Sunday Ups and Ups.

Very strong southerly kicked up just before we left the house, Tra'y walking and me on the bike again.  We tootled (I struggled) up the steep behind the houses and I stayed with her until the top of the Dog Park where we parted ways.  

I trundled on up the hill, the usual over 19th, Skidder, and up the grunter.  Lovely and sheltered in the trees with the wind howling in the tops of them.  Straight into the Worm and popped out of the trees and observed the conditions.  Scudding clouds thickening, a bit of really light drizzle around.  A couple of other bikers said it'd been hard work staying on the Traverse, so I decided against that and instead figured I'd stay in the lee of the hill, dropping down Upper Fenceline, around onto Rome, back and forth down this, taking a right fork part way down and deciding to walk back up to take in the left, which has a steep rollover drop to start.  Out the bottom and across to the left, then then up the steep access track through Cool Runnings, and on up.  

Popped down into Pedalfine below here, but found a tree across it (bring the saw next time), so pushed back up and headed on up through the Rad intersection to Razza's where I paused for a gasp or five.  I was just about to roll in when an ebiker came across from above and dropped in, so gave him a bit of a stretch before dropping in myself.  Ended up catching him stopped for a woman and a guy, who let us both past (briefly, the guy said, "oh, Cotic, I used to have a Soul," I replied, "I've got a broken Soul at home...").  Out the bottom, onwards down, sidling through Brentzone (Macros (after Macrocarpas, I'm assuming)), and took that new high line above the Corporate Ladder, which I turned up and climbed.  

Steep up, in under the sprawling gum tree and onto Sneaky Ridge, fun tech rocks down, blippity blop, oaks, jump onto the main trail and on down Nube-Ridges and down valley into the Hidden climb.  Up this, still contemplating where to go, finally deciding on hitting the Old Skool and facing the climb home.  Brief pause at the high point listening to the high-tension lines above, so loud, then dropped in, total tailwind blast across, revelling in the push and rush of tussocks and wind and noise from above, pylons screaming.  Back across into the wind for a bit, but enough down to keep me moving, then back around, tail wind, overtaking a couple and their dog, biff boff baff down to the next hairpin then dropping down into the final squiggles, rail rail humm, and out onto the main drag.  

Climbed back up valley, vest layer on at the seat, the up into the trees, and ugh, the grind up K2 - one breather stop, then up to Texaco, and on up, grind grind grind.  Eventually made the Skidder, and rolled over into the trees and down through the first bit, stopping at my stop (before CAP trail), to oil chain which had an annoying small squeak each rotation.  Then finished off this bit, out the gate and into the Newby for a lovely blast down and through, all the way home.

500 m steep as, over not that far 10.6 kms.

Hiker's Wool Delivery Service

Call from T. She was out walking with Layla who got a blister so I hoofed it up on the Troll. Nice HIIT climb to meet them on the road out of the Skidder site.  Delivered the goods, then I rode up to the 'CAP entrance' track, peeled off that down and popped out at the gate (where the other two were just arriving), then across the road and into the local Newby singletrack descent, for a most interesting wee hoon down through here with no dropper post.  FUN

Short but intense, 3.4 kms, with a measly 80 m climbed.

Friday Date Before Sunrise

Awake at 5, so T suggested we exercise. I was reluctant at first but then thought what else am I gonna do?  She headed out the door on foot, while I fed the dog, got my shit together and headed up on the Jeht. It was insanely warm (19 degrees - warmest place in the country!).  

Puffed up the road and then poached the Tawhairanui, nicely nicely, then stayed below the road up thru the woods to 19th, then up to the skidder where I layered off down to a merino singlet.  A green light appeared, and I'm like, wtf? then it moved, and then another light showed, up.  A dog (green) and it's master.  

Up the gruntster, where I needed a breathing break half-way, but cleaned up the rest ok.  Dropped over Thompson's #1 and back up the road to top of Vic whereupon I checked T's positioning... Ok - got ya..  Surprisingly, a few runners around.  So dropped off around the jumpies, straight around into Worm, up and out of the trees and onto the Traverse and I could see her coming up the valley. Gave her a flash or two from my first high point then rode around, and then down the walking 4wd track to her. We rode/walked together back up to the pond, over the fence, across the road, then she went up the steep and I sidled around and up the ridge and we met on top of the knoll. 

Photos taken

and off down, techy rock to the carpark, across the road and onto the Traverse for a lights off blast around towards Vic.  Into the trees and ooh! dark!  Lights back on brights, into the jumps, one and two, then down the rabbit paddock, rocks, gums, across to drop into the new local for a lovely twisty hoon home. All before the sun actually lifted above the horizon.  Nice!

Nascently resplendent 9 kms and 322 m climbed

Wednesday Night, Extremely Pleasant Pleasantries and Mucho Muppetry

Amazing first night ride of our year, with a mild and still evening.  Perfect for being out on the hills.

We (somewhat lazily) drove up from his to Upper Major Hornbrook, parking at the bottom of John Britten.  Got riding up here, puffing and chuffing (I'm always struggling chasing him).  Stopped to check out a jump next to one of the corners, then continued on up.  Around the top-front and across the road at the cattlestop, climbing up the (recently weed-whacked) trail to the now-tidied climb to the top of Mt Pleasant.  I had to stop along here to de-layer was so damned hot (and I was puffing so much).  Way cleaned up, climbing a lot easier than not that long ago.  

