Keeping our Wits About Us on View Hill in Matariki Weather.

T and me left Little Brook at 10.15ish.  She walked and I rode at her pace. Nice conversational cruise. Sunshine and rain. Cold but well dressed for the occasion.  Steep walking or if too slippy. 2 hours we were past the gate, another 20 to the top in cloud and bitter wind.  T set off down and I finished my half-half-one-square before setting off. Down the ridge, into the freezing wind and cloud moisture, to find T a little lost.  Guided her over and stayed with her for a while after that, keeping close until the gate, with riding treacherously slippery and rough. Her running was almost faster. 

Below the gate I got a bit more speed on, saying my goodbye to her. Rough as guts, and slippery to boot, speed and flow was not the way of the ride, until, the odd section. Then the smoother gravel. Lots of speed here but needing to keep it toned. Carefully, carefully down the concrete channeled section, feeling almost a little out of control but then gradually releasing the gravity beast and gaining velocity up, up into a crescendo, tires on gravel, wind, everything rushing quickly toward me. My old friend rapido-speed. Rolling rapidly, so comfortably, through past the Craw (Andrew? Was that you?) on the ladder, "gudday," "gudday."

Now the next gravel, a few pedal strokes once the speed was low enough for top gear, over the rise and coasting again, lovely brakes-unneeded descent to the seal, then down around main descent. Coasting faster and faster, no pedaling no braking needed until a couple of wee checks for corners. Bliss. Such a good speed and view and comfort level of flow and road and machine and body all working perfectly together.  And a rainbow that I rode into before coming round on the bridge and lovely trees and bush either side and there was rain, all down here lit by the sun, floaty-motey droplets. Past the church and around past a woman walking entirely unaware of my approach and likely just as unaware of my departure. Speed building, shooting down past the beach, easing around the corner and, find the gear, start cranking... Final driveway, stopped and chatted with Adrian for a bit., then cranked on up the drive...

A reasonable 15.15 kms, and at least 762 m climbed (even if MMR only says it was 746...).

Nicely Decanted. Thursday's Troll, cattlestop trip-trapping.

Tra'y walking, me on Troll, up Menzies Bay Rd. Bye at the top and rolling, rolling, eyes watering, gravel-control, through the valley bottom then climbing, past the onga-onga, gently climbing, onwards and updwards, and stopping to take in the surging foam on the Decanters, then climbing, looking at the Millenium dawn walk Memorial (and time capsule (they're dreaming, "dont open until 2500," indeed!)) on up the road climbing still, past the yards, over the next cattlestop, around past the shed and shelterbelt, through the next cattlestop and only a little way further towards the first high point, turned back here, on account of Williams boy working the cattle, possibly to the road.  

Rolled back down, gaining nice speed to gravel-control-zone, to find T just arriving at the Memorial thing.  She turned back here, and I rolled briefly with her before hitting the rest of the down, gravel-grippage.  Nice bomb down here, cruise-control in action, through the bottom and climbing again, up and grinding, or sitting and trying to spin - probably in favour of the former - learning to love the grind.  Williams boy was on the road opposite as I was approaching the top.  Surprising how slow his progress was down as I made my way to his gate.  Rolling from here, gaining speed, keeping it in check (to a point).  Fun blast.  Check out the beach then home.

Overall, a ride comprised of lots of weather-matic adjustment to conditions, with sunshine and rainfall both, and cold winds and sheltered spots.  14.3 kms added up with 627.5 m ground-out of the ground.

Trolling Chorlton on the Wheelie

Buried beautiful boy Jetty-puss with a view of the property, which he always loved sniffing about, and then T and me went out for some exercise. 

I rode along on the Troll with her, through Adrian's, up Luke's Rd and up to Chorlton. Realising as we rode that I've been riding the Troll for 14 years.  We continued up View Hill Rd a bit then decided that was enough. I let gravity take me, down across Chorlton-top and I pedalled into Long Lookout Rd to the first high point, took a pic of Raupo,

(doesn't look so bad out there, but there were showers all day)

then turned back and rolled, like a pendulm, pedalling up to Tra'y for a kiss, then turned and rolled back down to the end of the seal that way again and then back, to hit the LAk Rd down. What a roll... Blasted through past the beach and out to the wharf thinking about when I used to run Jet down here, for another pic,

(gloomy up valley)

then back up home. 

<1/2 a km shy of 10, with a metre shy of 260 m climbed

RIP the best boy. Jet

Said goodbye to the best boy today. Poor old Jettypuss, best trail dog ever, when he could... 

Buried not that far from where he was born, lived his life loved by us all.

Sunday, Necessary Short Jeht.

Should have got out earlier but didn't. T and me headed up and parted ways at the dog park carp ark. I bopped into the forest down and around onto Sleepy Hollow and climbed from there. Was really tired from yesterday's Hanmer jaunt, I guess?  Up to 19th, then through gate and took the singletrack along and up, checking out the options for the climbing route, then back across to the bottom of Sesame and onto the grunter part way up.  Up to top of Vic, taking a breather at Thomson's turn-off before heading up over down around the first jump, peeling right onto Worm.  

