Wednesday Night Solo Jet Forest

Worsley's loops with Jet, windy!  Forecast was looking shite right up until I was riding home from work and it was raining, but that rain passed and Jet and me headed up to park at the top of Worsleys.  Witnessed a mtnbiker having a quiet word with a dickhead with a motorbike here, about fire risk, and that they'd be banned from the forest soon anyway, what with the private ownership, and the millions being pumped into the place for the Park, and the trailbiker seemed oblivious.

6pm we got going, through the carpark gate and up the paddock into the new(ish) climbing trail on the right hand side forest.  I seemed to have plenty of juice in my legs and lungs and kept a good gear all the way, surprising myself by not using granny on the first of the steepest bits.  The pylons were screaming with wind noise, and could hear them from miles away in the forest, trees buffetting a lot but not so much on this side of the hill.  Lots of cracks and groans too tho, from the damaged tree tops making me question the wisdom of being in the forest.  Climbed up through Braillesville, checking out and climbing up a wee trail I found which eventually joined back to Braille, then on up over the top and up to the top of the B-Line zone.  No stopping, just rolling on through and up up up to the top, seeing evidence of some motorbike cunt having been up here!  Straight into ThrowTheGoat, bombing down and through, down down down.  Stopped at about a third of the way down and had to wait ages for Jet.  Then he caught up and the wind was blowing a gale through the trees at the cliff tops, down over the jumps then bypassing the one just before Yoda, as usual...  Then into the steeps, dropping down and down, and seeing more evidence down here of the fucking motorbike.  Most likely the dick in the carpark...  Into the bottom, 35 minutes since I left the car. Climbing again, straight up around and up, then into the Guts climb, keeping a good crank on up, under the wailing pylons, and all the way up and out to the cliff top, cooling wind much thanked.

From here it was up the old original, spotting more trail bike sign, and then up to the top for my first real sit-down rest.  I tightened the cleats in my new shoes here too.  Then, off up the upper climb again, past Alice's Restaurant, and then into my newby fave, down through the cool U shaped gut between the dikes, and then into the dark forest and across the off camber slopes, so much faster than ever before, and especially faster than that time with Steve et al.  Into where it joins Tommy2's, and I could see where the fucker on the trailbike had rarked up corners and off the side of the trail etc...  Down into the lower reaches, and jumpy jumpy near the end, and out onto the climbing road again. Around about 7.05 here.

Up the Guts for a 2nd time, the wind seemingly stronger, and the racket from the pylons singing.  As I got to them, around 5 riders came down past me, WITH LIGHTS ON!  it's like 7.15 or 20, and NOT dark...  I said to the first guy, "Little early for the lights, isnt it?" and he just smiled and nodded...  oh well.  On up the guts and out to the cliff top meeting a couple of guys here.  Chatted about the wind and the noisy trees, then they headed off down, and after a time I followed.  Original Line, where I had a wee off...  I decided at the last second to make a tighter turn than I was gonna and my front wheel just stopped, folding me over on top of the bike.  Garked my left knee a little and right calf.  Got going again and down round and through into Fight Club which I loved, swooping and floating and whooping all the way down.  Passed the guys at the bottom, saying "i love that track", and rode on up, light diminishing, maybe 7.40 odd by the time I's back at the top and riding down under the howling pines and across onto Epitaph for the final flail to the car...

12 kms with 629m of climb...

Sunday Solo Forest and Jet

Jet and me got away from home about 10.40 and to the top of Worsley's Rd to park with all the other cars parked up there in the car park.  Buncha XC whippets entered the trail ahead of me and, about 11.10, I started my hot plod up the trail through gate, through the paddock and into the trees, climbing ever climbing, catching a walking dude on the steep bit then chatting with him as I slowly left him behind.  Climbed on up through the Braille region, then across the main drag and on up into the B-Line zone.  Chatted briefly to some young'uns here then headed on up to the very top. 

Into Throw The Goat and dusty bombing down down down, back and forth down and over and through and dropping and weaving.  Nice descent, but I still baulked on the 2nd log jump.  Passed some walkers not far below this, then wove on down to the bottom.  Climby climb around in the hot sunshine and then up the guts track, cleaning it all to the Clifftop where we stopped for a nice breather and there was a spot I found with breeze and shadow, and Jet puffed and panted, hot tired doggy, while I had a bit of OSM and drank my fill. Got going again, into the old-school lead in towards Fight Club then had second thoughts and turned around and hit down Listerine Sandwich.  What a funking waste of altitude.  Straight down the hill, dropping dropping dropping, missing all the best bits of Fight Club and then entering it on the log-wall-corner thing, before the final drop down to the bottom.  Pointless, like a listerine sandwich would be, I guess.  Back into the climb up and around and then finished off the usual down past the tank and across into Epitaph back to the car. 

Nice bit of riding in almost exactly one hour.  450 m altitude climbed, in 7.7kms...

Twosdee Knight Worsley chuffing

Nelson collected me outside work just after 5 as usual and as usual the traffic was diabolical, hindering our progress towards Worsley Rd.  Up to the top into the misty cloud, drizzle threatening and rain forecast later.  Found a park, the place was packed with vehicles (and yet did we see many people in there??? - the place is a sponge!).  For a change we headed up the main track, all the way.  No rain means it's smoothed out quite nicely, and both of us cleaned the whole way up with maybe one light foot dab each.  Good to go.  I was struggling with air, and stopped part way to have a puff of some asthma.  Takes a while to kick in, so I took it easier from there on up. 

At the top of the forest we were surprised by how wet it was under the edge trees.  The moving mist was accumulating and dripping on all the trees around the usual meeting point.  We got going up the extra climb and it was greeeaasy in here, on account of it being on the edge of the forest, but you could see that just a few metres in it was all dry.  All the way up to the top and we dropped into Tommy2's.  Bombed on down and the trail was good.  Maybe a quarter of the way down we saw a trail off to the left called Sargent Choco.  So, figured we'd give it a look.  A few metres in and there's a massive gap jump, with no real bunny route round either, so walked this, then another jump further in...  One of 'those' tracks...  Persevered and there was some super steep stuff, a couple bits Nelson rode that I walked, and some obvious jumpy drops that only someone insane (or indeed wearing fullface, armour, on a big travel bike) would ride.  It tapped back into Tommy2's maybe half way down and we rolled to a stop for Nelson to have a snack.  I had one too.  One rider rode past while we sat there, and we could hear scuffing of other riders off in the distance on Throw The Goat to our right, and on Alices below us.  (but considering all the cars, where was everybody?).  Rolling again, onwards down, awesome flow on down to the bottom where I think we encountered a few riders...

Into the climb out and up back onto the main track for round two, saying gudday to Nick at the Junction.  Climb climb climb and cleaned it all again, including the hardest rocky section with an audience of a couple of guys who weren't cleaning it.  In the deepest darkest gorsey section there was a guy with loppers taking off overhanging gorse.  Thanks, bro!  Cleaned out to the top and there were a bunch of girls including Ann from work on her first ever ride.  They headed down and we headed up again.  This time dropping into my recent favourite newby, dropping down through the cool canyon and then into the sweet dark fir forest, across the creek, through the meadow over the rocks then across the slope for ages finally joining back into Tommy2's and blitzing it all down again to the bottom, this time finding a fun, fast trail dog and a couple other riders.

