Sunday, Sunny day around and back

Up from home the usual route - side track, road, 19th, skidder, evil grunter, up through Brakefree to the top of Vic.  

Quick paste around through the jumps then back up Worm and onto the Traverse.  Around here, stopping a couple times to let people through (mostly on E bikes, seemingly - lazy curs), then stopped for a rest at the top of Huntsbury DH.  

Into here, blasting down, good flow, popped first jump, somehow missed second, good over third, then excellent over last, into the new fast flow down beside the landing strip, a lot less convoluted than the older route.  Peeled right and had another rest in the landingstrip, then on up onto the ridge and into the Rocky route, cleaning the climb and the rocky over drop down to the main trail, down popped jump, pulled up on big one, rolled back up, in for a second go, and still peeled around it at last second.  Blip blop down and through, pulling out under the pylons and turning back up hill on the main drag, then up onto the grass and up onto the single track.  

Across the landing strip and down towards Old Skool, enjoying the hell out of the tech rocks, then climbing back up the 4wd, then up Huntsbury proper to the Summit.  Onto the Traverse again, nice flowy blast around this way and into Vic, jumps, seesaw, first few pumps and bumps of Brakefree then out and down rabbit into Rockgarden, Gums all the way.  Onto road, down to 235 and lovely weave down through here, hard right up to dog park microwave and blast down back-of-houses firebreak home.

A passable 13.2 kms with 458 m clambered

Captains Matariki; Thomas, Godley, Taylor

Nice big ride on the gloriously-weathered first ever Matariki holiday. Drove out to Slumner and parked where the buses park.  

Headed back down the road briefly then up the old skool Captain, which proved very greasy...  Very greasy.  Mucky mucky slippy greasy slicky slipsville.  Decided, as I squirrelled my way upwards, that I would not return this way.  Did pretty good and it's fun tech keeping the wheels in motion.  Took a long phone call with dad just after the gully crossing, then got going again nice and fresh.  On upwards, the rocks in the shade a tad greasy but mostly pretty good.  Huffing and chuffing up.  

Stopped at the top for a long consideration as to where I'd go.  Up the road to Greenwood??  Gloomy gulch would be nasty.  Out Godley?  Mostly should be good, so went that way.  Waited for a few descenders to get off it and headed on up, cleaning, bar one dab, the whole first section then a few dabs but mostly cleaning my way out.  Lots of puff.  Stopped in a location I've not stopped before for a breather and a rest, admiring the nice day, then got going again and had a great blast round and down to Livingston, only one short section of spleckiness in the usual spot.  Wicked blast down to the bottom, then climbing up around and over to Breeze, feeling good along the way.  Into the climb and onto the hard-to-find (and follow) narrow 'sheep' trail around to the lookout emplacement.  Watched, from on high, the Quake City Rumblers blasting on their 50s out to the 'head carpark, lots of noise and 2 stroke smoke.  Blasted down the fast to the road, across and onto the OG return to Breeze trail.  Nice flow around here then straight into Anaconda.  

Slow to start then into the rough and blasting down around, lots of flow and weave, pump and pop.  Into the 'tail and flow pop round this rolling straight into the Escape to escape.  Climb climb climb, and climb some more.  Steep grovelly in the valley, then easier going as you peaked.  Hit the road.  Quake City boys(and girl) bombed past as I watched from just before the Liftoff spot, then I rolled back up onto Godley for the fun blast back to Evans.  Excellent rock weave groove all the way.  

Finally, the Captain blast down.  Nearly messed up on the lowest of the gnarly rocks, taking a line (and having to pop it slightly) I've never even considered before, due to the greasiness on the rocks.  Rest of the way nice flow, turning hard right and down the 'newer' version into the valley bottom, cabbage tree section, blasting down and out back to car.

22 kms, 840 m. Not bad!

