Boxing Mini-tour to the Bach, mostly

Long one today... Quite the ride... Boxing Day, 11.43am, Troll equipped with frame-, seat- and basket- bags with sufficient gear to keep me clothed whatever the conditions, I headed up from home.  At the park the rear disc started to rub the mount so I pulled up in the shade of the pines at 19th to bend and adjust.  Got rid of the rub and kept moving.  Push up the worst of the skidder track then at Brake Free stopped and chatted to a couple I'd met at a Halloween party (the night before I got covid, so I asked "did you get it then??" Thankfully not).  Onwards up to the Summit Rd and a nice cruise east along this.  Good pace, feeling good, nice descent to Rapaki and nice descent to Bridle, with the requisite climbs in between.  

Into the Bridle Path and it's a lot steeper than I'd remembered...  Gravel surface, and scared pedestrians.  Jesus some people over-react to a bike riding past.  ffs, calm down, old lady, I'm not gonna hit you, and if you didn't hear me coming you should fucking be more in tune with your surroundings instead of away with the fae.  Anyway, my brakes started to heat up, then make some god-awful sounds.  And by the bottom of the road section it sounded like they were already metal on metal, and were rubbing again (but it was pads this time, not against the mount/frame - cos it went away when you slightly applied them).  So, down through town and to the ferry, with 5 minutes to spare for the 12.50 sailing.  Yay for metrocards!  Hot on the ferry, until out on the actual water, nice breeze and some salt splash through the window.  

Off the boat, onto the wharf and climbing up the road, to the shop.  Bought a peach ice tea and filled my first empty bottle.  It was quite hot.  Little more climb and then a glorious brake free cruising coast into Purau.  Been ages since I'd been here.  Into the climb, and feck it's hot.  I stopped a little way into it, in the shade, and plugged my t-shirt onto my helmet to protect my neck.  This made it better and occasionally there was a nice breeze would kick in. 

Quite the climb up here, took a good hour or more with some walking thrown in.  Very few cars, couple of motorbikes.  T-shirt off head, and into the descent.  A 4WD had been past not too long before, but I figured they had a good lead.  But no, caught them up about 2/3rds of the way down and had to pull over to let them go as they weren't going fast enough.  But because the brakes were cooked and sounding even worse now I didn't want the risk of overtaking and then getting into trouble.  Totally horrible sounds emanating from them the whole way down, then zz zz zz zz once I was on the flat.  2.30ish, hour and half over from DH.  Baking hot in Port Levy, heat from the low-tide rocky shoreline.  Brief climb then here's the Pigeon Bay turn off.  

Narrow gravel road, nice gradient, cruised up this for a bit then decided to stop for a rest.  Nice shade, tree, text out to T warning I might need a lift - those brakes were not going to survive Little Akaloa Rd.  Snack.  Feeling better. 

Had met a silver toyota coming down, then a "Virtual 4WD Tours" Range Rover bombed past, uphill.  And prior to him I'd heard a motorbike in the distance.  Seconds after the Range Rover goes past I'm hearing the motorbike, then seeing it sideways then stop.  I ride up and the guy is pinned under it.  He was okay, obviously in a bit of shock.  Japanese.  Couldn't lift the bike, so I helped and we got it upright.  He'd been going really slowly, the Rangey had given him a fright, then he was kinda in the gutter and couldn't see properly cos of the dust, and had lost it!  I rode on, seeing the Rangy on the road above on the other side of the valley.  The climb continued.  At some point, around 3pm, I rang T and said I'd probably be an hour to Pigeon Bay, could she?  A little while later I see another 4WD heading down, across the valley.  I got quite a bit further up, monitoring their progress towards me, and surprised them somewhat.  Young teen driving, sedate looking father in the passenger seat.  Good on him teaching his kid gravel road skills.  Onwards and upwards.  A couple of walking sections, quite steep.  Quite tired. 

(this second picture is more-or-less looking directly home, the way I came, that saddle being the Purau-PortLevy one, and Cashmere is straightline behind it).  More riding, more walking, meeting a couple more 4WDs in convoy.  Then, nearing the top finally, one last one, and a final steep to walk to the summit at 500m(!).   