Up the climb again and into the Guts climb track up to the cliff top, cleaning it all but suffering endlessly.  Here we met up with Ann and the girls again, Nelson took their photo (for them!) and they headed down Waynes and Listerine while we headed on up the Original to the very top, watching riders on the jump that's on the left just before the rocky section, and checking out Wasabi a little further up.  Turned around at the top and headed down Tommy's.  Pretty greasy on the roots in the first sections, but not bad.  Nelson did the big jump and landed with a krunk and a burp.  Then we rode back up a ways to a trail I'd spotted off to the left (downhill side) quite near the start.  Down this, found some large gap jumps (with bunny lines this time) and quite a lot more country in here.  Got to the point where it looked freshly scratched out and unfinished, had a look (down steep rocky droppy into tight corner (nearly to the main track?).  But rode off down the older looking trail which eventually took us across to Tommy's again (but with another extension off to the left below).  Into Tommy's bomb bomb bomb and then into Fight Club.  A new log drop (not very big) just in from the original 'start' of Fight Club and down we fanged.  Nelson had a record time down here, I wasn't quite so fast, especially not after the shits were put up me by the losing of a foot on some rough roots...  We dropped into the end at the same time as other riders were bombing down the next trail to the exit...  Rude little non-hello-saying groms. 

Climbed out again, and up the first section of the Guts climb up to the pylon gap where we turned around and dropped into Shortcut to Suva.  Picked the right hand line and bombed down this. I'd ridden this ages ago, cleaning the steeeeeep rock rollover part way down this time, bombing down finally to the climbing track again.  Climbing this again, out, across the main track and over into the Jumpy (fence gap) track.  Once again I didn't do the fence jump, but got good air on some of the lower down jumps, rolled out the end, up to Epitaph and fanged down this to the carpark, where we found Ann and the girls again, having a beer.

Not even 14kms, but 690 m of altitude climbed...

Thursday night Worsley's Nun Worsleys

Out and about so made my way to Nelson's work and awaited his return.  We negotiated traffic in both our cars to Worsley Rd and parked by the poplars on the flat.  5.45 by the time we got rolling, up the damned hill, chuffing and puffing, him powering away from my gasping self.  Rode up Fluffy Sheep and then on up the new 'singletrack' mowed in above the road.  Above here we were passed by a heap of bikes on cars and arrived at the carpark to see shitloads of #enduro groms.  Straight through the gate to the right and on up that singletrack, climbing ever climbing, gasping for air and chuffing.  Nelson disappearing as usual, and me plodding away, legs burning.  Caught up to him chatting to some blokes, and we rolled on ahead on and up.  Where the exit climb out of the bottom of Braille turns up we caught some girls who'd come up from there, and a dude.  We both overtook the girls and the dude followed on my tail all the rest of the way up to the main track.  Chatted a bit with him here, and then we all headed up the BodyBag.  Puke making, kinda.  Got nearly all the way up there, but me and the new dude walked the top section. 

Then, up into the Nun.  We were gonna show him the corner where the link from Nun to Goat peels off, so he followed us down.  Nelson set a searing pace.  We followed and our new friend sat on my tail.  I pointed out the corner then said "you wanna pass me?" but he was okay.  Then, before we got to the carpark exit he'd backed right off, with a flat we found later.  On down the lower Nun we were flying, first time down here for me since September.  Burning forearms and hands and feet and calves at the bottom. 

Back up the road where we met our new friend finishing off fixing his flat, then the three of us headed up the old 4wd track that bisects the Nun, grunting up the climb, to the corner where Ghost track cuts out.  Ice Cream container lid for a sign post.  Over the fence and a little riding then climbing over logs, then walking and then a bit more riding and a couple dabs and walks and more riding out to Throw the Goat.  Nice.  Our friend was planning on heading the other way from here so we said catchyalater and headed off down the Goat.  Nice descent, dusty as hell.  Jumped the first log no worries, and rolled on down, then second log, pulled up.  Nelson went back up a bit and rolled/jumped it while I watched.  Then we poked our noses down Yoda.  Nelson decided he could ride it, and did.  I scrambled down, struggling to get the bike down, but then rode lower sections no problem at all.  Got to a sign Chutes'n'Ladders, and off to the right Raiders of the Lost Rockface.  Bloody Hell!  Vertical rockface, we walked down to look, no way.  Chutes was almost but not quite rideable for me.  Nelson struggled too.  But the lower section was fine, and wham, we were at the bottom of all the trails - goat, t2, alice's, fightclub etc... 

Climbed out of here and headed up the guts, ugh, but I cleaned it all nicely and survived and we met again on the cliff top.  From here we headed down old Waynes World line, jumping to an audience with much whooping, then cut across to the old line into Fight Club and then fanged it down here, awesome blast down.  Back up the exit climb and then across the main track and into the trees for the jumpy trail.  Nelson showed off how he does all these gap jumps now and I popped a couple of the easier ones.  Then he showed me how the fence gap is done, and I rolled in several times and nearly did it but bailed each time getting the fear more and more each time.  I'll do it one day.  Down the rest, jumping many, nearly taking out a clusterfuck of groms in the lower section, then out onto the descent track we'd climbed up to start with.  Then up for Epitaph for a final blast down to the carpark.  Caught up with our friend here and actually introduced ourselves, Quetty, or something, was his name. 

Down the road, over 50kph, and onto the 'singletrack' then down to the Farside trails, choosing 1 Trick Lucy (second left) for a change.  It's changed slightly, but is still tight as anything in the trees lower down.  Madcore.  Then out and down the road back to the cars.

18 kms, over 700m alt.  followed by yummy burger and beer at burgers'n'beers...

Early Saturday morning Worsley steeps

Left home a bit before 7 and parked up top of Worsley, no other cars in sight, with Jet, headed off pretty much dead on 7, up the main drag and into the forest to ride up the Guts.  Chuff chuff chuff up here, climbing into mist and low cloud.  Up top of the Original B-Line trees were even dripping.  Up the bonus climb to the very top and off down Throw The Goat (aka Hangloose aka Goat).  Just as I was re-entering the trees after the cleared gap, I noticed a trail coming in from the right.  It piqued my interest and so I headed up it.  Followed and rode much of it, but it's obviously in the early stages of development.  Little bit of descending, little bit of climbing and then through a fence and some BIG fallen trees to clamber over, left my bike here and walked the rest of the newly cleared bush, to pop out on one of the corners on Flying Nun.  Right where I'd always thought it'd be great to have a linking trail from.  Nice.  Headed back to Goat and we continued our merry way down.  Cleared the first log jump, not baulking like last time, and rolled on down the hill.  At the second log I rolled right up it but stopped at top and examined.  It's got a gap you wouldn't want to fail, but the drop to the transition is small, so with any speed I think it'd be fine.  Rolled around and on down.  Then rode the beginning of Yoda and had a look down the filter.  wooooo...  Nup.  not today (maybe not ever).  Found an old line back to the main descent and fanged on downwards.  When it met Tommy2's I took that rather than continuing on Goat cos it's less intimidating and I'm used to it.  Rambled out the bottom and onto the exit track.

Up the access to the Junction, and back up the Guts.  Slowly catching up to a couple of very old walking ladies; me sounding like a steam train.  On up, wondering what to do next.  Via the clifftop this time, trundled all the back up to the top, again, and went up the bonus climb, again, and stopped at the top of the 'new' entrance (made by Nick) down to Debbie's.  First time not walking down this and it was MINT.  REally cool descent, steep and sweet.  Joins the old Debbies just where you ride over a log, then across the open, and into the dark trees - past the ruins and into the really dark fir forest, ball-bearing cones, and then on down parallel to Moose Knuckle and around to the right, down into Alice's Restaurant.  Across this, all good, and then was really close to succeeding the stuff I never ride, but didn't quite.  Cleaned the first really steep bit, but then had to get off next to the big rock wall walked the couple of corners next to it.  Back on, and rode out the rest of it, all good, and lots of fun.

