Tuesday night Boulder Gods, Breezily De-scaped

Met Nelson in Taylor's a bit after 6 pm.  We hit the gaspy climb of the Snake's tail, along which I remembered to start the MMR (at 6.30).  Trails were gonna be wet so we were poaching walking tracks, and found pretty much everything to be pretty firm.  

Boulder Bay track out to the end was fun.  I really like the exposure of the cliffs and sea surging and smashing on the rocks below.  Grunty wee climb up from the bay and we hung a left at the Asbestos signs, heading all the way to the gun emplacements, which are all barricaded off.  Snuck over the fence and over the Head onto the zig zag down the other side, a lot of water on the track in places, but nothing soggy.  Up the steps and the buildings are all fenced off (pretty half-arsedly I might add).  We navigated up around them then back on the main track back up to the Godley Head carpark.  

Up the ridge from here to the Breeze Bay track around the back.  Spectacular lights of Lyttelton shining in our eyes on this fun section around and back down to the col.  On the road from here, no cars met, all the way to Livingston Col and onto the Taylor's Escape.  This was in pretty good nick.  Most sections were sweet as, but some very soggy boggy bits wherever gully streams encountered it, and we walked all of these.  One at the top, then a couple of bits down in the bottom gulch.  Sweet sweet riding, tho under lights is not something we've been used to this winter at all...

A laudable 11.something kms with (I assume) just over 400 m climbed. (given I started MMR late).     

Tuesday Night Moonlit Godley

Drove to Nelson's after work and parked up, then we hooned in his car, with Fatty and skinny bikes onboard, to Taylor's Mistake.  Got riding, straight into the grunt, up the Tail, pausing at the cattlestop to chat to a friend of mine (Fiona) running her dog, then on out the Boulder Bay track.  A couple of photo ops along here,

Scar, bro.

and then took a singletrack down into Boulder Bay, slightly more interesting than the highway, but ending in overly tech rocks before dropping into the macracarpas behind the houses.  Steep climb out of here, back onto the main track, then the usual climb up the zigs and zags, round to the full-arsed moon hanging out just above the horizon.  Parked up at the gun emplacements and took a couple pics,

MooonZooom

then rolled on up to the the end.  Over the top and down the other side, zig and zag and zig and zag, then up the steps and climbing again back up to the old buildings.  Phone call and more pics from in here.

Arty farty had a party...

Then it was out to the carpark to watch a massive posse of riders bombing down the hill and onto the trail below the road back to Anaconda.  Nelson and me climbed up the hill and around onto the Breeze Bay track.  Fun times around this and as we got to the stile the big posse were heading off down Anaconda (not very fast, we thought).  Next, we took the skinny fun trail above the road around, stopping to enjoy the view for a bit just before that weird half buried shed, then onwards around and instead of down the 4wd track we went a little bit further towards Breeze Bay track again and headed down the walking track back to the car park, along the fence, and over the road onto the original Godley section below the road.  The climb from the bridge slowed me up and Nelson got a big lead on me.  I had a nice run around until the last slight climb to Breeze Col.  Ugh.

Finally, into the 'Conda.  Good blast around here, and it was surprisingly dry considering the rain we'd got over night and this morning.  A total beat up on the Fatty, rocky sections pounding through my arms, and a bit of a battle with the steering in some of the narrower slightly rutted sections.  Out the bottom and onto the tail, this REALLY beat me up, with all its pesky rocks I'd normally just flow over on the full-suss.  Oh well.  Got to the bottom and felt like I'd had a ride, for sure.

A good 13 kms, with just over 500m climbed...  Nice.

Wednesday night, Fatty and Skinny strike out *post 900* - In Memoriam

Met Nelson at Countdown carpark after work, on the fatbike, and then I proceeded to get a call from an old friend, Bat, who insisted she had to come and see me to tell me something that she couldn't tell me over the phone.  I'm thinking, great, someone's died... but who?  Helen? Jen? were the ones I thought of, as mutual friends we have and don't really see much anymore.  But no, it was much worse.  Matt, my best friend of 34 years since week 1 third form 1984, R.I.P. of a heart attack on this morning, Wednesday 2nd of August, 2017.

He joined us riding once, and, being a roadie himself, was always in awe of us mountainbikers and the intensity of our workouts coupled with the technicality of the riding.  So, i thought it fitting that I continued with my ride tonight, in his honour.  The whole thing seeming unreal and not quite believing it to be true... I'm so glad we caught up when I was in Melbourne back in June.

