Hanmering the Anvil

Started out with the fam (T, Joyful, Anth (on O's bike) and Lynn (on H's Instigator)) and happy Jet the dog, down the path from just along the street, to the Dog Stream walk track, heading up river on our side, then across the road and over the bridge, up something that kinda becomes Easy Rider below the road, up through the main park entrance and ranger station etc, noticing a cool wee skills ("this is what the different grades of mtb trail mean").  Turned into Western Link and cruised through here.  A first time doing any real hill work for most of these folks.

I led them into Swamp, all the way amazed at how happy Tra'y was with the riding.  Lynne is an ex-regular, so she had skills and a bit of pep, and Anth was a total natural, even if not all that fit.  Joy struggled on the hill work and anything techical.  I dont think it helps that her tires are, like, 1.9s and her forks are sunken.

At the top, a bit of a relax and then I dived into Swoop.  I bombed off, then thought to stop and see how they were coming.  Tra'y arrived first, saying "That's waaay too hard for mum!" but the others progressed through and Joy was fine, had walked a couple of little things (and had a crash I think).  I followed Anth for a sec, then we caught up to Lynned and I rocketted through chasing T, thinking I'd see her soon, but no.  Miles down I caught Jet, who veered aside for me and then down at that big treestump jump I landed and slammed on the brakes behind her.  Followed her down the hairpins but the second was sticky as and she doesn't 'get' them yet, so that was the only bit she bailed on.  They all rolled in after in their appropriate order, covered in splecks of mud.

Across Western again (I spotted an exit from Meeny I've never seen before, so will explore that in future).  At the Dog Stream, I bailed from them and headed up stream on my lonesome.  Climbed steadily but 3/4ths of the way up I was thinking, hmmm, a bit hungry...  Overtaken by a skinny friendly guy on a nice big brown Surly Ogre, made me jealous of his speed, then crossed the bridge and headed across the road and up the Fir Trail, having forgotten how fucking steep it is in places...  ugh.  Feeling a bit tired at this stage, and still insisting to myself to do Bigfoot.

Into the Bigfoot climb and reeaally not feeling up to it.  Struggled a way, grunting and chuffing, climbing climbing, eventually I just had to get off and walk...  Several corners, walking, riding a bit, walking...  to the top.  Obligatory photo taken,

hit the down.  Wetness, frost, frost thaw, sticky, splecky, muckfest.  Fun control on the greasy roots, popping, diving, loving every second of the zen state concentration, completely feeling the trail and the grip and contact patch of both tires, and the balance.  Joyous!  Into the trees, weaving past their trunks, around across, then out, and fuuucckkk it was greasy, and that sticky clay schit that sticks to the tires and flies off in globs...  Ugh.  Popped out the bottom and rolled past some other riders (also just finished ahead of me - hadn't seen them)) and down the road.

Contemplated Detox, but really couldn't face that climb so over into Mach 1, nearly colliding with an e-biker, but after that, no one.  Not bad roll down this, tho it's climbs were nastier than I've felt before, and the grease was appalling - passenger styles - lower down.

Finished off across Camp (again, couldn't be arsed with Basecamp, just wanted to get home), and then hit up the skills/grade 'demo' trails.  They're a really good representation of what the various tracks are like.  Over the road, and down Easy, then across the bridge, climbed up the walk-track hill with an audience of walkers, and was super relieved to be back.

A reasonably respectable 14 kms with a very steep (but always surprisingly little) 293 m climbed.

Wednesday, Extended Hanmering

Out on my own yesterday, no dog, no boy.  Toodled through town and on the road around to Chatterton's, up the valley to the single track.  Up the steep pylon track, into the forest and across to Tank.  Great bomb down this, then for the first time ever, headed up the back of Conical Hill - stopping to answer some directional questions from someone at the C-Line/Eagles Nest juncture.  Continued on up to the top and had a rest and small snack. 

Then off down Eagle's Nest for some technicality, and straight across into C-Line some extra (walking some of the corners on account of not trusting myself on the steep-head-angled rigid Fatty.  Into the rest of Swoop, swooping through the turns, and then across the flat to Timberland.  Grunty climb up here then straight into Jolliffes, gruntier still, with a break at the top.  Into the descent, bomb bomb, corners steep and handlebars nearly scraping.

Across the bridge and up into Bigfoot for the nice slow meandering climb.  Great views from the top and off down, slightly faster than the day before.  Next into Detox, climby climb climb, and bombing of the descent, around the top of Mach 1 and across the bridge and down half way down Dogstream,  hanging a right up the road to Red Rocks, good run here and finally back round to the house.

