Sunday's Stooge, Full of Bluster

Bit mucky in places, up for a scramble. 

Topped out Vic then hauled the Traverse, mix of both tail and head winds, blustery nor'west peeling all over the place. Biffed down Huntsbury then sheepshitty-Alley Express, mums and lambs, tech rocks slow and considered. Into top of Old Skool for a snack in a sunny and just-breezy spot.  Headed down to start with, with the expectation of turning back due to muckiness, which in short measure, I did - climbing what I'd normally only descend and finding it ok. Around under the pylon and surprisingly fun descent around into the trees, dropping down and finding extra muck, all the way from Lavaflow through to the valley bottom. 

Climbing now, usual steeps, struggle street. Up and over just a little bit to check Pedalfine - still needs a saw (which I might tackle soon). So, back up and dropped onto Raceline down a couple of bends and popped off onto Uprooted, climbing this out, then up the gutser for 2nd haul, and a run at the gums and the Creature, Hollow down home, flow. 

Propitious 11.3 kms, 489 m 

Thursday Night Habitual Creature Feature

Up on the Jeht tonight to wash out the week's worth of work brain and see how underwhelming my fitness is. Quite, but good for me and fun as fun can be. Peaked, splecked both Thomson's both ways then just down the usuals, somehow keeping control of the grease.  Heavenly sleepy creatures and Hollow, slow styles and chuffing. Home. 

6 kms and not even au, 200 m

Sunday Rail Reynold's Bossu Trail

Ride with a couple workmates today. Parked up at Kaituna Quarry and honked it around to Okuti Valley at quite a clip.  Things were splecky, and I think we may have gotten one shower - otherwise we were extremely lucky.  These boys were fast, young, and on light weight xc machines, and I was working hard on the Stooge. 

After flushing a large flock of kereru out of some tagaste, we hit the Reynold's climb, and I was almost instantly dropped.  After a couple of corners, they powered on ahead, soon disappearing from view, and I just continued my own pace, plodding my way up that massive climb. They were waiting in the 'bothy' out of the howling wind at the top, and there was the forgotten extra climb to deal to. We stuck together on this, tho I was lagging before it's top.  Man the view of Kaitorete from up here is amazing.

Then it was down time. I set off first, but in short order Mike powered past. My top gear wasn't tall enough so I couldn't spin to keep up. One small level and minimal climb and we regrouped at Te Oka top.  Next was another last climb. They dropped me again and then I cramped. Even had to walk a bit so they got a massive gap on me. I slowly wound in Callum, finally coasted, tucked, past him and we met Mike at the bottom. 

Across the gravel and onto the road to trail trail again to return. More cramping... 

A cramping 45 kms and 980 m (😮) climbed

Saturday Eeebs in the Fog

Up from home and along the Summit Rd in the absolute thickest fog, other cyclists and walkers looming out of nothing ahead, and howling blusters across the saddles, or randomly off slopes, until Cavendish Saddle where Tra'y got the weirdest pain that felt like it could have resulted in a hospital visit. In the fog, in the wind we sheltered on the side of the road to see if it would pass. It didn't seem to be, so I rang Joy and she came and rescued her and the bike. I bombed ahead and then we got warm and ate and Tra'y came completely right - very strange... This leg was 14.6 kms 558 m, electrically enhanced. 

Remembered to start MMR part way down Mt Pleasant Rd, then rode around to Toff's for a look.  Back on Ferry we're spinning along and alongside pulls Susan with mum and dad in their car.  They pulled ahead and pulled over and we had a catch upon the side of the road... From here it was home through the usual sideways, low-ways, high-ways and back ways, 11.7 kms, 231 m electrically ridden.

Friday Night Stoogilla in the Mist

Nice we spin up on the Stooge after work, due to no commitments, to take in a bunch of my favourites.  Fun times, if a little greasy in places.  Dropped into the bush from dogparkcarpark, looking at the old route to start with, wondering about the connection into the new, in the clearing below the pylon.  I'm guessing the intention is to ride up around into it?  Anyway.  Nice climb up through Sleepy and then up the walking tracks to 19th.  Up around the back of it, then up from skidder, grinding, out to the top.  Down around past the jumps (too greasy) and down Rabbit, rocks, Gums, out to skidder, and off down Shazza's, Macros, into Uprooted, climbing away, and then back over into the singletrack and down, into heavenly Heavenly Creatures for a lovely biff down here, all the way home.  Lubbly jubblies.

Just about 6 kms, and two-fiddy metres honked

Sunday Walk-Ride Stooge

Headed out and up for a date with my girl. We stuck together all the way to the Skidder then she headed down a big dog leg to meet me where Eastside track meets the mtb track. I took Shazza's flowing into Macros then out the bottom and around the newly re-furbished Flow.  Stopped and waited (quite a while) for her at the walktrack interseciton.  When she arrived we headed the same way with her following me down NuBridges to the valley-bottom. 

Up valley from there with much cleaned and some walked. One small tumble, tripped by a flax. Then it was the lovely flow back towards the bike track gulley and into Uprooted. Lovely climb, first time on the finished product. Next it was over Skidder and into the singletrack.  Met T at the gate and we headed down the heavenly Heavenly Creatures and Sleepy Hollow. 

Only 5.6 kms and 242 m uprooted.

Saturday Good Godley Mistaken Snake Escape

Cruisey ride with Nelson today. Picked him up 2 ish, bikes on back, we headed down, around through Scumner and parked up Evans.  Headed up onto a very-nicely-tidied Godley.  It's so much flowy-er than it was and is now a joy to ride. I reckon even the Stooge would be fun on it now.  Made very good time up to the high point and headed off down with much speed to Livingston.  Next climb has had a slight tickle as well and also rides quite nicely.  Good fang down to Breeze, with me managing to stay on his tail the whole way.  Next up the side above the road, then onto our old sketched sheep-trail, which has obviously not been used by anyone for a long time.  Brief rest at the Lookout bunker, with Nelson jumping off it, and then down, fast, to the carpark, along side and over the road onto the OG singletrack.  Back along here watching incredible murmuration of starlinks and a hawk and some gulls.  Good roll, fun times back to Breeze, then up road a little and onto upper Anaconda for a very fast smooth blast down.  Tail rolled good and then up the Escape, riding it well and cleaning it all. From Livingston decided to ride back up Godley, cleaning it all nicely and enjoying not climbing up the paddock from the road, and enjoying the blast back to the car.  Rollin'!  

Pretty good 15.6 kms, and over 600 m climbed.