Saturday Jack's Dubiousness

After Arrowtown we drove along the Remarkables for a closer look, stopping at Wye Creek, a wee walk up the track to see the river and falls, then back to car.  On the way back towards town I got it in my head to ride back from Drift Bay, over the Jacks Point trail, thinking I'd go right round Kelvin Heights and back to Frankton and up to the house. T convinced H to accompany me, and so off we set.  

Quite a fun wee descent towards the lake, then sidling around towards Maori Jack Rd, sort of just above the shingle beach, matagouri and scrub and grassland, open flat lakeside country.  It was fine around the lake, then gravel road up to Lodge Rd carpark, and then we headed up the Jack's Hill track, and the climb half killed H. Relatively steep, and legs tired, he struggled.  Good switchback steep down the other side, then rough, overgrown, rocky tech  and up and downy, with several walks due to steep and rough conditions, around the butt of the hill and it all proved too much for H.  So, with rain threatening, I rang T and asked her to come back and get us.  We got to the main trail (which was Queenstown Trail level easy, and climbed back up towards Lodge Rd, eventually bombing down this to a waiting T and car..   

A measly 7 kms, with a couple hundred m climbed, but rough and tiring for tired boys.

Saturday Rude Water Racing Bush

Tra'y dropped H and me up at Coronet Peak (opening day for the season up there - carpark wasn't too full).  We treadled up onto Rude Rock and got descending. Whooee!!  It was fun times.  One chute that H couldn't handle, but otherwise he had the best of times.  We even over took a few people.  

Across the road and dropping down towards Hot Rod, but sidling onto the Water Race, taking this all the way across the face.  A very nice sidle (tho incredibly weedy), through a few wee nice bushy gullies, one or two exposures, and only minimal climbing.  

Finished with an awesome blast down Bush Creek trail.  This was fantastic, some good interesting tech, roots and switchbacks and creek crossings, and lots of bridges too.  Randomly bumped into an old school friend, Carol S., who I'd not seen for 30something years.  Her hubsand had a baby goat in his arms (they'd found it earlier).  From them we blasted down into Arrowtown where we met Tra'y and had a little lunch. 

Marvellously marvelous 15kms with only 180m climbed, but around 1000 descended. 

Saturday First Thing Popping to the Shops.

Needed a couple of supplies so after coffee I headed down to the shops and back.  Down the road then onto the Queenstown Trail around the waterfront, then up to Remarks Shopping Centre.  Down to the river, then along the Trail back again.  

10.8 kms, with 133m climbed 

Fried, eh? 7 Miles of Smiles

Quick morning ride on my own at 7 Mile. Parked at Wilson's Bay.  Headed around the DOC track and into What's up DOC, climbing ziggyzag styles up up and up to the Eagles Nest.  Looking for fun, I headed for Gravitron which swooped me down and about randomly throwing me into Loop 7 which lost me completely, but eventually climbed back up to the Nest and headed into Metolius which took me around to El Dorado which had some nice rock.  Into Cloud Burst for a blitzy descent, including an 'extra' little shooty drop to the exit climb back to What's Up to climb back to Eagle's Nest.  Time a ticking, headed back towards Kachoong, checking out the boardwalky bits briefly, climbing back up to Kachoong, blitzy blitz, onto Jack B Nimble, meandering to the midpointmeetingbit, into Grin'n'Holla cutting off onto IB55 to finish.  Back along the DOC track to the car.  Found a towel in the car so stripped off and dived into the lake to cool off. 

Minimal 5.14 km and 200 m even

Tuesday Gondola Gonzos

With Pete's broken wheel and Robin's broken frame we decided to head to Queenstown to play on Skyline. Twas fun. Not sure of exact order but started with Hammy's and Thunder Goat. Then Vertigo and Singletrack Sandwich. Then I'm not sure, Vertigo and Huck Yeah (with good drop to start), and Thunder Goat with a detour off to the right down something interestingly tech, and Singletrack Sammie again but with Jungle Adventure. Then we stuffed up thinking we were gonna find Thingamajig off Hammy's but it wasn't then I've no idea exactly what but included Original, some of Battle Stag, and other laps included Rock Garden, and Coal Pith, and Armageddon and repeats of others. At 12.55 I was at the top, the others were getting coffee, and I reckoned I couldn't just maybe get one more run, so Nelson and me hauled ass down Vertigo and Thunder Goat making it into the gondola at 1.01 for my last uplift. Pete was a couple cars behind so once back at the top the 3 of us did my final run, Vert, Thingy, Single, and Jungle. 8 uplifts in total for me.  Nelson and Pete continued for a few more laps of their 4 hours while I went and caught up with Bex at Bespoke, just down the hill. 

