Thursday Night, Last of the Season?

Good one out tonight with Nelson. Lots of poaching as it was probably our last chance and the trails were nice and dry.  Up from mine, over 19th, and up the gutser, then up to top of Vic, wondering where we'd head.  I suggested across the road here, and so we went up to the shelter then up to the Sugarloaf carpark and onto Cedric's Track, which proved to be quite fun.  Over the stile and dropped over the edge, continuing through tech to below the carpark and around this and over the next mound, finding fire engines and vehicles all doing what looked to be a training exercise.  Over the road and fence and onto the Traverse next to the pond here, we skadoodled up from here around all the way to the end (top of Huntsbury).  

Onto Scott's Knob section of Crater Rim here through the macracarpas and dropping funstyles down to the road, then up the steppy bits and steps, cleaning the top hairpin and climbing onwards up to the next steps where I really needed a rest.  Bit of a breather and we got going again, and I'd forgotten how nuggetty it follows from there.  Whoop.  Back to the fire-os and back over the road and fence to pond and this time the other direction on the Summit Traverse.  Cruising into the nor'wester from here and I was eating dust the whole way, whipped up by Nelson and held up for me to breath by the wind.  

Down over the cattlestop to Pedalfine, dropping down here, I took the same line as the Sunday and dropped through over the skinny rickety bridge and down onto the 4wd track (which has been severely scraped).  Along here again, dropping into Razzas down and through, excellent fun, then climbing back up around to the skidder.  Followed the road to below 19th, then below road, and usual lines through to Tawhairanui, lovely flow through here then a good railing bomb down 235 including the final jumps, all dry now, and climbing up to DogParkLowerCarPark for the final monster-bomb down behind the houses and home.

A congenial 10.3 kms with 395 m scrambled.

Sunday Norwest Hayfeversville, Exhausting Local Hoonage

As the title says, exposure to pollen and wind, heat and dry. Clambered up to the top of Vic, struggling in the hayfever.  Over the jumpies and down through the cattlestop, hanging a right up fenceline to top of Pedalfine.  Biff boff down this, finding it slick, peeling left on the slightly lower exit to that wee narrow bridge, then across the 4wd track to the entry above Razza's.  Nice drop down this, relishing the roots and gnar.  Hung a right and climbed up to the junction, dropping into the rest of Pedalfine, down into the guts, and out of the forest onto Flow and peeling around into NuBridges, drip drop drap.  

Bomb down and into the Hidden Valley link track, struggling up this, having to stop in the pines on the steepest bit, but cleaning the hairpings.  Up onto Old Skool for a very fun blast, wind blasting, dropping down.  Straight into the valley climb - climbing up valley on the neverending steeps, K2, a couple of walks, riding, then walking in the Rad^Sick zone. Over 19th and down thru 235, meeting the jump/trail building groms. Up then last being houses...

Perspicacious 10 kms with 470 m extricated from gravity.

Poachy Thursday Night Solo

A solo night's exploratory ride, riding some new stuff, and some old poaches poached before...  

Up from home, good pace, struggling up the usual bits and into the Thompsons down to Kiwi.  Up Summit Rd from here, with a roadie on my tail the whole way until the corner before Worsley's when he pulled up alongside and we chatted.  He said where are you headed? and i said not sure yet...  He peeled off up Worsleys and I continued to the next carpark and over the stile and up the hill from here, walking track no bikes signs ignored.  Nice sunset happening out to the right, and the descent was through flaxes, thwacking my face all the way down.  Onto the road at the next bit because there was a ute parked and I figured they might be on the walking track.  

At the saddle (old top of Kennedys) I took the section of Crater Rim I'd had a look into a few rides ago (on the Troll), but hung a right up through the gorse climbing around above the road - pretty sure Nelson and me had ridden this before).  Got pretty steep towards the top and, unable to clip out in time, I fell over.  Then sidling along above the road (skirting above Kennedy's Bush), some nice rocks and flow, down to the saddle.  Here I hung a left and hit down the trail I'd set out to explore - completely new to me.  Mostly pretty good, but with a few chunky unrideable rock sections, including, within a mahoe forested tallus field, a U shaped section of steps down and up.  Around out of the forest and plenty of exposure (a black void to the right) with one or two more small rocky sections, then final flow out where I'd walked that time leaving the Troll.  

Down across the saddle and onwards along the walking track.  Lots of interesting rock features, clambering and cruising over through bush back to the next saddle.  Decided against going back up through all the flax so headed along the road.  Onto the Crater Rim at Worsleys and down this, many years since last time.  Then, at the Nun-meets-Rd I crossed and headed up onto the walkway above road for a nice bomb down, then down steps, then onto the final bit that squirrels out behind the Kiwi on the Dyers Pass Rd side.  Fun!  