So, Nelson and me headed out to Moncks Bay, parking in the carpark of the Yacht Club where I took a call from Pete Gillespie, then we headed up Mulgans, first time for a lonnnnnng time (coincidentally only a couple of weeks before that ride with Matt).  Steep mother that it is, it was actually pretty good.  Walking the steps, but riding everything else, up to Panorama Rd, then along this up to Clifton Tce.  Over the stile and up to the rooty singletrack, Nelson's slicks spinning him out continuously.  Into Frog Pond track, which was super mucky in places leading to a bit of walking to save the trail, then once up on the ridge it was smooth clean riding to the trees.

Hit the Summit Rd down to Evans, fatbike tires screaming in agony and a slight headwind and thick cool damp air acting like a parachute on us.  Onto Godley Head Rd, climbing around til I got a call from another old friend Jase, then continuing on right out to the end of the road.

Through the carpark and onto the track over to the right, down the zigs and zags, then up the zigs and zags and over to the top, grabbing a snack stop here, another phonecall incoming, then off down to Boulder Bay and back around towards Taylors.  Met a couple of riders heading outways just near the beach.  Down to carpark and the final slog up the hill.  Nelson disappeared off on his super skinny tires, and just after the last dark corner he appeared back downhill towards me, and we rode the rest of the way up to the top of Scarborough together, before my ears were deafened again descending at over 60kph down the Scarborough Rd.

Across the Esplanade and back along under the cliffs to the car.

Just on 24 kms and a staggering 879 m climbed...  Pretty good for a 'road' ride.

And!  This has been blog POST NUMBER 900 ! ! !

Wednesday Night Godley Wander

(Replaced the zip-tie holding my brake-pads in, with a short length of spoke, elbow at one end and bent at the other, excess length being ziptied to the hose)

Nelson arrived at mine after work and we had a bit of a feed with the family before we headed to Taylors, arriving there sometime after 6.30. Took Jet with us in the car too. Got set up and headed up snake's Tail, quite a tech wee climb, for a starter, then just at the end of the Anaconda we headed down onto the walkway and climbed and descended and rolled out to Boulder Bay, Jet having a lovely time running ahead, beside and behind depending on the upward or downwardness of the trail.  No tech to be found, and not really any wetspots either.

I delayered at the hairpin before the big climb and we headed up over round past the gun emplacements then up to the lighthouse Head.  Through the DOC zone and then down the other side, ziggy zaggy, followed by climbing back up past the barracks and up to the carpark.  Jet had a big drink at the tap.  Next up was up to the Breeze Bay track, over the stile and into it, best in this direction, around the back with the glow of Lyttelton scorching orange in the low clouds ahead.  A few spots of rain started here, but we figured it was just a shady-side of the hill effect.

Over the stile and onto the around-the-front-above-the-road-skinny-trail, which was tricky, as parts have gotten very deep and pedals strike good.  Rode to the end and across to the Breeze Bay track stile again, working out what to do.  A plan was made: to ride back around the skinny, then back up the Breeze Bay track, so off we toddled.  Skinny trail better in this direction, with more down, but still tricky in places, with slickish rocks spitting wheels sideways occasionally.  On the final downhill the rain got heavier so at Breeze Col we decided to bail down Anaconda, knowing it would be greasy as crap lower down and figuring we'd just deviate around it or walk or whatever.

Once off the gravel 'road' (that is now the start of the Anaconda), we were down through the first few corners and decided to just go straight down the steep walking track pretty much from cattlestop cattlestop to the Tail and the gate on the Boulder Bay track, and so we did.  Steeeeep down, total brake control the whole way, not so much grease that we'd skid, but the wheels were certainly not turning quite as fast as they should have been.  All the way down to the main walking track, and decided to just roll down through the rocky walkway we used to use and through the back of the houses, back to the car.

Grand totals of 11kms, 460m climbed and a very happy dog on one hour's riding time. Good to get out.

Tuesday night eastern loopage

Countdown Moorhouse carpark pick up around 5 in the big blue van and off out to Evans.

