Monday Observed, Sunset Stooge Stretch

Painting the roof all weekend has left my body sore and twisted, so I thought a wee jaunt on the Stooge might be in order. Must say! I went further than I thought I would.  

Up the road, 19th, grunter, "is that a Jones?" - took me a sec of processing to realise the reference and that he was talking to me, "oh, ah, no. It's a Stooge." From which followed a conversation. Interesting stuff, and I recognised her, but not him... 

Up onto Thompson's both, and return on both. Very nice. Then around the jumpies and down across the rabbit paddock to the sunset seat. Chat with Doug and a There Will Be Signs, my favourite beer this year.

A glorious pause of just stretching and easing out of the day.  Suddenly realised the sun was getting pretty low, so climbed back out across the paddock and dived on into the pines'n'gums, lovely flow all the way out to the gate. 

Then it was dropping in time into the new home trail. Love it. Getting to know it now and carrying speed thru sections I previously slowed on.  And one section has received a name, a lovely handpainted sign, "Sleepy Hollow."  Sweet!  Carrying the buzz through the glorious sunset light and surprised to see it gone as I did the clamber home.

A lugubrious last one for April (?), 6.3 kms and just shy of 200 m

Sunday Stooge Illustrious

Good hoon out on the Stooge again today. Buncha water blasting to start with then T went for a walk so I followed about 40 minutes later.  

Up to dogparkcarpark, dropping in and around the first few swoopies, then off down through the firs cutting around left to the new trail.  Climbed up here, only having to walk one little steep root section and then up the dappled light paths to 19th, and straight into Skidder and up the grunter.  

Top of Vic I called T and she said she was just at top of Lavaflow, and was taking the bike track, so I rode the road to the Sugarloaf saddle carpark and dropped onto the trail here.  Met her near the top of the climb and we chatted for a bit.  Then she headed down to go down valley, and I headed on around towards Vernon.  

While T and me had been talking a rider couple rode under us, and at Lavaflow I was riding past them and the guy was, "it's R isnt it?"  I had no idea who they were, but once we got talking, I knew exactly who they were.  Last met when I was on my first Troll attempt to LA a few Christmasses back.   Jovial chat with them for a while, then I continued on to the end of Huntsbury, turned around and headed back.  Nice flow around, (they were still there, getting ready to drop into Lavaflow) so I continued on around the Traverse, keeping the flow on, and enjoying it greatly.  

Into the top of the trees, and across over the jump, down Rabbit, Rocks, Pines where I ran into Doug, then Gums and out, tucking into my Newby, flowing down the first section and then at the end of it, climbed back around and took a second go at that top end again before flowing down the rest of it, all the way out, clamber, home. 

Venerable 11 kms acrossed with 372 m upped

Saturday Stooge Brief Interlude

Short hard local again, this time on the Stooge.  

Busied the day water-blasting the roof - ugh, my neck was dying after 6 hours of it, so figured a ride would straight me back up.  

Climbed up the road, and over 19th, through skidder and rather than climb, headed straight over into Razza's - nice drop down through here, Stooge performing admirably in the tech and rooty goodness, boffed out and decided to continue down through into the Brentzone, down and across and taking in that extra wee over bit to then hit Corporate Ladder back up to top of Sneaky and then back up the 4wd trails, across at Radzone climbing to Cool Runnings start, where I met a random guy and we chatted a while.  He didnt know his way around that well, but kinda knew some trails, so rode with me up and I sent him off down Razza's to find his way to Sneaky Ridge (which he knew he liked).  I continued into Skidder, hung a left and took the cypress descent down and out to the road, and into the new Newby section, biffing and boffing down here for the fun to the very end.  Clamber and home.

Shorter and steeper than yesterday, 4.8 km and 207 m, 

Friday Rapido (heartrate)

Much needed nice little blast on the Jeht tonight, first ride of April (on account of Tasmania) this late in the month!  

Up to top of Vic, dived straight into both Thomsons - both ways, down and down (nearly running into a couple groms who were very apologetic (as was I, "dont worry bro, it's a 2 way track!"),, turning straight around on the road and climbing back up, then diving into the upper and climbing on up here up to the top.  Spin around in the carpark and straight back in, down around over the jump and then down rabbit paddock through into the rocks, Gums all the way down and out to the 19th gate. When I hit the road saw a rider heading in somewhere unexpected. Hmmm...  I followed over and she'd stopped, and it turned out to be Rachel (from Hackthorne Rd) nursing a wrist in a splint.  She'd been told about this trail and on account of the wrist let me drop in first and it's awesome.  Fun, interesting, not overly hard, but loose enough to keep you on your toes.  All the while keeping you above H.Ell.  Exit onto an access track, then just up from that exit is the rest of the "Newby" newly added to my repertoire.  Down this all the way, and home.

Short and sweet, high intensity, just over 6 km, just under 200m, 37 minutes. Tight and twisty