Great, albeit short, ride at Living Springs tonight. 4 years since I'd last ridden in here. (and first ride with lights since September)+
Nelson picked me up and we jetted over the hill to the Allandale carpark. A little bike maintenance, and a couple other cars pulled up and guys got bikes out of them. We got rolling, up the valley, a couple new sections of trail and lots of new plantings (thanks Hannah!) all around the place. Across the face and into the Totara Valley climb, all the pines gone now and a new line on the true right of the valley (where it used to be on the other side for a while). Greasy clay/dirt down low, but drier higher up. Up into some very dark Manuka, line changed from memory up here. Eventually out to Rhymes With which was waaay more grown than the past. Sat and admired the moon just risen and barely visible through clouds, then headed over the gate and up behind the Outdoor Education Centre, making our way up through the gums. Steeeep, my first bit of walking where Nelson managed to ride. Through the gate and dodging onga-onga, trail pretty neglected. Cleared a log in the bushy gulley, and found the creek eaten out. Tech riding with a lot more walking than I remember having to do in the past. They've replaced the ladder-stile with a gate. Up into the open to the cabbage tree, where we found the track very well sculpted. Climbing, me walking again, climbing, walking, climbing. Nelson rode all but one or two short walks. Did I say it was steep? Fiiinally got to the bench, pulled up a pew and admired the (almost) full moon, that we'd seen rising
Rather decent descent begun. Full on speed, careful carefully, down down down. Through the gate, then Nelson kinda overshot the cabbage tree, but I holla'd him down. Back across into the bush, through the gate (i oiled it cos it was super stiff). Techy as, winding our way down, auto-checking for (h)Urtica, and having to walk through the creek washout (where I spotted my second weta(?) for the night). Survived the close encounters with the nettle, and Nelson had the high gate open. Through the gums, behind the Outdoor Ed Centre and down to the gate. Spotted a light around the corner into Mississippi and got chasing, seeing it below all the way. Fun weaving back and forth down this then around, easier climbing to Zanes than I remembered, and seeing more lights below. Then diving into Zanes and bombing catching the tail-ender a wee ways down, and us managing the tech all good. Out of the forest and found 3 more (2 of who were the guys at the carpark) waiting. They were on their third lap. We took off and around into Totara Valley, minding the grease, and Nelson slid-crashed at the bottom, one foot left attached. Final bomb across and down through and back to the car.
Only 8.57 kms travailled with a barking mad 500 m climbed. That's a big ratio.
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