Into the descent into Holmes Bay.  Decades since I brought the Marina up over here.  This descent would be glorious on the fatty, or the Rocky.  But the Troll with no brakes, it was kinda nerve-wracking.  I had one close call, sudden appearance of a fast moving white Ford Ranger (Cord or Corde emblazoned on the side).  I kept well left, he 'freaked' foot off gas, veer towards fence, past and onwards.  Rear brake was barely doing anything, front was threatening to skid out on the loose gravel the whole way.  I wonder how Extra-terrestrials would handle this.  Likely a lot better than the Big Bens.   Hairy downhill, final glidey lovely speed into the bottom of Holmes valley, then the road widened up a bit and I was passed by a couple of smaller suv 4wds full of young folk on the final climb, leading to a glorious gravel, sealed, gravel descent of cruisy coasty goodness.  Past the refuse station and an interesting looking kid of the dump guy and through a busy party bach zone, arriving at the Pigeon Bay Valley Road end T intersection at exactly the same time as Tra'y.  

In the end, I'm quite glad I had to call short the trip at Pigeon Bay, my body wasn't really up to it - I was shattered from the heat and work of it all, and that final climb up PBay valley would have nailed me, let alone the rest of the climb up Summit Rd to LA turnoff (520m in total).  And no brakes on the LA Rd is no joke.

A rather solid 41 kms, with 1600 m altitude gain.

Wednesday Night Bony Captain Greenwood

Mint ride tonight with Nelson. We met at Slumnervale and headed back down Finnsarby Place (never knew it was called that) and across the redzone to hit the up on the old Captain Thomas exit.  Nelson cleaned his way to the steepest steps bit, whereas I lost it on below the first corner and struggled my way upwards.  Very muggy and sheltered down in here.  Once on the level tho it was good rolling, albeit extremely overgrown for a good portion of it, which we didn't really notice until on the return.  Mostly good climbing; Nelson cleaning more than me, I was just feeling wiped from the week.  The trail was really crunchy, sheep having wrecked it in the recent wetness.  Heading into a sugar crash, we had a break before the final climb.  I felt better once moving again and the hard bit before the last gate got the better of us both.  Final climb out to the road was okay.  

Long schlep up the road to Jollie's Bush where we avoided stinging nettle, walked and rode our way to the top of the bush, over the stile and then up the new walking route to the 4wd track which was much closer than we ever realised.  Up this and hung a right to blaze out the, also crunchy, old Greenwood entrance, out to the road, and up here to Broadleaf and up.  Cool dead stick insect on the road, probably 10 cm long and 7mm thick...  Hup up up to the top and a well earned rest.  Then we tootled to the highest point and took in the view before our descent.

Down through the annoying gate, and around to the stile, Nelson getting his sideways-action on on the rocks just beforehand.  Over the stile and the bombing began.  He led, I stayed on his tail until the tussocks where I kinda gained and lost and gained til losing more towards the end of this upper section.  Down the 4WD bit, and into the Greenwood proper.  Tight on his tail for a bit, even catching him a bit before the sidle, where he always loses me and then eventually he stopped after Gloomy and I caught up and we had another rest.  I led from here, keeping the pace up and fast and a good blast down, all the way, losing my speed in the first rocky up with the wrong gear.  On out to the bottom, overall a good blast.  

Through Evans and up a little for another bit of a rest before dropping into The Captain, him in the lead.  Big gap to start but I'm pretty sure I was slowly gaining to the gate, then we held pretty tight the rest of the way down.  It's SO bony, rocks poking up where they never were, trail embedded in itself by the sheep traffic.  Eventually, over the fence into the old-skool section, discovering just how overgrown the bastard was.  Quite low speed compared to the usual rush, never quite knowing where the holes were, or rocks, hidden under the grass.  We both survived our nemeses, my tree and his rock, and got out to the bottom and back to the cars in one piece each.

A surprising 631 m climbed, over a rather bony 15.4 kms 

Rainday Sunless Troll

Excellence was had.  Getting on into the evening and no ride had been possible all day due to rain rain rain.  So, as somewhat of a test of the mudguard system I've experimentally set up on the Troll I headed up the hill.  Great to get breathing, standing and cranking my way up the hill.  Took the new zigzag from the top of the dog park, then the wheelchair route over the Info Centre knob and down the zig at the back, then up road to H.Ell Track, riding up this, naughtily, but thankfully not meeting anyone, all the way to the top.