20 kms covered, and strangely only 575 m climbed.

Tuesday Hanmered Again

O, Jet and me headed out again. Along the flat to start, round Basecamp track to Mach 1.  Climb and descend and climb and descended in here, then up the Fir Trail, more climby and up to and into Bigfoot.  Super climb here, ziggy zaggy, on and up, and then an awesome run down this -  O in the lead and Jetty chasing the whole time.  Fun blast down, goes on for a nice amount of time, then out.  Across into Detox, climb climb climb, and down down down, then back into the top of Mach 1 and climbing briefly before hitting back across the bridge onto Lower Dogstream, rolling smoothly down this, through some mega permafrost at one point, and into Western connector, around the field Forest Walk track and back across the field and up to the house.

12 kms this time, with only 290 m climbed.  Climbs always seem so much more than they really are around here.

Monday Ride of 2 Halves Hanmer.

First off, out with Jet and O, up Conical Hill zig and zag.  One grump said "you know it's not a riding track?" to which I replied, "yeah, but it's a good climb, and we're not abusing anyone". 

Then into Eagle's Nest.  Nice steep wee trail, with a few interesting features.  Spotted a super tech line off to the left, which I'll look at next time.  Across the walktrack into C-Line, which was even more tech.  Steep tech corners, and on down onto Swoop for a blast out to the end.  Next, up Timberline, steep bugger climb, but not too long, and up Red Rocks. 

O was having enough of the climbing, so from the bottom we headed back around to the house and dropped him and Jet off.

Paul was back from his family ride, so joined me out for more.  We headed across to and up Timberline, then up Jolliffe's, where the top difficult corner has a new line out further and back.  Then, into the fun tight descent, good blat down this, across the bridge and up Big Foot. As usual, a good hefty climb, and a lot of heat, so we had a good rest at the top before hitting the DH, fun blast all the way down and back around into the forest and around and out the bottom.  Next up, climb into Detox.  Near the top we heard and saw a guy with fresh legs chasing us up.  We kept our lead across the top and dropped him on the downhill.  Then we headed straight into Mach 1 for the blast out to the end.  More climbs, but less height in them, than my memory usually serves...

Finally, back across Camp Track into Western Link and back to the house.  After this it was soaking time with the kids at the pool. 

Overall, 16.34 kms, but what felt like more than 522 m climbed.

Saturday pHat-nmer Round Two

Out for round two.  Headed down the street and around thru town, getting lots of stares (freak on a fatbike!) and headed around Jacks Pass Rd and up past the camp in Chatterton Rd, up the valley to the walkway and up this for a ways (further than memory served), then hung a right on the singletrack that obviously doesn't get much use at all, climbing and sidling up to cross the 4wd track, onto the pylon access track up the steep under the pylon. Cleaned all the steep here (first time in years) then stopped for a very well earned breather at the peak point between two trees (that are much bigger than they were last time I was here (3 years ago)).  After the rest, it was into the down, and a nice sidle across and then past the beehives and up to Clarence Valley Rd, and the water tank.  A dad and his teenage son were just about to drop into Tank Track.  They offered me the go, but I stopped for a drink and let them get ahead.

Into Tank, lovely flight down this, and about halfway down I found I'd caught up to the dad, reeled him in and he pulled up to let me past.  Powered into the climb and out to the end of the track.  Decided on the Yankee, so headed across to and into it, climbing in the nicely grown young pines across and back and then into the larch gully and out onto the big open area. 

Photo op here (for the MMR) before hitting up the final bit of climb on singletrack and then the descent.  Decent, as.  Nice now, what was a pain in the ass in the past was really fun again, almost like old times (but not quite).  Went on for ages, then then I was out the end.  Hit up Swamp, climbing to it's top (after first telling some random couple the climb wasn't too bad) and then stopped and chatted to some guy at the top of Swoop.

Off down Swoop, chasing down a couple, getting past them both and flying down the bottom end, very splecky on one section (of melted frost).  Then it was similar to yesterday, back into Timberlands, just taking my time on the climbing, to the saddle, giving some germans some directions (they were impressed with the fatty), and then up onto Jolliffe Saddle track, climbing more and cleaning the top corner again.  Bit of a rest here at the top this time, and into the downwards facing dog.