My mapmyride went a completely mental, but overall I must have descended over 3 kilometres.  Nelson's rode pretty much the same, but has 2 or three more laps on it., 

The Trip, Overall Reflections

Been a couple of days now, and I noticed Steve had put a low ranking on his experience so I figured I'd chuck my oar in. 

Reckon this trip had me with the sorest legs I've had off a trip.  I blame 7 mile for that on our first Q.Town riding day, with all those steep little pinches. 

Partying definitely took a backseat this year, due to the tiredness everybody was experiencing, and also perhaps the larger group, the different levels of 'party-ability'.   But that's been sliding for the last few years.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the riding.  I would not agree with the 'consensus' that the Gondola and Zoots were the best.  To me, the Gondola was the least exciting riding of the whole trip.  It is a product.  A totally artificial form of mountainbiking.  Its not even 'downhill' because the trails are all so easy, lowest common denominator, which, it pretty much has to be.  Its potentially a good introduction to a form of mountainbiking.  But really, its just 'Entertainment' in the way Bungy Jumping or Jetboat rides are, which is what you'd expect from Queenstown.  Zoots, however, was fun, and definitely i'd say more interesting than Hammy's or Vertigo. 

But for me, the 'natural' tracks were the best.  The Skippers Packtrack, and the Moonlight - definitely highlights of my trip.  And of course, Sticky Forest - similar in concept to 7mile, but just done so much better and with so much more variety (and area).

Steve asks, will there be a next year?  Why not?  Is the organisation of it all just getting too much?  As a large group, are we now too disparate in our abilities/speeds/interests?  Do we need to break up?  Go our separate ways?  Or can we travel and stay as one group, but splinter off to do different rides?  We pretty much did that this year.  It's the only way it can stay interesting for all involved.  Will there be a next year?  Cant see why not.

I vote for Marlborough.  Wakamarina, Whites Bay, Waikakaho-Cullens, some of Queen Charlotte, Nydia, Wither Hills (if there's nothing better to do).  Thats several days riding right there, all of which I'd like to experience (or indeed, re-experience).  How 'bout it, guys???

The Trip, Part 4, Tuesday

Steve crookguts.  Left Warren's car at bottom of Zoots and drove to top of Skippers in rest of vehicles.  Way less snow than Sunday.  Headed down, Mark then Nelson then me then Pete, excellent trail, rutty up top section requiring 'skinnies' skills to avoide catching the edge of your tire and losing balance.  Lower down, splashy in places, with a few wee stream crossings and seeps and one big slump.  These lower stretches had a nice gradient.  Quite the spectacular landscape around and above us, a great bit of country.  Out the bottom down a 4wd bit, across a stream, with a wooden bridge provided, tho several negotiated the river crossing, all making it, albeit with wet feet.  Then ensued the massive ride back up the road to the top.  Taking Nelson, Pete and me 35mins, and the rest all straggling in in good times for the next 10-15 minutes or so.  We then blasted down Zoots, Pete leading, me chasing and unable to shake Andrew off my tail - all the way I could feel him breathing down my neck I felt like I was holding him up!  Back to Warren's car for drivers to return and all drive home.

Afternoon, lots of procrastination coupled with a bit of rainfall, allowing most to pike, but Pete, Nelson, Matt and me drove round to Arthur's Point and up McChesney to end of Moonlight Track (part of Moke Circuit).  This ended up being one of the best sections of awesome singletrack of the whole trip.  Scarily massive exposures in places, and a fair few bits of chuffing pushing up up.  Up and down, around.  Just before a big push, we stopped and Matt stopped to rest, while the other three of us carried on along the trail.  Eventually, after one or two more reasonable climbs and a sidle or descent or two, we could see a big descent we knew we didnt want to push back up, so we turned back and rode everything back to Matt (who'd had a wee wander on foot).  The ride back from here we rode all we'd previously pushed.  The last section after the creek crossing was blissful. 

The Trip, Part 3, Monday

Gondola Pass for a.m.  10 til 2.  Heaps of laps, mostly with Hubby.  Ripping down Hammys to get a feel for it all.  Then Vertigo, and "Singletrack" Sandwich into lower Original.  Hammys again, Vertigo again, Shit Sandwich again, repeat, numerous times, getting faster and faster.  slowly getting a sorer and sorer neck too...
Then finished last ride to top by 1.45, figured may not make it back in time for last ride up at 2ish (but probably would have), and met all for lunch.  Then off up (mistakenly) Ben Lomond Track.  past the no bikes sign, and on upwards, til finally deciding it wasnt going to join onto the track we could see waaaay across the valley, back down and found Fernhill trail off a lower corner of Hammys, so off up that, lots of walking and pushing up up up up up, finally catching the rest just before the 'top', and the track we could see.  around that, and more ups to the real top, not to mention the fallen trees to clamber over.  then down down down zigging and zagging then ploughing down fire trails finally coming out at Wynyard's Jumps Dream Area Park thingy.  down through that, and out then Mark says "up here", so Pete, Nels, Hubb, Mark and me head up, carrying.  Mark gives up.  We carry on, eventually find the track again, steep up up up, back onto Hammys and on down back to base.