Up the road and into the first Thompson, amazingly cleaning this the whole climb, greasy roots and slick tires no problem.  Then up the ramp and cleaning this too!  Into the second Thomson, climbing again, stopping to rest once, but cleaning the rest of it.  At the top of it I hung a left and followed the 4wd track down, over the gate and then down the main drag  at a hell of a speed into the Skidder.  Then just down the road from here, meeting my first other people/car just before I peeled into the driveway.

Not that big, but fun and wet, 6.4 kms with 214 m climbed.

Friday Long Way to Work

On the Troll, headed up from home through Vic Park, Worm and across the Traverse.  At Huntsbury/Vernon I cruised down the road and into the top of, I guess, the Taramea (alternative to main cRapaki track (Full Monty)), descending roughly on this.  Onto the main track across the flat, then up into Elevator, descending it with occasional finesse.  Finally bomb down the road and across town to work.

Sweet Commute! 16 and 3/4s km with 287 m climbed  

Thursday's Whole Lotta Climb

Nelson and me out from my place. Usual up over 19th to skidder into Razza's, sweet blast down, quick climb up the radzone to next corner to drop into lower Pedalfine.  At the skidder track, a brief climb back up towards Rad. up and back for no real reason other than a look, then hooked into the lower end of Pedal for a blast down and out onto Flow/Bridges and all the way down to Bridges-Nu.  

Railing down the valley bottom and into Hidden Valley, catching a couple of guys in here.  Around the corner under the pylon and there were a hundred Enduro riders, clusterfucked all over the hill, waiting to start their next stage. We pushed to the front and dropped in ahead of their race. Excellent blast down, tho I was getting tired by the bottom, photographers practicing their shots on us as we descended, and a crowd (like 10 people) standing watching us at the bottom. Tiring. 

Down Bowenvale Ave and around Centaurus to cRapaki..  Up the road, and first gravel then into the new Elevator trail. Pretty good climb, not bad at all. Rinsed me a bit tho, seems way longer and more effort that the piece of cRapaki that it bypasses would consume. Stayed on the singletrack across above the flat zone of cRapaki, then on the main drag struggle street for the rest of the climb.  From there it was on up Vernon, and into the Traverse for a often fog bound cruise around here. 

Into Pedalfine start, peeling left and out on the diversion which was looking and feeling pretty rarely used. Skidder over 19th again and down the road to the dogparkcarpark into 235, very overgrown entrance, excellent bomb down here over the yumpies and through the oaks.  Last climb and last blast behind the houses.

Exhausting 21.5 kms with 624 m climbed

Saturday Jack's Dubiousness

After Arrowtown we drove along the Remarkables for a closer look, stopping at Wye Creek, a wee walk up the track to see the river and falls, then back to car.  On the way back towards town I got it in my head to ride back from Drift Bay, over the Jacks Point trail, thinking I'd go right round Kelvin Heights and back to Frankton and up to the house. T convinced H to accompany me, and so off we set.  

Quite a fun wee descent towards the lake, then sidling around towards Maori Jack Rd, sort of just above the shingle beach, matagouri and scrub and grassland, open flat lakeside country.  It was fine around the lake, then gravel road up to Lodge Rd carpark, and then we headed up the Jack's Hill track, and the climb half killed H. Relatively steep, and legs tired, he struggled.  Good switchback steep down the other side, then rough, overgrown, rocky tech  and up and downy, with several walks due to steep and rough conditions, around the butt of the hill and it all proved too much for H.  So, with rain threatening, I rang T and asked her to come back and get us.  We got to the main trail (which was Queenstown Trail level easy, and climbed back up towards Lodge Rd, eventually bombing down this to a waiting T and car..   

A measly 7 kms, with a couple hundred m climbed, but rough and tiring for tired boys.

Saturday Rude Water Racing Bush

Tra'y dropped H and me up at Coronet Peak (opening day for the season up there - carpark wasn't too full).  We treadled up onto Rude Rock and got descending. Whooee!!  It was fun times.  One chute that H couldn't handle, but otherwise he had the best of times.  We even over took a few people.  

Across the road and dropping down towards Hot Rod, but sidling onto the Water Race, taking this all the way across the face.  A very nice sidle (tho incredibly weedy), through a few wee nice bushy gullies, one or two exposures, and only minimal climbing.  