Across the bridge, and into Bigfoot climb again, climb climb climb, blitzing the downhill, 2nd time in 2 days really paying off on the smoothness and flow, out the bottom, and down the road a little then straight onto Mach 1 down and climbing and descending, and repeat.  Fun!  Finally, onto Camp track, thinking about doing the green trail that winds it's way around on the flat in here, but taking a call from T saying she was waiting to go to the pool, so...  Straight back to base I headed, via the Western Link Track, and through the parklands and up over the hill for the final blast down to the house.

Hour and a half this time, nearly twice the distance to yesterday, 19kms on the dot, and 475 m climbed.

Friday pHat-nmer, post soak cruise.

Hours spent at the pools, soaking the muscles into subjugation, possibly a bit silly pre ride...  Got back to the house, grabbed a quick bite to eat then headed out for a quick fat spin.

Left the bach we were staying at and up the alleyway over the rise and down to the Woodland Walk Recreation Reserve and thru to Timberlands trail climb.  Nasty wee granny gear bastard start that it is, gentles out towards the top before the final slog to the saddle.  Then it was off up the Jolliffe Saddle track to the top, cleaning the big corner at the top quite nicely before dropping the seat and dropping into the wicked tight upper Dog Stream track down through zigs and zags and flow finishing with a couple of tight corners to the bridge.  Across this and walked up the steps to the road and up to the carpark. 

Into the Bigfoot climb, one point where the trees are so tight they don't fit an 820mm wide bar...  Cleaned all the zigs and zags up this and then into the descent.  Some patches of permafrost, and some splecky melted frosty bits, fun downhill, weaving and cruising and back and forth, then into the fir trees and back out, so much fun.  Met a family at the bottom (who'd just come down the Fir Trail), rolled through and down to Detox. 

Mucky climb to start with, lots of water rivulets running down the lower 4wd part of the road.  Steeper 2nd half not as wet, climbing pretty good, but relieved to be onto the flatter section through to the singletrack descent.  Fun flight down through the trees, feeling like a speeder-bike through the forest in Empire Strikes Back.  Got to the end and hung a right onto the end of Mach 1 through to where it crosses Dog Stream whereupon I turned downstream and flew down here, bit of spleck in the forest, before hanging right and up the hill back up to the saddle I'd been through earlier. 

Next it was into Red Rocks track, nice climb to a super fun descent, a couple of re-alligned corners, including a whole new section in the forest out to the right at one point, then got down to the turning and peeled right into the Eeny Meenies.  Chose Eeny to the left (once up the hill) and peeled around back and forth on this, eventually making the Western Link Track and taking that back to the Market Green to head back over the wee hill back down the the bach. 

Just over an hour spun, 10.7 kms with a surprisingly small 334m climbed.

Wednesday Hanmer School Camp Fatso Escape

In Hanmer for most of the week on school camp at the Forest Camp with H.  Had the fatty with me cos the Turner was with Josh receiving a fettle.  We finished our Code Breaker activity early, giving me some time to escape out for a quick ride.

Headed out of camp and into the Mach1 trail, climbing it, first time in this direction I think.  Quite good, got my lungs pumping pretty quick, Climbed and descended, repeat, then across the road below Detox and through to cross the main road and on up through to the Dog Stream bridge.  Up onto the road and into the Fir Trail, climbing this, very pleasant track, reminding me of all those years ago when I did the Day Nighter, riding it in the opposite direction.  Out the top of this and into Bigfoot for the steep clamber, tight trees, zigging and zagging up to the top.  Cleaned it all headed over into the descent.  Fun bomb down and around, stopping briefly to deflate some air for smoother riding.  Finally out the bottom, most of the trail flows nicely but the last few corners dont quite work.

Briefly down the road and into the Detox climb, always longer than you remember, grind grind grind, up and around and across to the big skidder, making a lap of that, then heading into the descent.  Taking the non-easy way, dropping over the rock and into the clay rut descent, fat tires gripping a treat as I fanged down the trail.  At the bottom, jumped back on Mach 1 back upwards, across the road and up to the bridge, crossing this and heading down the road-like section of Dog, lots of speed down here and then hung a right to head up to Joliffe Saddle.

Long cruisy climb up this to the top and into the Red Rocks track.  A little way into the climb I heard some piggies, obviously spooked them, and saw two little squealers, one black one grey, running off up into the trees.  I made a bit of noise in case their mama was nearby, then kept riding, climbing to the top and hooning down the first descents, weaving around the ruts and rocks, dropping down, and continuing left (instead of right as per the last couple times).  An interesting detour line off to the right, over some red rocks, then back onto the main blast, with lots of jumps all the way down.  Fun.