The Trip, Part 2. Sunday

Sunday October 14th.

Woke to fine weather, drove round to 7 Mile, the carpark before (just after the Moke Lake turn off, so a km or so short).  Tech-ish mucky track from carpark along above the lake and up into the bike park area.  Rode up and down for a few hours.  probably did close to 700m alt.  Up and down, up and down.  Took in: Kachoong, Cool Runnings, Grin and Holla 1 and 2, Gravitron, Loop 7, Metolius, Bliss, Kachoong, Fruit Loops, Grin and Holla, Gravitron.

Back to base for lunch, then droved to Skippers Saddle.  There was a fair amount of snow on the top of the Packtrack and a stream running down it, so we decided to just stop and play on Zoots track.  Did several shuttles, with various members taking turns to drive the cars down.  Everybody enjoyed dialling in the track, getting to know it betterer and betterer each run.  Eventually, we'd had enough and headed home.

Meanwhile, Nelson and Mark had decided the snow may not be too bad and tackled the Skippers Packtrack.  They had a great time, I'm sure.  Marie drove back to pick up Mark from Arthur's Point; Nelson rode all the way.

Just down the road from Paradise.

After a night in Tekapo (quick spin around the camp ground and down to the shops) spent a few days in Kinloch (opposite Glenorchy). On Wednesday i drove back into Queenstown and got a bit of riding in. Took the Access Track up to the Skyline, quite a long, relatively steep climb, managed it in middle ring all the way up tho, then rode down Vertigo and a couple of others, interesting downhill tracks, twisty, purpose built, steep in spots, interesting and fun. a bit like vic park, only tighter, darker and longer.

Then drove round to the 7 mile creek network of tracks. started in on a nice multiuse singletrack, which climbs a couple hundred metres to the 'dream arena' selection of tracks, cant remember their names, but i took the left hand ones first, down to the Loop7, then carried on along the multiuse track for a while towards qtown, til it started down some hairy steps i figured i'd be tired of climbing back up, so headed back up to the 'dream arena' and took the right hand tracks, which were sweet leading down to some supposedly black diamond area, then onto this obviously new track called Cool Runnings, which looped back around on itself so many times i lost track, also it had a few interesting built bits, a log ride with 8inch wide boards on it, only about half a metre off the ground, and then this nice drop ramp and low wall ride corner, fun. the final section down back to the multiuse track was best.

Then, because i'd originally intended on riding the Moke / Dispute Lakes loop, i rode UP the descent from Dispute, ie, walked heaps cos it was so steep, and very hot day, and broke my chain on the way up, replaced it with a quicklink, got to the top, and BOMBED back down to the car. then headed back to kinloch.

Saturday we decided to do a bit of the Greenstone walk, so i rode the road from Kinloch to greenstone trailhead, 12 kms of gravel road, following lake wakatipu. it undulated a bit, and had 3 fords. discovered as i was just heading out that there was a mountainbike race on (Bike Wakatipu), with the riders all coming towards me, having ridden through from the Te Anau road, through the mavora, mt nicholas stn and along wakatipu, heading through to Glenorchy. it was about 1 oclock and they'd been riding since 9am, so were pretty shagged along the last miles. got to Greenstone and chatted with the refreshmentstation guy. after 20 mins the others arrived in the car. we walked in to the caples river, had a picnic, swatted sandflies, then walked back out again. when we got back the race people had all gone. i rode back. getting pretty knackered too. tho, took a side track up a bit, which i wish i'd explored to the top, cos on the topo's the dashed line goes way up the side of the Humboldt mtns... it was between the closer of the two fords to kinloch.

issues:
Minute rebound knob has broken out, due to being knocked in the car on the way down.
Chain breaking, mainly cos rear cluster out of tune.
Front Brake still honking.
Headset is sorta loose.
Bike needs damned good clean and lube.

Talked to Kris today, and am scoring some Fox Vanilla RLC's... yip. and the now faulty minutes can go on the singlespeed eventually, cos then both bikes will have the same geometry 130mm front, and the single will benefit greatly from spv.