Finished with an awesome blast down Bush Creek trail.  This was fantastic, some good interesting tech, roots and switchbacks and creek crossings, and lots of bridges too.  Randomly bumped into an old school friend, Carol S., who I'd not seen for 30something years.  Her hubsand had a baby goat in his arms (they'd found it earlier).  From them we blasted down into Arrowtown where we met Tra'y and had a little lunch. 

Marvellously marvelous 15kms with only 180m climbed, but around 1000 descended. 

Saturday First Thing Popping to the Shops.

Needed a couple of supplies so after coffee I headed down to the shops and back.  Down the road then onto the Queenstown Trail around the waterfront, then up to Remarks Shopping Centre.  Down to the river, then along the Trail back again.  

10.8 kms, with 133m climbed 

Fried, eh? 7 Miles of Smiles

Quick morning ride on my own at 7 Mile. Parked at Wilson's Bay.  Headed around the DOC track and into What's up DOC, climbing ziggyzag styles up up and up to the Eagles Nest.  Looking for fun, I headed for Gravitron which swooped me down and about randomly throwing me into Loop 7 which lost me completely, but eventually climbed back up to the Nest and headed into Metolius which took me around to El Dorado which had some nice rock.  Into Cloud Burst for a blitzy descent, including an 'extra' little shooty drop to the exit climb back to What's Up to climb back to Eagle's Nest.  Time a ticking, headed back towards Kachoong, checking out the boardwalky bits briefly, climbing back up to Kachoong, blitzy blitz, onto Jack B Nimble, meandering to the midpointmeetingbit, into Grin'n'Holla cutting off onto IB55 to finish.  Back along the DOC track to the car.  Found a towel in the car so stripped off and dived into the lake to cool off. 

Minimal 5.14 km and 200 m even

Saturday Local Loopies

Nelson came over for an 8.30 start but there was a bunch of drizzle around, so we took our time getting ready, oiling and cleaning drivetrains etc. We headed out the drive and got a little way into the initial climb when I realised I needed my inhaler so we turned back home.  Once there, the rain kicked in harder so we stopped for a coffee and the weather had gone when we'd finished so off up the hill we went again.  I felt okay, given it was my first 'proper' ride since the covid (other than the Troll rides).  Plodded up, usual way over 19th, and up from skidder.  Nasty bugger this but I cleaned it and was breathing pretty good.  Up to very top and then down around the jumps and down through the paddock to the rocks and gums.  Greasy as trail in here, 2 wheel drifting.  I pointed out my log cut and we sidled out to skidder.

Dived into Shazza's, given the steeper ones were gonna be greasier.  Shaz's was not too bad.  It's been tidied a bunch at the bottom, directing you into Pono's which we didnt do.  Headed across into the Rad zone, and dropped down what could be considered the continuation of Razza's.  It is easy and sidles into Brents, to chuck you across to the far side, so down through the Macracarpas we flowed.  

Out onto Flow - Bridges - Nu Bridges, some tapes up for the Enduro happening on Sunday.  Down the bottom and into Hidden Valley Link track bonus up to Old Skool.  Dabbed in the top second to last corner.  

Old Skool was sweet.  Nice flow, nothing too drastic but a good pace.  Into the valley-bottom back up the trail.  Climby climby climb.  I managed all the steeps in the valley, but from Hospital Corner I had to walk a few metres.  Up under Texaco, then on up the 4wd, walking one little bit, then eventually up in the Rad zone another bit. Up to skidder and talked to a guy scoping out for the Enduro, then off into the singletrack to take us down to the road, then below road for a bit, and then cruising and into 235 for a fun blast in here.  Bit mucky on the downside of the first jump.  Then climbed up to Microwave and down the final blast behind the houses, home.

A well spent 10.7 kms, climbing a indubitable 442 m.

Thursdog Trollspin

So good to get out even if so briefly. Rain just starting up as we left home.  Short and sweet, dragging along the dog for the ride.  First time in way too long, recovery from Covid and Poteriteri field trip having got in the way.  Up on the Troll with Jettypuss, on the walking track by the road.  Avoiding another dog in the slide part of the park, then up to the sunset table, over and down behind, then back round, poaching a couple of sections of trail on the way, including Tawhairanui track. From here across the dogcarpark and into the 235 singletrack.  Pretty good.  Down to the jump and over, then stopped to chat to a few riders in here just finishing practicing corners.  On my way, right through to the H.Ell extension, across the road and down home.

Measly 2.6 kms, 75m climbed.  Happy dog.