Feeling the cold, got changed and hit up the trail, gasping for air in the first 100 m of Godley, then slowly getting it under control and very shortly no longer worrying about the cold either.  Lights off for a start. Then Nelson crashed off, caught his pedal on a rock which propelled him off backwards down the steep hill.  I emerged around the corner to find him clambering back up to his bike... Trail is definitely a bit bonier than recent past, musta been all the rain washing the dirt out from between the rocks.  Decided it wasn't really light enough to not have lights on.  A few more muppetries and we were at the top, into the descent to Livingston, I struggled to find my groove, dimness of vision contributing to this.  Next up over to Breeze, a good climb and spin around and down over PFMTBC Rock, Nelson launching it as usual.

At Breeze Col, were considering straight down Anaconda, but I suggested a zig and a zag, out the skinny trail above the road, then headed across towards the stile for Breeze Bay track, hanging a left just before this and straight down a direct fast track to the carpark, through this and onto the original mtbike track below the road.  A couple of holes and tricky sightage with long grass glaring in lights blocking the view of the track ahead in places.

Back at Breeze Col, off down Anaconda, gravel boredom to start (but word is here at work a whole new mtbike trail to be build in this area), not trusting the dirt after the gravel into the fast corners, Nelson putting some insane burst of speed, while I was cautious Colin blazing around and nearly crashing in the first ruts I came across.  More careful after that with adrenaline pumping.

At the bottom we hung a right and headed out the Boulder Bay track, fun little blast, then up the climbs to the gun emplacements and over and around the head.  Met some riders descending to the head before we climbed up to the old buildings, taking some stairs down into a room with no exit, then on up to the carpark, and back up the way we'd descended earlier to the stile into Breeze Bay track.  This trail is completely non-technical now, even riding under that flax is easy.  There is however, a very loose off camber corner on the last stretch down to the stile.

At Breeze Col again, headed back up the Godley Track, long climb over to Livingston, and then a rest on the hill here, before the final plod back up the trail to the high point and a final bony blast down to Evans to finish.

Quite long for a week night... 21kms, and 800 odd metres climbed


And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Blog...  12 years old on the Cinqo de Mayo.

Wednesday Night Godley circles

Usual pick up from work and traffic, Moorhouse to Ferry, to Causeway and through to Sumner, then over the hill and parking down in Taylors, we got riding up the Snake's tail then onto the chip surface and out Boulder Bay track.  Nice we spin, hardly technical, but a good place to ride when everything's closed.  Climbed up past the gun emplacements finally having a rest (and me stripping off the jacket) at the barbed wire fence.  Off again, over and down the zigs and zags, then climbing again back up past the barracks etc, and finishing up at the carpark, while the ranger was locking up the gate.

Off up the climbing 4wd trail and onto the narrow wee sidling track we usually ride in the other direction.  Quite good in this direction, back towards Breeze Col.  Quite greasy, especially the rocks, tires glancing off them on occasion, and my descent down to the Col was sketchy.  From here, back out towards the Head on the old skool trail below the road.  A couple of quite wet spots along here, but mostly pretty good.  Climby climb around and out, then down and over the cattle stop to the road. 

Off up the 4wd track again, but peeling off to the left half way up, to the stile for Breeze Bay track.  The work there'd been a little of last time we rode this has come all the way through it now.  They've dug it wider all the way, even removing the nice rock feature we'd built.  The surface was damp dirt, so rocks were sketchy as, but there's not that many of them anymore.  Our once techy wee challenge is now gone.  They'll probably bloody put a gravel chip on it next.  Ugh.  I took the final blast down to the stile carefully.

Onto the Anaconda, starting off easy, and continuing that way.  Half way down, on the corner I once crashed on, my front wheel started to do the same as that crash, washing and threatening to take me down.  Was VERY close but managed to keep it rolling and adrenalin kicked in a little further down the trail.  Into the valley, back and forth, a couple of real water flow ruts.  Around onto the tail and Nelson was no where to be seen, he'd blasted away ahead of me so far.  Into the planting area above the beach and over a rock and whallop, my seat smacked me in the balls, causing excruciating pain.  I had to stop and get my breath, and the ache lasted til we were back at the car.  Needless to say the rest of the ride down the final section was tentative, and I was groaning.

13kms, 480m climbed, all in just over 1 hour ride time.