Up the access again and left up the Guts for the 3rd and final time.  This time only going as far as Fight Club, and bombing down here and blasting through to the bottom no problem.  Stopped and walked back up a little to check out the jumps down here, but still didn't have a go on the one I was hoping to, but did the next one and rolled on out.

Final trip up the exit and then just hung a right and off down the oldskool descent to the end, then across the way and into Epitaph for the final jaunt to the car for 9am.  Happy Jet showing off his drinking-from-my-camelbak skills to the chick in the car parked behind mine.  She laughed.  As I departed, half of Chch's mtnbiking community seemed to be arriving.  Good timing!

10 and a half kms, 574 m climbed...

Saturday morning Worsley dog run

First ride back after a week in the bush for work.  Went and picked up my wheels off Josh and drove with Jet to the top of Worsley for to park and assemble tubes and tires onto said wheels (weighing in, without rubber (but with cassette and disks) at 2.9 kg).

Headed straight into the track next to the carpark, sun pounding down, and started climbing up through the long grass and then into the trees, steepness got steeperer and I got puffing.  Good climb, Jet having a nice time trotting along ahead sniffing everything there was to sniff and leaving pee-mails everywhere.  Climbed on and on up round through Braille and then out the top to the main Worsley, crossing up into the B-Line entrance.  Breather and rest then onwards upwards to the very top.  Moar breather here, then seat down and into Goat (or what we used to call Hang-Loose...).  Nice float down here, it's a great line with awesome droppy corners.  Baulked on the first log jump, and continued on down.  Rode round the log jump before Yoda turn off and then onwards down.  Where it meets Tommy2's I stayed on the high line and it headed off in a direction I wasn't sure of, and got pretty steep, so I dropped down to the Tommy2's final throes and blazed out the bottom of this.

Up the exit track, then up the Guts track climbing climbing and climbing, grinding away through the pylon gap and onwards up around to the clifftop.  Couple girls here who took off ahead and then I caught higher up in the Original B-Line as we climbed.  Out to the top again and took these pics.

(see, they match my handlebars!)

On up the Tommy2's/Goat access track and grovelled up this, past the Debbie's turn off and up to my new favourite's turn off.  Hung a left here and down the cool canyon bit, which is riding smoother and less loose-cobbly, then down through the dark Douglas Fir forest, through the whoops, and following the creek, then through the clearing and into the off camber.  Excellent run down, whooping through to Tommy2's and blazing out the rest of it down, better than before.  Second time down the bottom, 2nd time up the exit climb, then up the Guts for one last clamber, up through only to Fight Club this time, left down it and blazed in the heat down here.  One whoopsie near miss on one of the lower off camber corners, my front wheel tucked in and very nearly threw me, but managed to stay aboard and got round the next couple and out the bottom safe as houses.

Last time up the exit climb, sun beating down, cooking my poor black dog - stopped regularly throughout the ride to give him drinks, which helps him.  Took the usual exit descending trail, sorta following or riding parallel to these two young groms with full neck braces and big travel bikes, and I was way faster than them...  Practice and experience makes for faster smoother riders... finally down through the dusty main drag and through the cars down the newby down to my car.  Jet lagging now in the heat.

All mapped up, a smidgen under 600 m climbing, in just under 11 kms...

Sat'day Morning Jettison through the forest

Headed out about 9 with Jet, in the Fiat, across town to Worsley's, for a ride of ever diminishing circles.  Parked up top and headed on up the main drag, riding the ridges - multichoice singletrack I called it.  Cleaned it pretty much all the way up, a couple dabs, and then up past the Forest Closed sign and into the B-Line zone.  Clambered on up the upper access track and dropped straight on into Tommy2, flowing down the loamy trail, swooping 'round the bends and rolling over the drops and roots.  Lovely flowy ride down, just the sound of the birds, happy jet alongside or behind, the brakes hussing all the way down down and occasionally the scrape of a tire on loose dirt, rocks or roots.  Through the bottom and climbing around and up the access track.  At the junction headed up the Guts track, climbing climbing climbing, catching a couple dudes after the pylon gap and passing them up at the corner.  Last leg to the clifftop was a puffer, but rode it all at my own pace, finally selecting granny for that last section.  A few bods at the top, I rode on past and up the Original, with variations.  Blew out the rocky section Nelson cleaned last time, and then headed back up for the top, and on up the upper access.

This time dropped into my new one, up just past the entrance to Deb's, and down through the canyon.  Took a pic in here, cos it was such a nice zone.

Then it was across and down through the dark forest, and across the creek.  Looked like a bloody trailbike had been through, the wankers.  Still, they'd carved the track out a bit, almost defining it better.  Into the open space and around the cool rock, rode it all the way through and into the forest for the long and off camber sidle.  Appeared that motorbike had peeled off up the hill here, while I swooped up and down across the slope and tucked back into Tommy2's.  Down this, once again, lovely buzz down here and through the bottom and back up the access track to the Junction.  What a day.

Next up it was back up the Guts climb, just up to the cliff top this time, so, basically, all the worst of it.  No one else around here.  Was disgusted to see broken bottles on the clifftop and trash chucked over the cliff edge.  Fucking 4wheel-driver cunzors.  Into what was Wayne's World, is looking rather un-ridden, then around and across to the lower reaches, then straight into Fight Club for a swoopy joyful blast down here dropping on through to the bottom and back into the access climb.

Final time up the Guts, this time just to the pylon gap, chatting with a couple guys here before heading back down first on the left hand side then across into our old favourite swooping down through the trees and over that feature that used to seem like such a big vertical drop, then around into the new exit from this, back onto the access climbing track, just above the watertank down there.  Back up to the junction and across the main Worsley Track, into the forest and down the jumpy track, jumping some, rolling round others.  Climbed over the fence gap and then down the final section, jumping more and rolling around others, out the bottom and down the 4wd track, then climbed up to where people park and down the new finishing track, which turns out is called Epitaph, back to the car.  Nicely nicely.

Finally a ride, Sunday morning, Jet in the forest

After bad weather and multiple trips away (2 weeks running to Wellington, and then 3 days in Hamiltron) all conspiring with family time to not let me out on the bike, I managed to get out this morning.  Dropped a friend at the airport at 8.30 and proceeded to the top of Worsley's Rd with Jet and bike in tow.  Ending up doing basically the same ride as last with Nelson.

Headed up the main trunk line, oldskool worlseys, chuffing away, mildly asthmatic to start.  9.05 about half way up just before a couple of heinous greasy sections further up which incited walking, and required the cleaning of the shoes and tires before further progress could be made.  Finally made the top of the main network and headed up the way towards Tommy2's.  Stopped to examine a fallen branch across the entry to the new trail Nelson and me found last time we were up there.  Cleared a couple of smaller bits off it but more work needs doing if this track is ever going to be regularly used.  A guy rode past as I was doing this, and so I followed off up after him, seeing him disappear into the forest at the top and therefore couldn't tell which choice he took.  For the first time I sat my ass down whilst pushing the new button on my handlebar and the seat lowered, and off I popped, down Tommy 2's.  Excellent blast down here, expecting it to be slippery but it wasn't and I cleaned it all perfectly, lowered seat really out of the way.  Right down near the bottom was a couple of guys walking up, and the guy I'd seen before chatting with them, I rode past and then avoided a saturated muddy looking section before heading through the bottom and out onto the main exit track.  Push button, seat up, and keep rolling, pedalling onwards upwards around.  Dude I'd seen before caught me up and we chatted a bit towards the top.