Finally, the last sweet singletrack through big trees before exiting on to Dog Stream, heading down around to Camp Trail, heading into the new Base Camp track, and bombing through and around this.  Quite good in this direction, cos the second half flows nicely mostly downhill back to Camp.  Out onto the road and down towards the Forest Camp, instead of heading straight into camp, I hung a left up a forestry road up around the back of the camp, and headed down a fun little final descent into camp. Rolled into camp happy and utterly splattered in muck.

Mucky 13kms. 350 m climbed just over an hour of riding pretty much non stop

Saturday morning Hanmerlicious

Hanmer for the weekend.  Got out and did a short loop with my boys, about half an hour, then dropped them back at the house and took off for my own ride.  Together we did Swamp and Swoop, H doing well on the climb, and pretty cool on the descent, and O just flying the lot of it, both really enjoying the downhill.

Dropped them back at the house, and headed up Chalet Cres, finding my way firstly down a long drive to a house, turning around and then cutting through onto a walking track down to the end of Swoop.  From here I went up Timberlands, huffing and chuffing like crazy, then up Jolliffe Saddle Track, gasping and grovelling the top few tens of metres.  Had a rest at the top here, and then headed off down Upper Dogstream to the first bridge.  Awesome descent, with some really tight trees for the wide bars.

Across the bridge and up to Bigfoot, climbing away zigging and zagging like crazy up through the forest, then ducking out into the open on every second corner whilst gaining more and more height.  Descending, this trail with it's aspect and views reminded me a lot of K2 in Rotorua, except there were none of the log-droppy challenges that K2 had.  Heaps of fun, and had me wondering when it was gonna stop it went on for so long.

Out to the road and down a little to the entrance of Detox.  As usual, seemingly long climb up and around then I had a nice rest and ate the only food I had in the shade of a tree.  Off again, and a nice blast down, nearly having a mishap or two, but not quite, and blitzing it down, and across the road straight into Mach 1.  Nice ups and downs along here, kept my speed up and pedaled hard on the climbs.

Across the road onto Camp Track, and finding a brand new trail off here.  Headed into it, freshly gravelled, and under-bermed corners meant keeping speed was hard, but it was quite fun, albeit very easy.  It seemed to go for ages, looping out then back, with a couple of nice descents, very short, and short climbs back up to the level.  Eventually it spat me back out onto Camp Track, and so headed along here and then up the Dog Stream Track to half way or so, and up the road to Jolliffe Saddle again.

From here, headed into Red Rocks, climb climb, false descent, final climb, then bombing...  rocks and fun.  Grabbed Eeny Meeny, then chose Meeny this time (had taken Eeny the last two times (and just now realised these last two options should be called Miney and Mo)).

Back out to the road and decided randomly to head back up Swamp, then stupidly all the way up Pawson's Rd, which was a nightmare due to the logging that's gone on - think: extremely churned up mud by big machinery and logs, turned hard by drying out...  nasty.  From here it was Tank Track down, swooping and weaving and launching, lots of fun, and then straight onto Flax Gully Trail down.  Don't remember ever riding it this way, (but may have back with Al years ago), short climbs, but mostly nice, and back out to Jacks Pass Rd, and bombed down (nearly 60kph on the gravel) back to town, straight to the bakery to fill my starving belly.

24.5 kms and 600 m gained.  Felt like more, I guess cos the climbs are mostly pretty steep, even tho never that long or high in themselves.  Highlights are Bigfoot, Tank, and Red Rocks...  all three by far my favourites up there.  I considered doing two laps of Bigfoot, but alas...  Was feeling really good the whole way, even tho I was a bit seedy to start, but climbing Pawsons really killed me, made me starving and tired.

Saturday Hanmerific

Nelson and me met in Amberly after 9.30am and transferred to his car and hoofed it up to Hanmer.  A bite to eat and we got going, around Jacks Pass Rd and on up Chattertons, gravel road section waaay longer than I ever remember it.  Up the walking track for a bit then across and up the seemingly seldom used singletrack, leading to the skidder track up to the pylon.  Steeper and steeper it gets til we topped out just in the trees.  Nelson had a faff with his drivetrain, cleaning and lubing it, then we set off down through the dark forest.  A bit greasy in here, so took it quite easy.  Around, some climbing and a few more wee descents, and Nelson dropped his front wheel into something and went over the bars, not far from the Beehives.  Through these and on around the access track to the road and over this up to the Tank.

