Sunday 3 Lapsa th' CAP

Nelson had 3 uplifts to use and I had a couple left on my card and was needing to buy a new 10 lift before they ran out.  We met at the park, me quite hungover from a Camel Cottage party, and not having managed breakfast (dropped it, breaking the plate on the way out the door, and spilling hot coffee all over my tum-tum) and barely drank any of the coffee... 

Up the lift we went.  Taking it easy first run, straight into Yeah yeah nah, which was okay, then into Lord of the Possums.  Mostly a good run down here, good jumps on most, clearing them smoothly, tho one nearly toppled me over forward.  Bottom of this and we were into Handle the Jandal.  Handled this very nicely, excellent boost on most jumps, tho one close call where the jump landed me into the inside of a corner rut/drain that I just managed to not quite get into.

Straight into the next lift, me wanting to puke on the way up, but managing to keep it down.  This time trying out the tech.  Into Throw the Goat, Nelson doubling everything, me taking bunny lines.  I thought there was an 'escape route' from Throw the Goat across to Swingers Party before Yoda, but no, there's not (only the 4wd part way down) and so we ended up dropping down Yoda, which proved to be actually extremely fun.  Cleaned everything, albeit all the "easy" lines (they're not that 'easy' but all rideable).  Then across and into DOHC for a boosty fun blast trailing in Nelson's dust, but keeping him in check. 

My ticket had run out so went and got some kai, Nelson kindly shared some of his free burger with me, and I managed a hangover-curing smoothy (oats, banana, ginger... good!).  Down to get a new pass, and we hit our third lift of the day.  Took Summit Connector, and dropped into the Nun via the bottom droppy section of Gnarly Nun, excellent blast down here, and then a speeding Choir Boy / Old Dyers, overtaking a couple down here, and hoofing up to Capt Cooker, and straight into Shredzillaville for an excellent trip down.  I cleaned everything again, and stuck to the non-'easy' lines, no problems! 

All up a nice run, and didnt bother with MMR, so there's no proof other than my memory.  Estimating about 1200 or more metres of descent.

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

Thursday evening Worsley Playpen up down repeat until done.

Picked up car from spenny repair job, and drove to top of Worsley's.  On the way there realised i had no water, so swung by Andrew's.  Didnt look like anyone home, no answer to knock, so helped myself to their tap, then surprised a just woken Jenna from dodgy hidden spot behind trellis...  oops.  no matter.  she was fine with it. 

Parked up the hill, changed and waited and in no time Nelson arrived, with Craig behind, riding up.  Craig helped Nelson with some suspension settings, and so i got going ahead just so's i wouldn't be puking my ring out trying to keep up.  They caught me as i was delayering, and we got going.  Struggled my way up behind them and cleaned pretty much the whole way up.  Up the left to the B-Line starters, and on up to Hangloose.  Nelson led in, me following, Craig going it easy on his retro beast.  Excellent run down.  I stopped at the jump to tighten my thru-axle, while Nelson walked back up to try out the drop.  A bit further down, after the clearing we spotted a trail off to the left, but took the right hander on downwards, relishing the steepness and the edgy-ness, finishing off rolling out the bottom and hitting up the climb back up. 

Back up the main drag, cleaning the tiny section i stuffed up first time round, and nearly dying at the top.  On upwards up the trail to the very top again, and back into Hang Loose, this time checking out the beginnings of a line off to the right before the clearing, and finding it a dead end, but also exploring a bit and finding a cliff over the edge, and hearing voices, and Nelson investigated and it was some climbers... Back up onto the trail, and took the left hander this time, which kinda went back to the original Tommy's 2, but dropping a fair way first, and some really steep and hairy, finally some familiar Tommy's 2, taking it all the way down for the first time since the first time...  nice to see a rideable line around that silly wooden jump...

Back up the access track and into up the steep nasty little guts track, me gasping, up through to the cliff top and into Waynes World.  I led in and rolled it, having a nice time, but as i got to Fight Club i realised no one was following me, so stopped and waited.  and waited.  and waited.  Then started walking back up, up, up and nearly at the top finally see them coming.  Nelson's pedal had caught a wire as he entered the rockgarden at the top and he supermanned, thankfully into something soft.  We continued on down, Nelson tight on my tail, all the way down and out the bottom for the third time. 

Back up the access track and up the guts again, this time just to the pylon clearing and turned back for the oldskool descent back down to the access track, up that for the last time and down and out back to the cars around 8pm.  Awesome ride.

Early Saturday pre Eczemass B Line Jet flushing.

Up early and so much stuff to do, so Jet and me left home in the Fiat about 6.40 and we were part way up lower Worsley, on the corner past the powerlines, by 7.05am, and less than 15minutes later were at the top of Tommy's Too, having cleaned every bit of everything on the way up.  Into the new-to-me Hang Loose, the right hand option at the top of Tommy's2.  Jet taking the lead and mostly staying out of the way.  Only one log-drop i bailed on (no chance of rolling it, but it wouldn't be a big ask to drop off it), enjoying the way the trail used so much of the hill, including a clearing I didn't know existed, and then after some rather steep corners, rolled into the bit Nelson and me had originally tracked out, the builders having hardly altered the route but having dug it out a heap.  Out the bottom onto the logging track and into the climb back up, less than 10 minutes since i was at the top, and back up to the Junction in well under 10.

Next, up the guts to the cliff top, three lady runners eventually catching us at the top, and into Wayne's World, Jet in behind, bomb bomb bomb, relishing the pump.  Into Fight Club and revelling in the pump-ability of this too.  Trail is getting a little blown out lower down, roots and rocks getting messier. Out the bottom and back into the climb again.  Back up to the Junction, and up the guts again, but this time only to the pylon clearing, then turned around and in to the left, across the guts track and down the old short chute blat down back to the climbing track and back up to the junction.

Down from the junction and checked out what turned out to be a new top half of Dave's track, including jumps and drops.  Couldn't be arsed climbing all the way back out from the bottom, so walked back up from part way down, back onto the main track and down past the tank and through and out, including a new wee sideline that skirts the gate, and back to the car about 8.15...  still nice and early, both Jet and me having had an awesome ride, flushing out some of the 'festive season's' excesses that have already started to pile up...