Up the guts track I went cleaning all the lower section, albeit with a short rest 2/3rds of the way up.  Rolled through the pylon clearing, gasping for air and onwards up the straight then round the corner where I just had to get off and walk.  Too fat from too much time off the bike and too much beer and too much good food.  Too much!  Out onto the cliff top, "lovely day for it" to the rider here, and onwards up the Original 'B' Line as we called it.  Actually stayed on it this time, and saw that where we came up last time is now signposted called "Basically Simple"  A little further up, between this and Tommy's is one called Wasabi.  Onwards to the top, and on up the Tommy'2's access to the new track.  Rested here for a bit, ate the rest of a onesquare, then dropped in.  Seat not-so-down this time, and into the cool gulch and rocky cobble trail, through a couple different forest types, following the creek for a bit, then into the open section, red rocks, and back into the steep off camber forest and across to Tommy2's and then on down faster than the previous run.  Out the bottom again, seat up and rolling on back up the climbing access track. 

Up the guts again, walking a bit of the first section, and then riding out all the rest of the top bit to the Clifftop again, and a sit-down rest on the rocks admiring the view.  Into the Original trail down then onto lower Waynes World and into  Fight Club, roosting and blazing and popping and floating.  Sticky quagmire just after that fallen-log berm, then smooth runnings the rest of the way down and out.  Seat up again and climbing up the exit trail, phonecall on the way.  Finally out the top and into the last downhill section, baulking on the fucking log again, but blasting out the rest of it.  Down to the upper carpark, and through the broken fence onto the new section we found last time down to the lower main carpark.  Wet and greasy this was, cos of being open to the elements and frost having thawed.  Took it pretty slowly, and then on the rocks right next to the carpark my front wheel slipped then wedged, my weight was too far forward, and so over the bars I went, crashing to the solid rock ground with no aplomb whatsoever.  Cranked my left knee, right shin, right hip, and mildly tweaked wrists and shoulder.  damn.

Tuesday Worsley lappagia

Nelson picked me up, as usual, outside work at 5ish.  Top of Worsley's, parking above the gate for a change.  Cold wind blowing through here.  Nelson needed to lube his chain, so I took off down this new trail in the grass and broom, fun wee blast, with a couple of dumb corners, a nice wee jump, and a rocky section, down to the lower gate on the main carpark.  Back up to the car via the entry track from here, wheeeeezing something wicked, and he's gone, already chased me.  So, waited here and layered off til he got there, and off down the new section of trail again, then onwards up the climbing entry track, dying in the steep section, losing traction, and wheeezing more to the point I thought I was gonna die, again.  Walked a bit, then got rolling again and eventually caught up to Nelson waiting.  We rode on up, taking a wee side detour, for which we turned our lights on briefly, then continued climbing without them again.  Up through the climb amongst the Braille track I led and set the pace, which was good, while Nelson talked.  Swooped through the top to the main track and then on up to the top of the forest.  Lights on for heading up towards Tommy2's, cleaning it all despite the 32-36 gear ratio.  Spotted a new trail, just up the track from the old entrance to upper Debbie's.  Walked down to check it out, and it looked promising.  Decided to save it for the next round, so continued on up, snacked briefly and got into it. 

Nelson led the way, setting a good speed, swooping back and forth dropping down through the forest.  Got steeper and steeper, brakes got noisier and noisier.  I baulked the rocky corner above the one I offed on back in May (and had a run in with back in Feb too).  But got back on straight after it and rode through the corner I'd offed on, which now has a line out of the bit I was avoiding those other two times.  Off down the rest of it, steeeeeeepage down and just above all the jumps in the bottom, Nelson spotted a line coming down from above.  We walked up to check it out.  INSANE, vertical.  On we went and looked at a wee jump I've always wanted to do.  I rolled into it a couple times but just couldn't bring myself to do it.  Nelson did it after a couple of other dudes rode through it.  Followed them up the exit track, me overtaking one, and Nelson leaving all of us for dead.

Up the guts track, I walked a bunch of the lower half, but cleaned the rest to the clifftop.  Onwards up and found a caterpillar track through the forest, then a new track that sort of headed towards Tommy's but then joined back up to the original track above that rocky guts we never cleaned (except Nelson did once!).  On up to top and then continued on up towards Tommy2's again, only this time stopping for a rest at the top of the newby we'd found.  Waiting here we spotted a light coming, thinking it would be the dudes who were behind us earlier, but no, it was a lone woman.  She was obviously spooked, two random guys hanging out in the forest, so she didn't engage with us and rode on up.  We headed down the new track.  What a blast.  Rough as guts to start, with loose cobbly rocks  moving about under pine needles, and probably 100m long section between these two rock walls.  Quite spectacular hunk of country.  Couple of logs in the way, but mostly rideable, and a nice gradient, not heinously steep like so many in here.  Then we were under douglas fir, dark low forest, then into an open area, and over these slippery red rocks, then back into the forest and off camber slopes with swoops and eventually met Tommy2's again, surprisingly high up, maybe half to 2/3rds down.  Blazed down all this faster than before, and cleaning the corner I'd baulked earlier.  Through the bottom and still I didn't have the groove for the jump. 

Up the exit track and met the lone woman waiting up here.  Chatted with her this time  Couple other guys and a dog (she knew them all) turned up and they all got riding, then we followed, Nelson soon over taking the woman, but not me.  Still, I cleaned the entire climb this time, to the clifftop and then into the top of the Original and excellent trip down here, and into Fight Club for the most fun of anything.  Love this track.  Know it so well, just swoop and pop and jump and flow all the way down it.  Final climb and into the final section, now, due to logging, quite open, and forcing you over the line with the log drop in the middle of it.  Last blast below the water-tank is cut short now.  Down to the car and while we're getting ready to go, another lone woman turned up with her dog, getting into the car next to us, obviously not comfortable again... 

Chooseday night, Mucky Vicar

Crafty brew session at the end of the work day, a farewell and a baby's headwetting, and Nelson joined the fun for a couple of tastings.  Then we headed across town for the top of Worsley's Rd - 6.30ish?.  Headed up to be greeted with mud in the gutters.  Nelson only had his handlebar light.  The going was tough with a quarter of a bottle of each of Pernicious Weed, Conehead, HopFed PaleAle, Renaissance MPA, and a VPA, but that soon burned off.  At the 'junction' we took a wee singletrack on the west side which led up between the forest and the main track.  My intention was that we head down to the climbing trail in that forest, but I blew out and Nelson got ahead and we ended up on the main track again, at the big corner just uphill from the Pylon gap.  On up, both cleaning the usual rocky bit, but then further up both of us had one or two wee walks.  Greasy ain't the half of it.  Bottom of the 'bag and we headed up the access track.

Stopped at the top for a bit and a few rider dudes rolled up.  We set off down Tommy's and had a woot of a time, me in the lead on account of Nelson's handlebar-only light.  Grip was good, flow was sweet and it was a good roll down, heaps straighter than we remembered (it has been a while (February)) but then it got twisty(ish) again and in and out of the trees, over the yumpies and down down down through lower and further left than I remembered too.  Then back round above the pylon, and back up to the entrance to FightClub.  Here we decided further up wouldn't hurt (it did tho...), and grunt up the 4wd track we did.  To the cliff top and the waxing moon was shining down.

Off down into Wayne's World, tho taking the original trail on the right, then veering right lower down onto the lower section of Wayne's and through down onto Fight Club, which was riding mint.  Was expecting mucky slickness lower down but it was all perfect with the roots and rocks and off camber corners all the more washed out and exposed.  Out the bottom and up the exit trail to the 'junction'. 

