Thursday Night OG Captain T to the Gods; Around the Breeze and Back

Good spin last night.  Met Nelson in Scumnervale and we trundled down to the old "OG" Captain Thomas entrance - accessed from the redzone, behind the gabion wall.  On the way down we passed a group of riders getting ready at their cars who we would see a few more times.  

Into the steep climb, walking the steps and stopping to scoff the blackberries.  Yum!  On the bikes again, good treadle up on the interestingly narrow weaving through the trees and into the woods. Great climb all the way up.  Rounded the top of the gully and Nelson teched up all the techy rocks, while I lummocksed my way over them, walking the worst chunk.  Onto the traverse across the face to the short descent, where we caught up with the dudes from down on the road.  Proceeded to get stuck behind one, then the next, then the next for a while.  Finally their fastest rider pulled over and let us by and we finished off the last stretch up through the gate and around to the Summit Rd.  Bit of a break here watching them riding up, then headed across onto Godley.  

Up the first steeps, I blew the rock, my power was out, but got my mojo back occasionally along the main face up there.  We peeled around to the windy ridge, a hawk cruising away at our level, and stopped for a breather.  Eventually the other group turned up, (mute?) guy with dog first.  We took off and had a hair-raising run down to Livingston.  I was never more than a few metres behind Nelson.  I swear my bike handles better now.  

At the saddle we hung a right around the 360 crater rim walking track.  The other fellas continued on and we didn't see them again.  Heinous climb got the better of me and I walked the usual bit.  A break at the stile and then off down the steep lumpy steps, glorious run around and down the next steps, some interesting rocky features and cornering, and then across Breeze Col, rocky!, and onto the Breeze Bay track.  Sweet climb around this, some nice rolling, then over the sunken bunker and onto the skinny narrows track, overgrown as hell.  Slow, blind, tech.  Eventually onto the wide open track and bombing down to the Col again.  Onto Godley for a nice climb and fun descent then Livingston up.  Some paragliding dudes floating around, or at least trying to, just next to the track.    

Bomby rocks to Evans, then all the way down Captain, including fun OG section, good blast.

A sterling 17.3 kms rid, with 735 m elevated