Sunday Blustery calm

And another one. Bloody blustery easterly(ish) wind still howling across our house.  This time, same as yesterday(ish) up the usual, Vic Park Drive, 19th, Skidder, Grunter, Brakefreedom, then this time around worm and across to top, diving into the Thompsons, both, and down through the Kiwi and up the Summit Road.  Worsley's to Nun, greasy as a greasy thing on the way up to where I stopped for a nice long rest at the top.  Surprisingly calm once on the leeward side of the hill.

Dropped into the Nun, finding a) the rocks a tad slippery in places, and b) that I'm not sure I like this trail anymore.  It's rough as hell, unpredictable and not as fun as it used to be.  There are several blown-out corners which are tantamount to off-camber, and a couple of the older lines have completely disappeared due to the muppetry of the lowest common denomination.  Also, on the corner towards the CAP some trees have gone and all character lost.  I peeled out at the halfway (road) point and headed across the road.  

Dropped into Governor's, nice and calm over here too, though being in the shade the trail was very greasy, so I picked my way down relatively carefully, and especially so on the bit I crashed on a while back (a year and a half ago!).  Across the level was all good then the climb was very clean and open but I didn't have the power or balance to clean much of it.  Onto the road and dropped into a drain (only metres from the 'proper' track) to access lower Nun.  CAP's closed so no groms hanging around, popped out at Kiwi and across the Pass and up the Summit Rd to top of Vic.

Down around, over the yumpies and see-saw, peeling right like yesterday climbing up to top of the steep tracks.  Over the fence and into Upper Fenceline, getting down this nicely, and as I rounded the far corner a young guy suddenly appeared behind me - musta been chasing for a bit I had no idea.  I let him by and followed him down.  He stopped before Cool Runnings but I continued around across and dropped over into Razza's for a last bit of fun.  Unctious climb out of here and across to lower gums and down, leaping chain again and down and up for cruise down road into 235, nice blaze down here, even better jumps and then up to dogparkcarpark and down the back of the houses home.

Not as steeply as yesterday, 12.4 kms with 481 m climbed

Saturday, finally!!

After so long, finally a proper ride! Fixed the flat on the front of the Rocky (tiny slow one) and headed out into a blustery howler.  Around the corner on Vic Park Drive was sheltered and mild, not at all like home.  Usual route up, 19th, skidder, gutser, brakefree, up to top of Vic.  

Around and down over the two yumpies and the see-saw, then across to Pedalfine for a fun drop down and peel off to the left, nice wee clean down this then along the traversing trail and dropped into Razza's for some sketchy goodness.  At the bottom of this, hung a right, up through the steep Rad section of 4wd then over into lower Pedalfine, nice blast down here picking and choosing my route out to the bottom.  Into Flow or Bridges or whatever it's called, all the way across then down Nu Bridges for a ziggy zag pumpy hoon to the bottom of the valley.  

Blazed round into Hidden climb and onto Old Skool for a good rolling flow blast. Nothing too sketchy though some of the rocks were slick.  Into the valley bottom and onto the excruciating climb, all the way, K2, grunt grovel grind.  At the Skidder decided I needed more punishment so headed on up the grunter and up into the Brakefreedumb area.  Cruised across here and then dropped down the Rabbit paddock, into the rocks, favourite route through the gums, all the way down, popped over the chain below 19th and down then up back on the road, cruise to 235, nice fang down here, popping the jumps nicely then up to carpark, and down the back behind the houses.

An impeccable 10.8 km with 504 m elevated.

Tuesday Quick Fat Up and Back

Short and fat.  Been a while since I got out on a bike to ride in anger/pleasure.  Had half'n hour or so to kill so jumped on the Commando and headed up, usual climb, 19th, skidder, grunster.  Popped over Thompsons number 1 and back up road then down through trees, rabbit paddock, rockgarden, gums all the way downthrough, below road, then onto grass past the toilet, rolling down, into dogcarpark, shot the gap, and twistied down and down all the way to the bottom.  Couply steps onto road, down, driveway, home. 

Short, 5 point something km, with a fat 196 m climbed