Across the main Worsles track to where we'd gone earlier, this time taking a wee singletrack into the forest and up the one in here with all the jumpies.  When we got to the pylon clearing we headed down to the 4wd trail down here, and up this; greasy in a couple of the corners, then the longer-than-you-ever-remember grunt on up to the top of Braille.  Into this, checking out the jumps for a future time, bypassing the un-rollable ones, enjoying the sweet berms, and heading all the way down the the bottom in the short macracarpa forest.  Climby climby back into the tall pines, onto the 4wd track we'd ridden up before, up the couple wee ups and then downs to where we'd come down below the pylons, pushed up this trail to the jumpy trail we'd ridden up earlier, and then it was the last downhill.  Rolling round most of these jumps, tho the lower ones are much more rideable.  Part way down here Nelson's light cut out, so we put my handlebar light on his, and we finished it off, then down the final paddock track to the carpark about 8.30.  Off to Noodle Canteen for a number 3 and whatever # his Teriyaki was.... 

Tuesday night, Happy Blog-iversary, and Worsley Playtime

Ten years today since this blog's first post. Ten years ago I started this voyage of documentation.  Happy blog-iversary, blog.

Tonight, Nelson picked me up outside work, in hideous levels of traffic, it being just after 5, and the neighbourhood utterly full of road works, closed lanes etc, not to mention a fuckload of fucking idiots all driving everywhere...  Nearly 6, maybe quarter to, by the time we made the top of Worsley's Rd.  A bit of faffing and changing and just before 6 we headed up the track that starts through the gate directly off the carpark.  Mellow start then straight into the steepness.  Granny gear selected and lung and heart rate increasing markedly to the point of nearly exploding.  Up up up, nice scenery, what we could see.  Up past all the trails I explored with Jet, and the length of the Braille track seemed to go on forever.  Then, finally, the last whoopdedo and onto the Worsley main drag.  "Forest Closed" signs greeted us at the entrance to the climb, which we duly ignored, it being after hours, and ventured ourselves forth to explore what wreckage has ensued at the mercy of the foresters.

Followed caterpillar tracks up that entry, they continued straight up the fenceline, we took the singletrack climb, all the way up, meeting the tracks again near the very top.  Into the entrance to Hangloose (or Goat) and within metres had met the machine responsible for the tracks.  Massive it is, with maneuverability and the cutting handle head thing on it's end, with it's path a swathe of destruction, cleared trees placed to the side and many more all the way down Hangloose, with X's on them ready to go - demarking the boundary of the next area to be logged.  Good bye Hangloose with your groovy swoops and pops, good bye Yoda, not that we ever rode you...  Down we flowed, bypassing the second log jump, and enjoying the steepnesses.  I had an off, where I entered a steep-ass corner I've bailed on before and decided mid way through that I didn't want to go where the bike was going so stepped off the back, but it being so steep I fell backwards, one foot still attached to the pedal, striking my calf on the hot hot brake disk (not realising til later), and landing ungraciously on my ass.  Nelson was stopped metres away at a tree across the track.  Under this an on down the last few steep corners to the bottom where climbing began - easy to start, but getting increasingly steeperer.

Gasped up the internal guts track, walking some before the pylon-gap, then managed to ride, albeit with a gasping break, the rest of the way to the clifftop.  From here, up the original trail, one section where the caterpillar machine had been through, rarking up the place, then Nelson quite surprisingly managing to clean that rocky outcropping near the top that nobody's ever cleaned before, and then we proceeded out to the top, where we found Pete, Andy and Robin.  They'd not long gotten up there on their first climb (having met at the carpark at 6.15), and had lost Tony to a broken derailleur (via loose stick) on the way up.  They headed down Original and FightClub and Nelson and me headed on up to the entrance to Debbie Does Dallas.  Nelson took Nick's new one, while I took the original.  Fast run down here through the dark douglas fir bit then into the bigger open pine section below the cliff face, and around into Alice's Restaurant.  Good for the first couple of corners but then the steep stuff gave me the heebeegeebees and I walked a couple of bits.  Got riding again, and then the last steep bit just before a wee bridge, Nelson crashed - hitting the deck pretty hard (even broke the end off his brake lever), and burst open his zip on his bag.  Fixed up off down again, into the final couple whoopdee's and then through and caught up with the other guys down as they'd just finished Fight Club.

With them headed on up to the Junction where Robin said good bye and the 4 remaining rode up the guts track and into the lower entrance of Fight Club.  Here, Nelson discovered his rear brake was dodgy, not applying any real pressure to the disk, so, unable to fix it on the spot, he headed off down the way we'd come up, and the remaining 3 of us headed for an excellent blast down Fight Club.  I really hope the logging doesn't kill this track.  Climbed out to the Junction and then down the finale and back to the cars.  Andy headed down the road to home (via Fluffy Sheep where we saw his light and stopped to say See Ya)

Number 3 Noodle Canteen and a Garage Project Pan Pacific for tea.  Nelson had Nasi Goreng, and the same beer.

Monday night Jetster in the forest

Jet and me headed up top of Worsley Rd after 5.30. I's on the Turner (for a change), with the granny back onto 32:36 (awaiting a new 40t), which certainly hurts when you're not used to it, but is actually pretty rideable. Up the main rutsville main drag, all the way. Cleaned it all bar one breather. Just before the bottom of the 'bag I hung a right and headed down the Braille Trail. Rolled over or skirted round every jump, discovering that most of them you could roll - although the ones you can't roll all have big holes so it's probably better safer than sorry... All the way down across the 4wd access trail, and below (like the last time I explored it) to the pylon track, then back up both of them, not struggling too bad.

Eventually back up to Worsley's and on up the access entry track to the Tommys et al.  At the usual resting spot, I found another rider. We chatted for quite a while then I went up and he headed down. I checked out Nick's new access to Debbie Does, which proved too scary steep, so walked it, rode some, walked a little more then rode on.  All the way down thru the darkening forest into the taller stuff below the cliff, and just before the corner round into Alice's Restaurant, I detoured across onto another new one (something knuckle...(MOOSE)), which also proved too steep for me on my own. Walked a bunch of it, rode a little, and walked a bunch more, eventually making it to the bottom - trail junction central, bottom of Tommy's, Goat's, Alice's and Fight Club.

Up the exit trail then straight up the steep gnarly internal guts track, managing to stay on top of my gear all the way except for one gasping-breathing stop not far below the pylon gap.  Onwards up from here, right on up, standing and cranking, to the cliff top lookout and light starting to get pretty damned low, straight into Wayne's World, much difficulty seeing, but going with the flow, and then blazing into Fight Club, parts of which were sweet, others, dark as hell. Dropped Jet and had to wait for him just before the log feature. Onwards down and out after 7.30 by now and by the time I made the top juncture, it was really dark in the final forest descent, out to the car and home just past 8.

Tuesday's Social Worsley Nun Guv'nor

Had left my cellphone at home today, so never got a message from Andy about riding, and had organised with Nelson for something so he picked me up from work and we cruised across to Worsley's and up the hill.  5.45 by the time we unloaded and hit the trail.  This time something new.  Over the gate by the carpark and up the double singletrack through the gorse and broom strewn field, past the bottom of that jumpy trail and into new country.  Good steady climb on well trodden 'singletrack', stopping to check out potential trails below this track.  A guy on a Pivot appeared and told us a bit about the trails, and we cruised on up the hill with him, chatting away now and then, and us in awe of this cool new area.  At a big corner a trail crossed the our track with jumps visible, and it was parallel to our track the rest of the way up.  I'd been in the top of this area another time with Jet.  The jumpy track crossed our track once or twice, and eventually we made the top, across the top of the forest and we were on the main drag of Worsley's just below the Body Bag.