Up the Summit Rd to top of Vic, down round the jumps for smooth air then down to Rock garden, bombing through gums, over 19th, down road, into 235 taking the left line down through, then out the "To Harry Ell" track to Vic Park Rd and bomb to home.

Poachy 14 kms with 535 m escalated.

Sunday, Uplifted Park and Kennedy's Victorious

With Higgs again, in training for the Paparoa in a month's time.  Up from home, through towards skidder and hung the right down the swoop-de-swoop, down road, across and into the 'new' entrance to the Park.  Plop blop down there and H was keen on Askins again, so in we bombed.  Pulled over a couple of times to either have a breather or let some grom past, then out down the bottom.  Onto the lift and whooshed to the top.  Down Summit Connector, and we pulled out onto the Summit Rd, riding up around and over to the top of Kennedy's.  

Fast bumpy run down this, H was glad we hadn't climbed it, which was my original plan.  Down through the croc zone, staying on the C2 side, we dived into Mish Mash, which had a few surprises - fun for me, less so for him.  Out the quarry park and onto the road, climbing, descending, climbing and descending the small humps around.  

Along the straight of Cashmere Rd H decided he didnt want to race into the park to beat the 4 oclock closing so he bailed with my bus card for the bus and I hauled arse up through into the Park again (took 10 minutes) and uplifted to the top again.  Summit Connector, down onto the lower Nun, bombing through this, a bit drier than it was last week, then at Kiwi climbed up the road and into top of Vic.  Nice jumpies then down rabbit into rockgarden, gums, over 19th, down road, into 235, fucky as muck in the usual spots, and then climbed back up to bottom of Dog Park and bombed down behind the houses, home.

Blustery 28.9 kms with 1223 m ascended. (two uplifts = ~800m, meaning just over 420 climbed myself).

Thursday Night Eastern Wild Side

Nelsie and me met at Scumnervale relatively early and rode down via the crazy-parasailers' (we saw them later) landingstrip, to, then up, the Captain.  It was tough, overgrown and steep, greasy af and tricksy too all the way up through the forested bit.  Once above that it was drier, but ffs people have obvs been riding the crap out of it whilst it's been wet in winter so the ruts are deep - same as Godley...  

From Evans headed along the Godley Rd, encountering car after car (of mostly 2 girls - tho one mentally deficient moron in an Evo) parked, watching the sunsets...  Headed up the farm track to the main Godley, cloying grass and heaps of new lambs abounding.  Bombed, then, down to Livingston, ruts and mums with lambs making it rather interesting, and lo the fences / cattlestops have all been re-arranged.  Climbed up towards Breeze to the high point like back on the longest night (tho that time we dropped into Taylors). 

Back down to Livingston and Nelson turned up the face, steep! Bit of walking for me, where he cleaned the whole damned thing!  Over the fence and we followed the walkway sidling ever up and around til nearly able to see into Lyttleton, basically we were just over the fence from the quarry, where we headed up skirting along the fenceline around the top of the quarry to the highest point then down through the gate and back down the long ridge (through mums and lambs) to the main track again.  Took this back to Evans, pinging and flowing through the bony rocks.  

Back at Evans, we headed into Rapanui Bush, sweet wee section of singletrack seeming longer than usual, then around it's tight corners and steps and out onto the Scarborough Bluffs track.  Super techy tricksy fun, meandering along above the road, challenges thrown at you constantly and lots of exposure.  Eventually crossed the road, dropping down to bottom of the Captain, and back to the cars..

A abundance of up, 13.7 km with 560 m climbed

Sunday CAP in hand

Higgs and me rode up from home and dropped into the 'new' park entrance. Straight away I realised it was gonna be a bit greasy. Headed down Askins, my first time down here - unsure whether the lower section was Gung Ho or not, perhaps not?  Stopped into the base and topped up his card and we took the lift up into the clouds. Slick as hell down Connector and Nun - dodge. Then Captain Torpedo into Drainpipe which was super greasy. Totally nuts. Back down to the lift and it was shut!  Damn!  That was our lift home.  I tried Tra'y, but no answer, then had the bright idea of the bus!  So, we rode down the side to Shalamar and around towards PMH and the bus was just pulling out, so I waved him down and thankfully he stopped and so we rode in style up to Takahe and rode on home...

A cheatly 15 kms, 730 m climbed (of which ~200m was bus and 400 was lift...)