Thursday Eastern Night Time Ramble

Nelson and me got out to Taylors last night.  Had to turn on the power and the spa at the bach there for the weekend, and also figured the trails out that way would be the best bet after all this weather we've been getting.  Also, my first night testing out the new lights.  First up, the 'Tail, everything working smoothly so no broken chains or grinding.  Before we started we could see a fellow night rider above us on the trail, and we slowly caught him as we progressed to Boulder Bay.  But on the first swtchbck above Boulder Bay we stopped to de-layer, cos it was really quite mild, altho later i regretted this as the wind was getting around all the non-windproof bits of my top and freezing my kidneys and generally making be cold...  Anyway, he got a fair way ahead of us then and we didnt see him again until we were climbing for the Barracks and he was way up on the hill between us and Breeze Col. 

At top of Godley we decided not to take the Breeze Col trail, figuring it would be slick as pigshit, so we took the 4wd trail up and got onto the wee northside tight (newish) singletrack, followed by a nice descent down to Breeze Col.  It was on this singletrack and descent i had my 3led light on helmet and 2led light on handlebars, both on full beam and fuck it was bright, like daylight...  the 3led light has a broader spread, and later when i swapped them over to trial the 2led on head, i found that the 3led light is best on the head, more of that later. 

At Breeze Col we headed up the Godley singletrack, taking it past the pfmtbc rock rather than up the shortcut, and onto the new benched gravel section (which is bedding in nicely now) and over to Livingston.  Then straight up the guts rather than the usual bike track, where i walked a bit and then carried on up (on newly filled in U channels (no longer U's)) and on up to the top where we stopped.  Here, i swapped over the lights and as soon as i got going again, back down towards Livingston, i realised that the other way round was better...  the 2led light is just too tight a beam and focuses your eye a bit too much, similarly to my last 'new' light (which Andrew has for repair at the moment).  Excellent descent to Livingston, with the newly gravelled stuff REALLY fast.  Over to Breeze was good too, the climb not bad and the new gravel very fast again. 

Then into the snake, Nelson in the lead and a good run all the way down, tho half way down my back started getting really sore which took away from the enjoyment a bit.  Once out, it was back up the road to the truck parked at the top of the steps above the bach.

Thursday Highway to Technicalia

Nelson picked me up and we noticed it was 7 as we approached Scarborough Hill heading to park at Taylors.  Riding around in the carpark my gears were behaving strangely which at the time I thought nothing of.  Leaving the carpark, Nelson was reaching up to turn on his light just as he caught a rut, heading straight over the bars onto the grass.  We laughed.  Then, up the first steep of the 'tail, snap goes my chain.  Note to self:  Heed those gears-behaving-strangely...  I removed the offending link and replaced the hole in the chain with a quicky, and on our merry way we continued...

Steve had raved about the new highway so gave it a look.  What a highway.  Zipped out to Boulder Bay on it and layered off on the first hairpin there, enjoying the view of the lights on the water and the glow from the sky.  Gruntsville, but not as grunty as it used to be, upwards, switchbacking once or twice then took a look and rode upon the first gun emplacement, then down and zig zag up again to the stile and barbed wire fence.  Thru the gate we popped down to the big guns and had a look around.  Nelson didnt think he'd ever been there before.  I was disappointed the underground ammo-store bit wasnt open anymore - its got some pretty freaky cracks in it.

Back onto the trail and we were surprised by the descending switchbacks down to the look out - seemed like a fair bit of altitudinal droppage, then up some steps and on up to the barracks and on up to the carpark.  Straight across, over the stile and on up the hill we proceeded to the Breeze Col track, around the Lyttelton side...  Not far in we shuffled some big rocks to make a really big rock rideable, then continued onwards down and around the technicalia.  Rocks and trail on this southface slicker and sketchier as we went.  At the flax we both were off, careful to pick our ways, then on the final grassy downhill both pretty slow cos of the overgrowth.  Both of us freaked out possums down here too.

At Breeze we headed up the trail above the road, taking the new left onto the tight narrow trail, which, when we reached the end of we turned around and rode it back to the original trail, and then turned around and rode the tight one again, faster this 2nd time. Then it was the speedy descent to the road again, the whole time me thinking, "hope the light doesnt go out".  Onto the singletrack below the road and blitzed it round here, with my light cutting out about 2/3rds of the way along.  Disconnect, reconnect, and run on low the rest of the way, constantly worrying its gonna cut out again, making Anaconda a bit slow and painful, truth be told.  Nelson had a good run, even getting some sketch out of the damp dirt, something i totally missed.  Out down the tail, again, me picking my way in the dimness, and him blazing out front.  All in all a good ride.  Roll on Saturday morning in the hills.