Up the BodyBag we went.  I struggled to keep my lunch down, Nelson and the Pivot dude rolled on apparently effortlessly to the top.  I stopped in the steepest section and breathed very heavily for some time then got rolling again and managed to clean the rest of it, wanting to puke so bad as I laboured across the carpark and just getting it in check as I followed Nelson up the entrance to the Nun.  He was a ways ahead and got off to walk...  Puncture number one.  I rode past him and collapsed at the top of the Nun and he arrived and got to fixing the leak.  Some other riders turned up and we all chatted friendly like for a bit.  One was even on a Switchback, and his mate was on a brandnew XC type bike, first time ever mountainbiking.  One or two other riders cruised through and these guys took off.  Then another guy on a Santa Cruz turned up and was from Rotovegas and after chatting with him for a bit he asked if he could tag along.  No problem, so off down the Nun I led, then Nelson, then him.  Lost the chain just before the steeeep corner, so, got that on again and off down we went - keeping it in a spinnier gear.  Blast down here, swoopy swoopy fun times, easy going, and Nelson sorta holding back a bit to allow the other guy to keep him in view.  I paused at the halfway point, waited for them both to nearly get to me then took off again.  Good blast down the lower section with no sketchy nose wheelies due to the kicker part way down.  I paused again down in the lower swoopies and heard Nelson curse, then spotted the other dude, so got rolling again out to the end.  Our new friend turned up and indeed, another flat for Nels.  Saw him up at the corner on the road waving and fixing so we rolled on up and he patched that.

Rolled on again, up the road, and at the carpark the guy decided he needed to make tracks, timewise, so we gave him directions to the Worsley trails and said goodbye.  Nelson and me headed off over into the Gov's Bay track, which was rolling pretty good.  Nice and tight and close knit, it was good rolling down round that side of the hill, having been practically a year since the last time.  We decided we didn't have time, again, to go lower down and explore into the valley on the new(ish) section of trail, so continued around and up, me cleaning most of it, Nelson all of it, including the very top, which I fluffed and puffed-out on.

Onwards up the road again, this time all the way, with a short singletrack detour on the last section of the walktrack above the road before Worsleys Rd.  Up this, and into the the descent.  Hussin' down the Bodybag, nearly losing it just below the flat (was what a quagmire) spot but just saving it.  Up into the B-Line trails and on up to the top of these.  Short exploration looking for the supposed trail from the top, no sight of it, and then we hit Tommy2's... Awesome blaze down here, brakes getting hotter and hotter, some sketchy moments, but good descending.  Two corners caught me out, and I ended up stopping, perched off the back of the bike, barely able to climb away from it, but rolling away straight away and riding the rest out.  So steep!  At the bottom there was an audience, and as I rolled through announced "woosy lines, me" in case they were expecting me to jump stuff.

Climb climb climb up to the junction then up the Guts track, gasping yet again, but cleaning it all up.  Another chat stop with a random under the power lines, then onwards and upwards to the cliff top.  Into Wayne's World, taking a couple of weird corners but then finding the one I wanted and across and down, Nelson not knowing where he was, thinking I was leading him down the shit track descent shortcut, but no, across to Fight Club and swooping down this, relishing the pump and the flow.  All the way down and through then back into the climb out, faster this time, for some reason, then into the final descent, some time around or after 8 back at the car.  Good ride.

Swansong in the woods, Tuesday Worsley

Well, quite a nice wee ride tonight.  Met the boyz on the flat approaching Worsley's at 6.20 or so, Andrew and Tony rolling in from their nearby abodes, Steve and Robin in the TFC van, and Wayne, Warren, Pete and me all in our own vehicles.  Bikes all onto racks of Wayne and Warren and we drove to nearly the top of the road, riding from there up into the woods to find a sign saying Forest Closed, and Danger Keep Out tape that we promptly decided to ignore, riding up the guts of it all. Andrew had been through in the weekend, so how much could they have done in 2 days?  Put up some tape or something???  Yeah, nearly.  So, grunty grunty up the guts to the clifftop where a well earned break was had, then onwards up to the top of the forest, and up the steeeep to the top of Debbie Does...

Into here and one or two difficulties for one or two but a great run had.  As we came into the darkness of the spruce, and the old stone ruins, I noticed how low the forest was, way more branches than usual kinda in your face.  I led the boys up the garden path, peeling left onto the wee exit traverse track, but hell it was overgrown, and they, as usual, gave me stick (pun intended) about "Richard leading the way again".  Weird, considering only 2 and a 1/2 months ago it was sweet...  Anyway, once out of the dark forest it was alright, and back into the bigger woods and down a short bit of The Original B-Line before hopping over onto Tommy's, where I chose the left hand choice, bombing it down, swoopty woopty through veering very slightly left as far as you can swoop towards the pylon clearing then leading back to the main guts drag.

From here it was decided to have one last swansong on Fight Club, seeing as how it might all be shut up and ruined, so, short climb and then into it.  Awesome run, swoopty woopty again, down and down, dusty as all get up, out to the exit climb, only to be greeted with a Closed Keep Out sign and tape.  Also a brit Blur TR rider was coming down, and we gave him directions back up, so he was ahead and round the corner there's the bloody big skidder machine and a fair bit of forest already cleared - removing all the windthrow from last year's storm.  Met him again at the junction and followed him down the exit trail out, then down the road, again giving directions to Farside.

Past the cars and down the road to Farside.  Straight into it and what a wee blast.  The brit on Wazza's tail on Pete's tail on my tail.  Both Pete and Steve were first timers on this and enjoyed the crap out of it.  Finally, down the road to the cars.  Ribulet feeling the ride with a bit of an ache.  I took the other two shuttle drivers back up while the others very kindly waited, and then Pete and me stopped at Poms for well earned beverages.  Yummo.

Thursday night altitudinals

Rode Spot to work and after that rode to Nelson's work and we rushhoured to park next to Cracroft Reserve.  Proceeded to grind up the road then on up the dirt.  At the 'junction' we hopped over the fence to the right, and rode up a wee singletrack that cruised up the grass between the ruttsville main drag and the trees on the downhill side of the main drag.  Up, under the powerlines, then up into what used to be 'rest corner'.  Back on the main drag and up the techy rocky section, both with limited successes, then riding out the rest of it in good form, crawly crawly granny cruising.  Bottom of the body bag, for a change, headed on up.  Been a long time since I last ventured up this, May 1st in fact, the quagmire just over half way up now but a memory imprinted with scant evidence upon the trail.  Ended up walking a fair bunch at the top as I just wasn't carrying my Bodybag lungs or legs.  Nelson cleaned it all the way.  Back on, and through the Lovers Leap carpark, up the gravel, me speeding up a bit, to top of Nun.  Bit of spitty rain around here, but stopped for a bite to eat before we got rolling again.

Muppetry is the word.  Rolled it all pretty smoothly, but kinda with our Cautious Colin hats on.  There was definitely the potential for greasiness, but we didn't seem to get that much of it, and there was quite the (b)easterly blowing through, making any airborne sections sketchy.  I felt like a rooky most of the way down.  Like I wasn't used to the bike and wasn't used to the trail.  2/3rds of the way down the top section I dropped my chain, so Nelson got a good lead on me then.  Metres before the midway carpark woofdog and son were doing some trail maintenance.  Caught Nelson waiting here and we plowed our way down the rest of it, still not at great speeds, but not too bad either.  No sketchiness, and powered out the end and straight back into the climb back up the road around and up to the top of Worsley's again.

Into the bodybag, me leading, taking the right hand side and regretting it several times.  Good speed towards the bottom but still pretty dodge.  Up the forest access, with Nelson leading straight into the extra bonus climb towards the very top, greasy as a greasy thing, with some slips and slides on the way.  Onwards past Debbie's, and up to the top of T2 and the Goat (or Hangloose as we once knew it).  Carefully into the Goat, but finding carefulness not absolutely necessary.  Top section a little greasy, but manageable, and it kinda dried as we descended, tho was still sketchy in places lower down too.  Did the first log drop after pulling up first round, walking back up a wee ways and dropping it wondering what the hell I'd been worried about all those other times of stepping down it.  Second one further down, not so much.  At least it's got an easier nana line.  Then we stopped at the top of Yoda and walked climbed down it, checking it out.  Hell of a track.  walked climbed down to where Nick crashed on it a couple weeks back, then clambered back up to our bikes.  Onwards down the trail, steeeepnesssss, picking our ways carefully, bailing only one corner that you get to and it doesn't know what it's doing, leaving you guessing.  Out the bottom and sweeet as.  Into the climb.

