bloody thing is, especially, just after the bridge it just seemed to go vertical - I'm sure it's never been that bad in the past.  Anyway, cleaned all the little bridgey hop ups, and all the switchbacks until the 2nd to last one before the steps at the top, which is better going than usual.  Out Craigieburn and up Mt Pleasant Rd, to the wee park on the corner, steep clamber up that to Ridgeview then over the fence where the bath used to be.

Up through Britten, good climb, Nelson gapping me something fierce.  Around the front, and across the road to the climb.  Zig and zag and up we went cleaning the way to the aerials.  Nice break here before heading down into the down.  Light proving slightly tricky, I needed to keep my distance from him for the dust to settle and me actually seeing the trail ahead.  Down through the tussocks at phenomenal speeds, nearly losing it many many times tonight.  Above the ruins we headed out the old Greenwood entrance, and around into Sheepshit Alley, now called Knapsack (Knutsack more appropriate), a good bomb down this, and I took the rock ride near the end jumping ahead of Nelson.  Into the other trail around and back up, grovelling switchbacks to the ruins zone.  

Brief walk up to do the wee jump and berms entrance above the track, and off into a dusty, bony, rough as fuck descent of Greenwood.  Fast, and rough, nearly losing it multiple times just on the edge of reason.  Nice rest after Gloomy, then onwards down, blazing it.  

The Captain next, again, fast, rough, dusty, loose.  Full tilt.  Good blast.  

And around the road back to the cars, to end a prodigious 20 kms, and having climbed 740 m. Not bad for a school night.