Saturday Captain Godley into the Breeze and back again

Good wee ride on the Jeht today that was hard work. I'm so unfit! Climbing was tough, conditions good or sketchy. Lambs galore.

Parked on Wakefield and headed into the OG Captain T.  Muckiest I've ever seen it along behind the gabian wall, then up on the trail a lot of wetspots to negotiate.  Once out on the open section was a bit dryer, bar a few damp spots higher up.  I was muppetty, really struggling on the climbing, balance seemed all wonky, so dabbed way more than usual.  Out the top and onto the road, following a gravel couple, never quite catching them but slowly winding them in, until I peeled right up the ridge, lots of lambs and ewes.  Onto Godley and it was in pretty good nick.  Damp in shadier side, and very rutty, especially leading into the descent towards Livingston.  Good blast through this and then up the next over, dabbing once or twice, but making it through other tech.  Surprisingly good down to Breeze, only very slightly soggy on the last rutsville.  I've never seen so many people at Breeze Col.  It was insane the numbers walking up from Taylors.

Turning back up the road, cruised around to Livingston and had to don my vest as there was a nasty chill in the wind.  Para-sailers hovering smoothly at their launchsite, passed them and left up the ridge track again, passing a very sad looking ewe with a bunch of ropey stuff hanging out her rear end.  Needed some help but I didn't know what to do...  :(  Onto Godley heading for Evans, very wet in places, but once on the downward slope just the rock tech to deal with.  onto the road, and through the pass back onto the Captain, for a good cruise down.  Cleaned all the tech, but carefully.  Nice going once in the bushy section, navigating the wet sections carefully too.  Flow resulted and out to the car for a good finish.

Strugglesome 15.43 kms and 640 m climbed.

Thursday Night Solo Jeht-Setting

Out for a hoon last night on the Jeht.  Headed up the usual way over 19th and admit I had to walk a little in the gutser.  Really didn't know where to go, and paused at top of Vic for ages before heading off down the Thompsons #s 1 and 2, then through Dyers up Summit Rd to just past Worsley's.  Hit the Crater Rim/360 trail from here, climbing up to a stile.  Took a wee look up the Trig track but it proved too narrow and steep, so back to stile and onwards along the lower track.  Fun descent after the next stile.  Straight through this saddle and continued along the next rocky section of Crater Rim, over this to the big saddle (where Kennedy's used to come out).  

Turned around rode the same both through to Worsley's.  Climb was good, descent not so much.  Up Worsley's Rd next and into the climb to top of Nun.  Brief breather here then into it.  Tyres were too hard but I stuck with it and rolled and popped and jazzed my way down the Nun, riding pretty good at the mo.  Into the lower reaches and some mental speed, and not.  Popped out the road and then huffed up to the top of Vic.  Descent-mode activated and good flow down around over the first jump, second not so much.  Down the rabbit paddock (sogggggy in the middle) and into the rocks, ping ping ping, then gums, nice back and forth flow, down all the way out to 19th.  Rolled down the road, took in Tawhairanui and then into the Dogparkcarpark trail.  Soggier than Saturday, somehow.  and the Oaks were disgusting.  Appalling how much water is flowing down through here.  I'm sure that water tank must be leaking, cos this has gotta be more than just run-off from the road, or general hill leakage.  All the way down through to the bottom, some newly tilted dead standing trees lowering the headroom in a couple of places.  Clamber to road, and home.

Withstandable, 13.1 kms and 472 m escalated.

Saturday Morning Tops-Tooge

After 2 weeks of actual influenza, my lungs were cooked. 

Headed up on the Stooge and was pleasantly surprised how capable of climbing I still was. Breathing wasn't nearly as difficult as I'd expected, and my strength seemed pretty good.  Up the usual, road, over 19th, grunt up from Skidder (cleaned with no stop!), some water at BrakeFree, up to Thompson's #1 and nice we hit down here.  Back up the road, still not really sure where to go, decided on heading out the Traverse.  Nice cruise around here, keeping good pace.  Up onto and rolling down Vernon, straight into the Witch with a nice lot of tech (one dab).  Across the road from here and over the gate, headed up towards the top of the Pirate track, just to get some extra.  Linda Woods Reserve, I believe.