Up the access to the 'junction', and then up the guts, all the way up to the clifftop, then into Waynes World, one really sketchy part near the top and the rolling out wondering if it's the right one (it was) and then into the lower bit and down into Fight Club and fanging it nicely all the way down and out, and back up the climb.  'Junction' and down, riding a different (older) line for a bit and enjoying it's flow, then jumping well towards the tank and finally out the bottom of it and down to where the groms park.  Over the fence and into the grass track down, then joining the overgrown grassy singletrack down to the normal carpark and down the road (via a couple of sidelines) and eventually, into Farside, bombing down this, bottoming out in some of the dips and clinging for dear life to the side of the hill with the knobs on the sides of the tires, and out.  Back up the road, me verrry slowly this time, for another go at the same trail, faster in places this time and finally out the end, down the road to the car, 8.05pm as we drove away.  Home, and a bit tired after all that effort, close to 1000m of altitude climbed (and the same descended...) - not helped by a 5am start this morning.

Sunday Solo Jet Forest

Quick ride for Jet and me today, cos it's my mum's birthday and they were coming for lunch, so I had to get home early.  The rest of the usuals were meeting at Steve's or Dotcom and heading up Das Kapitan.  I left home about 9 in the car, and parked up top of Worsley Rd about 9.20 or so.  We got going and I chose to stay on the original Worsley Track, riding the ridges above the ruts all the way.  Dabbed off in the worst section, but cleaned up everything else, albeit with one or two rests.   2 and a half weeks no riding due to a Fiordland trip.   In the meantime a new bike has been added to my quiver, a Transition Klunker, which will serve flat singlespeed duties.  Heaps of fun to thrash around the river, and will be fun in Bottle Lake too.  I've been getting out with the dog on that a few times but just Red Zone Rambling.

Anyway, up the Worsley, up the access to the forest, and up the steep upper track to the very top.  Into Goat (or Hang Loose) and bombed on down, enjoying profusely.  Jumps making me second guess and step down, and one corner I misjudged and dismounted before trouble took over.  Otherwise all good all down.  Up the exit climbing track at a good pace, and then up the 'guts' track to the clifftop, then up the original to the top again, then up the upper track but this time just as far as Debbie Does Dallas lead-in, down this, swoop swoop, huppity hup through the jumpy bits and into the darrrrk forest.  Down here I peeled left onto the wee climbing access track back onto the original B line, chasing some guys down this and catching them up and letting them go and catching them up.  Across the clifftop and into the trails they went down the original there and I peeled into Wayne's World.  Catching the guys where the trails meet and following close down to Fight Club.  I had a break here and let them get ahead a bunch, then dropped-in and wound them in.  Great run down here bombing it, and catching up just near the bottom.

Back up the exit track, overtaking them and then down the last back to the car.  Good 1 and a quarter or so spent and home before 11.  Sweet as.  finally.

Sunday Worsley & Far Side Jet sprints

Needed to keep it short this morning, and nearly got out really early, like 8am, but eventually what with one thing and another it was about 9.20 I found myself over near the bottom of the hills, heading for the top of Worsley Rd with Jet in the back.  Parked up and headed up behind a couple of motorbikes.  Clamber clamber, with the newly working forks working bloody well.  These are the white 55s that gave me so much gyp on the trip - Josh chucked in a coil instead of the positive air component, and she works a treat.  Up the grind, and before the powerlines came across one of the motorbikes.  He was fiddling around in the front of the bike, and it wasn't going...  rode on up, eventually catching up and passing a young running/walking couple, her giving Jet lots of pets.  Ground out to the top where the other motorbike was waiting and he asked about his mate and I said it looked like trouble so he was gonna head back down..

Then off up the entrance to the B-line talking a bit to a dude who'd just come down bodybag.  Him and his mate went down, I went up, grindy grind to Debbie Does Dallas -lead in, and fanged off down here.  Slow to start but gradually speeding up, and then down past the ruins and into the Douglas fir darkness then out. Below the big cliff stopped and had a wee look at a trail being built just above this one.  Got going again down the steeps into Alice's Restaurant where I baulked the usual couple of corners cos they're just so damned steep.  Saw 3 riders across on T2 briefly, and then spotted them on the climb out.

At the junction I followed these guys up the guts track, riding all the way, but they'd lost me by the time I crossed the pylon gap.  On up to the cliff top, a young DH couple hangin' out sayin' hi.  Sat on the cliftop for a bite to eat and a wee rest before heading off down Wayne's World and then across and down into Fight Club (passing the young couple pushing back up on the way).  Fight Club was a blast, suspension just soaking everything up beautifully.  Out the bottom and back up the exit track to the junction.  Nor'west wind was starting to pick up, so figured the forest might not be too safe any more, so we headed on back down the usual to the car.  Loaded the bike on and we drove down the road.

Just before the bottom corner I pulled up and parked.  And rode up one of the new downhill tracks in the Farside network...  Fluffy Sheets or something.  Anyway, decided on the way it wasn't that great for climbing, but stuck with it.  At the top I explored, first, off down 1 Trick Lucy but it descended in a direction I didn't like, and looked like it was gonna leave me in the bottom of the valley, so, pushed back up onto Farside and pushed to the top of that.  Into Utopia I flowed.  Very familiar feeling, like farside, with some sweet wee swoops and dips and off camber corners, and then it spat me onto Fluffy Sheets near the bottom.  Back up the usual next-to-the-road off-road track, meeting some very tentative riders coming down, and cleaned out the top in no time - much better than going up Fluffy Sheets.  Here I dropped into Farside and had a real blast down this, arriving back at the car in no time, 11am-ish and headed with my hot and tired doggy, home.

Wednesday evening, Jet in the Worsley repeatish

Afterwork, left home 5.30ish, drove in car with Jet to top of hill, parking with lots of other vehicles, and a dude with a fluoro orange cactus pack had headed off just ahead of me, and a big group of guys were leaving just behind me.  I didn't see the group again til a bit later, but kept the fluoro orange backpack dude in my sights, gaining on him once or twice and him gaining away from me once or twice too...  Just before the top, I peeled off to the right to check out a new (to me) area of trails.  Moseyed down and had a wee poke.  Someone's put in some rolly fast stuff, which would kill altitude too quick, and there's a jumpy trail in there too, with big gaps between ramps and landings.  According to the maps, there's a tonne of country in here that is just ripe for the trail-pickings.  Only rode a little ways down then turned and rode back up an old 4wd trail back to top of forest and headed back for the main drag and on up.  The group of dudes crossed past out of the forest access track and up the Bodybag at this stage.  Rode on up the extra top track all the way up to top of Tommy2's.  and beyond actually, following a section Nelson and me checked out a while back over the top.  It didn't lead anywhere, so I cut across and found Hangloose, or Goat Track as i discovered tonight that it's called, and walked back up it and headed off down Tommy2's.  Excellent roll down here, tho probably holding the brakes too much.  Jet was awesome, as usual, staying exactly where he was needed to be.  Steeper and steeper, a couple of stops, but rode it all, and rolled out the bottom.  How many different lines are there in here??  Rolled out the bottom and up the exit track.