Into the Tank Track and descending and cornering like anything.  A tad greasy in places, roots inclusive.  Stopped briefly a little way down to get the lay of the land and spot where the trail was headed.  Onwards and down, getting the groove the further we went, except for one near miss where I seriously thought I was gonna crash, but somehow scraped through.  Into the forest and quick climb out to the open.

Across this and into the climb for the Yankee Zephyr.  Climb climb climb, a couple switchies then into the forest and over a creek and back out to a skidder site.  and into the descent.  We enjoyed the top section, it's a little wider and you can rail stuff and jump a bit and it's fun, but the lower swoopies are too narrow, rutted, and you're constantly fighting for balance.

Finished this and headed off down the Swamp track, which started out too tight, but got better and better, faster and faster.  A blast towards the end.  Then it was across the road and up Timberland trail, nasty climb for me, gasping for air, but eventually out onto the last steep 4wd bit to the skidder site at the top.

A rest here and a bit of a snack.  and off up Joliffe Saddle track, climbing climbing, and around the final corner to find a bunch of guys at the top.  One of them said, "Nice bike", and I looked at theirs and there was an orange 5 Spot.  indeed, it was the dude who'd let me have a wee go on that very 5 Spot and who told me WideOpen were selling ex-demo frames back in May last year that cinched me getting mine.  I told him as much.  They'd just climbed up where we were heading down.  Into it we plummetted.  Mint descent, fast and raily, drops off steps and surprise corners and it was over way quicker than I remembered it.

Across the bridge and up some steps and up to the road, climbing a short distance up to Big Foot...  One that was shut down a few years back (2008 or so (last time I'd ridden it) for logging and apparently has been back in action for about a year.  Great to get into it again.  Sweet climb up, zigging and zagging for ages, up through Fir forest, coming out into the open now and then, where it used to be totally enclosed the whole way.  At the top we caught a young guy.  He took off while we rested for a bit, and then we hit it.  Entirely different to memory, because it used to be in tall tall forest, whereas now it's open and you can see it ahead all the way down.  But it's a great trail and rides really well.

Eventually out to the road, and a quick coast down this and into the Detox climb.  As ALWAYS, longer than memory would permit, and then we're into it and it's again different and yet the same.  After the 'chicken line' option (which we didn't take) we passed a guy fixing a flat, and then it was the steep rutty chute out to the end, where his mates were waiting.

Across into Mach 1 and climbing a bit but not as much as I thought and a few descents and tight corners.  Across Camp track and then up the Dog Stream track, then up Jolliffes road, the climbing really dragging me down here, and into Red Rocks.  Nelson was waiting for me at the top.  We did the short down and up and I stopped to put my glasses away, then continued on.  Quite greasy in places but fun nonetheless.  At Eeny Meeny we decided not to bother with the rest of Redrock and took that instead, which was cool.  Went where Red Rock used to finish, and into more forest and a couple of choices in there.

Then it was just down to Timberland, along and across the Park and then a quick climb to Torquay Terrace and a nice coast down here back to the car.  Went to go for a swim but the queue was so big we bailed and grabbed a bite to eat and then came back home, via me picking up the car in Amberly.  Home by 5.

Mapped.  Surprisingly only 568 m gained, felt like a lot more...

Hanmer and Cycle.

Awesome ride Saturday morning in Hanmer, with Al.

headed from his folk's, up Chattertons, up pylon steep grunty little bastard of a track, i walked the steepest bit, Al cleaned it. then my rear brake messed with my head, so muddled with it and it seemed to come right.

down Tank track the top of which is a bit messed up, but the rest still rocks, beautiful rooty goodness. then up onto one of the lower Conical hill trails round to Majuba, found one coming down, so we walked up it, found another going right up to the top with a munty rock garden built on it, so, walked up that too, to the top of Conical hill, second knoll... were told later by a local that that trail is called the Eagle's Nest. bombed down it, dabbing over the rockbridgegardenthing, then dabbed through the tight hairpins and bombed the last bit down onto the Majuba.

then through and up onto Joliffe's, upper Dogstream, all good climbs, most of which i always forget how long they are... then up onto Big Foot. beeeaauuuttiiiffuuulll... Nature, conect to Detox, loose and greasy down Detox, rutty and a little bit messy, tho nothing on what the Port Hills've got right now. then back up the road, and down Lower Dogstream up Joliffe's again, up RedRocks, through two lots of Track Closed for Logging tape, rode most of the way down and into the clearfell... R.I.P lower Red Rocks... then back into the village...

minty minty singletrack... love riding up there.