Thursday Night Castling above the Fog

Good ride tonight. Nelson got to mine and we set off just before 5.30pm.  

Up the usual, over 19th, skidder, gruntfest, spectacular sunset as we crested through Brake Free.  Into Worm where it was pretty dark, then onto the Traverse and the light was spectacular basking the last glow on the hills ahead.  Uneventful cruise across the Traverse, getting darker but still not using lights (tho most riders coming towards us were) and around then onto Vernon, lights on for descent here, taking a bit to get the eyes in.  

Quite dark by the time we hit Witch, and this is where we noticed the fog growing in the valleys below, all underlit and groovy.  Along the road, a bit of a stretch at the top of Castle then off, me leading, full lights blazing my way ahead.  Tricky.  Around the switchbacks and dust from above coming down.  Good gap between us, which Nelson closed on the climb.  

Hit the road and the climb back up to Tors where we perched for a few minutes before heading down.  Lights made this tricky with big tussocks glaring the view of the trail beyond.  In the tough stuff lower down I baulked and then couldn't find my mojo again.  Ugh.  Onto the little singletrack above the road and techy tricksiness ensued.  A bit greasy along here too, some bits never seeing the sun, heavily dewed.  Across onto Witch and good blast in places.  Then back up Vernon on the singletrack.  Long slog.  

Traverse, pretty good blast, and the climby bit from the Sugarloaf saddle was shorter and easier than usual and the rest of the way felt really good.  Jumpy in the trees and see-saw then all of BrakeFree, start of Sesame with the peel off into the gums to extend it.  

Clambered out to the skidder and back up over 19th, where in the trees, I peeled right into what I thought might work, but didnt really, and then we found the trail dropping down to the Latters Spur track.  Took this, across into the trees, then the lower one we usually walk, and climbed out taking the cutting behind the slide, rocky track to dogpark and then into the 235 trail for a blaze.  I came unstuck in here.  Took a wide 'berm' line in the loose fir tree zone and front wheel washed, throwing my weight forward, unbalanced toppling, trying to save it, losing it, falling and then getting pinned.  A sandwich of handlebar and ground, leg, bike frame, leg weight holding it all down.  Then my pinned leg started cramping something fucking wicked in the calf.  "Get it off me, get it off me! Ow! Ow!"  Once I managed to stand and stretched it helped but it's been really sore ever since.  A few scuffs and blood too...  Classic.  Finished off with the jumps and cautious on the ball-bearing acorns then final exit down out low and final wee blast home.

Moderately consequential just sub-20 kms, with 732 m climbed