Then, turned back, taking it all in again, including climbing Vernon (instead of the road). Bloody good!  After Lavaflow at the saddle I left the bike for a sec and had a wee look across the road.  There's an out and back trail here I think we'll poach some time.  Back onto the Traverse for the finishing touches back to Vic, blip blop down over the first jump (not quite enough speed) and then down Rabbit, into rocks and gums for a lovely flow down around, Skidder, CAP track entrance onto OG back to 19th road, and then coasting to the dogparkcarpark, sneak between the cars and oooooohhh, noooo...  this isnt good...  mucky mucky. and then the Oaks at the end were an absolute morass.  Didn't continue and headed up the (also very wet) climb cutting to road, up to the dogparklower and headed down, super low slow and twisty Charles's Track then out behind the houses for the final blast. 

Slow and steady on the tech, big wheels rolling, torque control and a good strengthening workout- just under17 km with a not-at-all-bad 609 m climbed. Tschuite!

Thursday Night Jehtstahr Along the Top

Brief out and back tonight with a flat.

Uphill on the Jeht, clambering over 19th and through skidder past a bunch of riders into the grunty climb.  I could see the pollen under the lights up here, and worse still up top.  

Down Thompson's #1 and back up the road, then dropped down around the jumpies and up the Worm to hit the Traverse.  Saw a light coming my way further round so I stopped and waited at the start for him to roll through, then got going.  Quite windy, blustery.  Met a couple of lights at the Sugarloaf saddle then no one else for ages.  Got to top of Huntsbury DH and turned and dived in.  One harsh smack on the rear wheel in the top rocks making me think, "ouch, that'll be a flat" but then didn't seem to be until I landed the first jump and realised.  Stopped on the side and got to work, inserting my spare tube.  Down the rest, baulking the jump at the bottom, then back up the gravelly road to the top.  Met a dh-graveller on his way down.  

Contemplation of routes from here, decided over the top of Scott's.  Nice climb in the trees then a fun baff down to the col, then into the next where I met a runner on my climb.  Walked the couple of steps bits and then nice rolling the rest, lovely section of semi-tech singletrack in here.  Boffed off down to the next saddle and crossed over the fence back onto the Traverse.  Nice roll around here back into Vic, over the jumpies, the first section of Brakefree then out to the rocks and gums, all the way down, forgetting about the tree across the lower bit before skidder.  Then down, into the To CAP (shortcut entrance) and across the old to 19th, below road from here, into Tawhairanui across to DogparkCarpArk then greasey drop down through here, all the way to H'Ell and clamber clamber back up to road to home.  Nice. 

A pollen-moted 11.3 kms and 400 m climbed

Sunday, Mount Grey Stooglist

Excellent loner ride today. Did the Stupidmarket shopping, dropped it home then hit the road for "Lake" Janet, making good time up there and finding a pretty full carpark. Given all the cars parked, I saw surprisingly few people.  There was one guy here either getting ready to walk or having just finished. Up the road (rather than the zigs), meeting no one. Climb climb, a slowly-becoming-annoying clunk or clack on each pedal revolution, just past TDC on the right crank. Stopped and tightened possible culprits to no avail. 

Detoured to the Lookout then rode and pushed up to the road and hit the singletrack climb. Techknuckle af.

Walked a bit, rode a bit more. Met 4 ladies, who were duly impressed. Walked a bit more, rode some more around the top corner to meet a couple. "You've done well to get up here."

Hit the technical drop-over to the wee saddle, across down to the trail where I hung a right, to climb up to the trig peak, 933m.

360 degree view. Headed off down the ridge back towards the saddle then down to the trail again for the left turn, into the groove... Mucky, rutty, and do much fun. Pigs have really fucked up the track in places, including just before the rock roll. Into the bush for Switchback City - usual foot plant pivot method, jumping off for a few tighter ones. Exquisite riding.

Stooge SO good.  As usual, the longer uninterrupted sections were flow-stage vibe enjoyment.  It's just so beautiful in there.

Into the pines, and then the muckfest section, definitely some of the worst I've ever seen it.  And it continued into the forest below, with big wallows and dirty dirty times.  Back out into the dry sunny beech face then into the bottomlands for lovely lovely flow and groove, ending, finally out at the road.  Next 2 people, a mum and kid on the other side of the river here, 

 

Now for the grind up the road.  I was half expecting to meet at least the woman in her car coming up behind or some other random heading down, but nope, had the whole road to myself all the way back to Janet.  Took a brief detour up a side track just for a look.  Found well rotted carcasses of a possum and a pig or deer at a turnaround caused by fallen trees. (ie, the track continued, but you couldn't pass).  Off back to the car and done.

The usual 13.5 kms and 720 odd m climbed.  Nicely nicely.