Dropped off down off Mt Pleasant and the top rocks are tidied, but not for long.  Tussock overgrowth made for tricky descending; ruts were annoying too.  Made it to the bottom alive, and dropped off through the ruins and down Greenwood.  This was a blast, riding nicely for a start.  We stopped at the usual just-past-gloomy spot and both our left quads were burning.  I realised I haven't had many lonnng downhill runs for a while.    Off again and I was good for the next rocky bits, but then started to muppet my way through some of the next series of corners, nearly losing because I couldn't seem to work my dropper and steer at the same time.  Lower sections were a bit better, other than dust rarked up by Nelsie.  

Onto the road, and up the hill, holding a pretty steady pace all the way until the pines, where we hopped over the stile and I was suddenly bonking.  Blooooddd sssuuugggaaarrr craaassshhhhhh.... Stopped just up sheepshit alley and Nelson gave me some baby food.  It was goooood.  Got going again and I was slow, but made it, and then up the road and into Britten for the final descent.  Dust again being a problem, espectially through the bit near the top that Nelson had worked on last weekend.  Then I crashed - wheel rutted and down I went, luckily the tussocks and grass were soft - tweaked my right calf really hard, somehow, it cramping as I was crashing.  Got going again and Nelson was waiting waaaay down at the next hairpin.  We finished off to the car.

Mostly pretty sweet 11.5 kms, with 450 m climbed 

Saturday Morning Stooge Date

Had a ridey-walky date with T. 

Rode up the back of the houses, then on up to the upper dog park carpark with her and we went our separate ways.  She went over and I went up.  

Just round the corner from the next carpark I dropped into the woods to climb up under the trees, across at 19th, then took in all the singletrack I usually descend to this point. Had to walk a couple corners in the gums, and the rocks, but surprisingly little. Thomson's #1 down and back up then jumpy into Worm and on around the Traverse, stopping a couple of times to let riders through. 

Tracked where T was and dropped off down Huntsbury DH to find her down AliExpress... Rode back up the 4wd with her to where she turned off (into where I'd come down), and I headed up the main track to the top of Huntsbury/Vernon and grabbed the Traverse back. Caught her again above Lavaflow (a few riders riding through as we spoke) and then we went our separate ways. Chased the riders for a bit, basically catching them up, then stopped to give them some space.  Nice flow rest of the way, straight into the jumps, Rabbit, Rocks Pines Gums, all the way down. Then across into the Newby for a lovely hoon home.

Nearly 12 kms and 438 m climbed.

Monday Observed, Sunset Stooge Stretch

Painting the roof all weekend has left my body sore and twisted, so I thought a wee jaunt on the Stooge might be in order. Must say! I went further than I thought I would.  

Up the road, 19th, grunter, "is that a Jones?" - took me a sec of processing to realise the reference and that he was talking to me, "oh, ah, no. It's a Stooge." From which followed a conversation. Interesting stuff, and I recognised her, but not him... 

Up onto Thompson's both, and return on both. Very nice. Then around the jumpies and down across the rabbit paddock to the sunset seat. Chat with Doug and a There Will Be Signs, my favourite beer this year.

A glorious pause of just stretching and easing out of the day.  Suddenly realised the sun was getting pretty low, so climbed back out across the paddock and dived on into the pines'n'gums, lovely flow all the way out to the gate. 

Then it was dropping in time into the new home trail. Love it. Getting to know it now and carrying speed thru sections I previously slowed on.  And one section has received a name, a lovely handpainted sign, "Sleepy Hollow."  Sweet!  Carrying the buzz through the glorious sunset light and surprised to see it gone as I did the clamber home.

A lugubrious last one for April (?), 6.3 kms and just shy of 200 m

Sunday Stooge Illustrious

Good hoon out on the Stooge again today. Buncha water blasting to start with then T went for a walk so I followed about 40 minutes later.  

Up to dogparkcarpark, dropping in and around the first few swoopies, then off down through the firs cutting around left to the new trail.  Climbed up here, only having to walk one little steep root section and then up the dappled light paths to 19th, and straight into Skidder and up the grunter.  

Top of Vic I called T and she said she was just at top of Lavaflow, and was taking the bike track, so I rode the road to the Sugarloaf saddle carpark and dropped onto the trail here.  Met her near the top of the climb and we chatted for a bit.  Then she headed down to go down valley, and I headed on around towards Vernon.  

While T and me had been talking a rider couple rode under us, and at Lavaflow I was riding past them and the guy was, "it's R isnt it?"  I had no idea who they were, but once we got talking, I knew exactly who they were.  Last met when I was on my first Troll attempt to LA a few Christmasses back.   Jovial chat with them for a while, then I continued on to the end of Huntsbury, turned around and headed back.  Nice flow around, (they were still there, getting ready to drop into Lavaflow) so I continued on around the Traverse, keeping the flow on, and enjoying it greatly.  

Into the top of the trees, and across over the jump, down Rabbit, Rocks, Pines where I ran into Doug, then Gums and out, tucking into my Newby, flowing down the first section and then at the end of it, climbed back around and took a second go at that top end again before flowing down the rest of it, all the way out, clamber, home. 

Venerable 11 kms acrossed with 372 m upped