From the junction, headed up the bastard guts track, grinding away, up up to the clifftop and on up the B-line all the way to the top.  Bit of a rest up here, a snack, bit of a chat to a young fella, and after he'd left a dude on a fluoro-green Banshee Rune rolled up.  He headed up the climb towards Tommy2's and I followed but took Debbs's access.  Blitzed on down this, actually hitting the couple of wee jumps in there, then through the clearing and into the forest again, past the ruins, then into the darkness of the Douglas fir and on down down the old Debbie then round and where it crosses the bridge becomes Alice's Restaurant - according to the sign - "an 'All Country' track, strictly not Enduro.  ideal wheel size, 27.5, or if you prefer, 650B..."  Seems to roll pretty good on 26 too!  Anyway.  Rode more of it than the first time with Nelson, but still walked two sections I just wasn't game to fall off on.  Lower half was sweet, with some really techy shit goin' on.  As I met the bottom of Goat and T2 a large group (including the fluoro backpack and the fluoro Rune dude - as well as local semi-celebrities Rich and Mel) were finishing off Yoda and lower Goat.  I watched them roll through then caught them up down on the exit climb track.  Chatting away from the back as we rode up the hill.

At the junction, most of them headed for the other side of the road jumps track (where Nick was digging) and I followed the Rune dude up the guts track as far as the clifftop.  We chatted a little up here about the moon (which is going OFF right this second as I write this, lunar eclipse, or "Blood Moon") then I headed down Wayne's and FightClub while he headed on up.  Awesome run down these two and talked to Matt (on Pete's phone) as I climbed out arranging to meet at Poms later.  Was about 7.50 when I got down the final trail to the end, saying Hi to Nick parked near the bottom, before finishing off to the car.

Saturday afternoon Worsle Jet Lappages

Jet and me left home about 2, with a few errands on the way, and got up top of Worsley Rd some time before 3.  Was 3 oclock and I was half way up the first steep section of the guts internal forest track, grovelling a bit, and decided to try out the old favourite off to the left here to see what's up with it now.  Well, it rolls down like it did, swoop swoop, then over that droppy whoop, then where it used to head over a few jumps through a wee dip and then peel left steep?  No more...  instead, it just rockets down and rolls out onto the climbing track above the tank and just before the last corner before the junction...  back up here and on up the guts track again, this time catching some dudes on flash bikes walking, riding right on by cos there was no way i could stop now.  Jet cruising up and back as usual.  On up all the way, grinding away, up up up to the cliff top then on up the original, all the way to the very top, then on up the further up track, slightly greasy in here from yesterday's rain, and at the top of Debbie i stopped, breathed, then got going down on her.  corner corner corner jumpy jumpy drop down avoid the wetspots round past the clearing and back into the forest and under the douglas firs it was slick as and pitch dark...  stopped and got the sunnies off here, then took the climb out track off here and back up onto the original B-line then down to the clifftop and into Waynes World, peeling round this and part way down spotted a trail off to the right, followed it, spotted another really steep down one and took this, what a ride...  down down down, where the hell am i?  yikes, cant jump that.  step over it and keep rolling and ahh, here, right, entering fight club at the wallridey treeroot boll and on down this to the end.  loving the bits i knew well.

Climb out, back up the guts, this time maybe actually it was this time i passed the riders??  onwards up to the cliff top this time and this time into the original to the right of Waynesworld, down here then onto lower Wayne World and into top of Fight club and bombing it, but feeling slight off balance and trying to tip off the trail all the time.  got the better of that and kept flying down past where i'd come in before then on about the 3rd to last corner near the bottom there's a new fall line track off to the left straight line down to the road.  took it, and it reminded me of sections of lower Dave's track, but then the last drop to the road just looked tooooo steep, so i stepped off, and pushed back up to the Fight and finished if off.  Watching some young'uns do Nick's jump, one, two, three, four...  nice.  Climbed up past these guys and then up the guts again, but this time to the higher off the two trails off to the left, just before the pylon gap, and again, this time on the way up was catching up to a walking couple.  off to the left.  swoopy swoopy as before, had ridden this a while back, but it's exit is different now on account of the treefalls.  so, it get steeper and then there's this massively steep bit with some rocks at the top and i just wasnt game, so walked down it, then rode the rest out and came in behind the young'un jumpers, following them up to the Junction, where i peeled right and out, flowing down through the lower road while Jet took the higher road and we met above the watertank and bombed it out back to the car.  Nice hour and a half in the forest again...

Thursday evening steeeep Worsley Laps

Chucked the Spot on the back of the Fiat and Jet in the car and we headed for top of Worsleys Rd, parking up dead on 6pm.  Carpark was full, and people were even parking further down the road.  Figured it was gonna be busy in there.  Ahead of me were a couple of guys, and beyond them a couple more.  As we got up to the 'guts' track the closest two ahead went in there, while I continued up the main Worsley track.  Rough as guts as usual, precariously perching the way up on the ridges.  Had to get off in the washed out rocky bit above the 'rest corner', then rode for a while, meeting an XC 29er dude on his way down.  Then cleaned pretty much everything else except maybe a couple of wee gulchy spots.

Couple of women talking at the top and I rolled on through and up to the top of B-Line...  Arriving at the same time was the two dudes that had gone into the forest ahead of me earlier...  One was on a Turner Burner "Nice bike..."  Chatted with them for a minute then they headed down and I headed up.  All the way up to the top and into the right hand that we called "Hang Loose" in the past.  Awesome roll and flow down this, warming up and getting the hang of it again - been a while (since Jan, in fact).  Changed a bit since then, cos of the trees blown out.  Half way down there's a sign post "Yoda -->".  I stopped and walked down it to check out.  Nick had told me about this one, and I could see it was not something for us...  Near vertical rocks just over the crest, down down down it went...  Walked back up to my bike and headed on down Hangloose.  Great run, steeeep but manageable.  Finally out the bottom and I spotted the gap jump that Nick had told me about at work.  NUTS.

Up the access exit track, passing some young folk fixing a chain half way up, and spotted that our old favourite that exited onto this track is no more- trees all over it, but there's others that come out of there...  Then headed up the guts track.  Grinding away in low, sweating up a storm, huffing and chuffing away...  Jet just loping along ahead, happy as anything, sniffing his way around.  Spotted a couple of new trail entrances off to the left (leading to the exits I'd spotted below) but continued on up all the way up the guts to the clifftop, where three guys set off ahead of me, then on upwards all the way to the top, meeting another group on the way, the three guys again, and then three more coming down from the top.  Headed on up the trail towards Tommys2 and Hangloose, but this time stopped at the top of Debbie's lead in, and had a wee rest, txt exchange with Pete, then headed in.

Debbie's lead in, swoopy swoopy, wend wend back and forth then dropping through and over and avoid that mucky bit then through the clearing and over the tree root and down across the off camber and through the rock ruins, and into the dark dark fir forest that was the original Debbie Does Dallas.  Hung a left onto the groms climbing trail and rode this up, zig and zag, then through the rocky clearing and then descending down over the fence, then climbing gently across to my earlier climbing track.  Swooped down this a bit, then cut across to Tommy's track and BOMBED down this.  Swooping and railing berms and catching air and riding better than for ages.  Finished this off and headed across to Fight Club.  Had an absolute blast down this, pumping and squirrelling and amping.  Finally out the bottom and climbed quite happily up the exit track, feeling better than I had on my first two climbs of the night.

At the Junction I headed across the Worsley main drag and through the fence across to the jumpy track in the trees here.  Jumped one or two of the jumps, avoided the bigger ones, and rolled on down to the bottom, then onto the exit roll, faster and faster and faster through the open, broom whipping my hands on the way, finally getting back to the car park at 7.30.  Very happy Jet in accompaniment.