Got rolling across the Traverse and pulled over to let a guy coming towards me through, at the same time as letting a dude on a titanium rigid looking flash thing through who was going my way.  I said, you're going faster than me, and off he went and I proceeded to stay on his tail until the top part way up that first climb.  I didn't care, he was way younger and fitter than me, but I did feel old and fat at that point.  Continued, with nice flow, around, and had a near miss on the corner around below Sugarloaf (after the down, before the pullover sign), skidding and just avoiding a rider coming through "Sorry about that!"  At the sign I checked on T's whereabouts and then could see her way down on the Bowenvale Valley track, so figured I'd give her time to get further up and so headed along the Traverse further.  At the high point I could see she'd turned around so I rang her, we waved, the weather was coming in which was why she was turning around, so I did too and headed back.  Nice flow back around to Vic, straight into the trees, jump one and two, down to fence, down rabbit, into rocks, pines, gums down and around.  Where you dive left rather than out to Sesame near the bottom (where I'd climbed out), I stopped and cleared a bit of foliage that's been annoying me for a while now.  Cleared the sight-line.  Onwards down, into the conifers and down around, stopped here to clear some foliage too.  

Then it was time head home.  Down the singletrack, gate, over onto Heavenly for a lovely baff down, nicely nicely.  After the oaks, and on the last stretch to the H'Ell, I stopped again, this time to scope out the possible route for a new exit out higher.  I reckon I've got it.  When things dry again, I'll head in with the pruning saw.

Only 8.6 kms and 282 m climbed, but worth every penny.

Saturday Dawn Raid on Tombstone, baby

Sweet ride on the Stooge on a bunch of new-to-me trails. Tombstone is really fun and perfect for the Stooge.  Left the bach with T just before 8am, dawn - pretty much, and headed up Lucas Lane into the new to both of us trails.  Grabbed CV Express and I left her here rolling ahead faster than her fast walking speed.  I kept passing above her on all the switchbacks which was nice.  Eventually I lost sight of her and then not long further got to the top of Tank.  Good climb, will be nice once all the trees grow back up.  

Dropped into Tank, which was a hoot.  The Stooge performed really well, no sketch, no dice.  Climbed out the end and then into the Yankee Zephyr climb, which was longer than I remembered, maybe because last time I did it was 2019 and the trees have grown considerably.  At the kind of skidder site I peeled into the new (to me) Tombstone, which has a very nice climb.  Some nice native under the larches and patches and generally a good grade, never too steep, but steady.  Eventually got to the top of the climb, nice view up to Isabell, and it was time for the descent.

and what a descent...  Glorious flowy trail, just brought joy to my headstate.  It was mint.  Some of the most zen fun I've had for years.  Super fun, able to get some speed, then some nice tech sections that keep you on your toes but aren't terrible.  So much fun!  Out the end and down onto the Dog Stream trail, where I headed back into the bridge (and noticed that the old descending line to the bridge is now closed.  Headed up onto the road and up towards Big Foot.

Actually started into Big Foot but then looked at the time and thought, nah, I'll just take the Fir Trail.  Well remembered from the 12 hour event many (25?) years before, it's obviously changed a bit since then.  Nice flow down, then left for the last few corners of Big Foot.  Down from here, across Dog Stream for a waste of altitude loss down to Joliffe Rd, climbing up here who should appear but T, running!  Hi!!!  We parted ways again and I headed up to Red Rocks, all changed up here with the whole Timberlands face logged (and a new trail in there for descending).  I peeled onto Red Rocks and rode it, thinking I'd take Eeny Meeny, but found myself heading all the way out to the end.  Around onto Western Link and climb cruising around to bottom of Timberlands and into Swamp.  Long climb up here (the road would be so much shorter!) and out top over onto Flax for a start then into Lower Flow, for a flowy groove, with again, lots of good speed and zen mind state.

Nearly 16 kms and nearly 500 m up. Hanmer always feels way more climb than it ends up being. What is that?

Thursday Night Nun Victorian

Good ride with Nelson tonight. Felt like I was showing off all my new toys...

Rode out from mine, headed up the road (following a group of 4 others), peeled into the dog park carp ark and down the newish line onto Sleepy Hollow, then up and out to the walk track.  By the 19th I'd determined that Nelson hadn't hit the new one from here, so we popped off down there for a lap.  Back at 19th, through the gate, and into the singletrack climbing from here, then out to Skidder for the grind up the grunter.  A couple had been ahead, and were stopped at the water fountain chatting, we rode through and up to Thomsons, where they arrived as we were deciding where to go.  Nelson led, I followed.  He had some gear problems at the end.  Then down into #2, I led, and we flowed, and through out to the road.  Down through Kiwi and up the Summit, with the 2 from the fountain catching us up slowly, and finally pulling ahead just before Worsleys.  Didn't really talk to them much until the top of the Nun.  They dived in first.  

Nun wasn't as greasy as I was expecting, but I still trusted nothing.  Had a good blast down tho.  Then the lower reaches were closed due to the logging below.  We flowed out onto the road, then dived in the lowest from part way down where you can access it.  Good blast down here too.  Out through Kiwi again and I noticed the moon! - not the pest pic, but it was above Charteris/Diamond Harbour, just come up over the hill.

Up the road and at the top there was a group of about 6 young dudes on expensive bikes.  They were chatting so we headed off down, Nelson leading, round through and over the jumpies, then down Rabbit where I led into Rocks Pines and Gums, taking the left down steep, I'm pretty sure a new bit, and out to the corner, out over to Skidder where there was a massive group of riders, including the guy and girl from earlier, and up rolled the infamous Mel, friendly as she always is.  They were all climbing and we headed off down Dazza's.  Ages since down here and hooweee it's steeeep and rooty.  Fun!  Rolled out across the last of the nuShazza's flowing around towards Brents, and then hitting Macros down down out to Corporate Ladder ending and then into Uprooted, Nelson's first time.  Good climb.  One extra corner that wasn't there earlier, and then out the top (a little more progress?), onto the 4wd, out to Skidder and over to the singletrack we'd climbe earlier for the last blast down Heavenly Creatures and all the way home.  Nicely nicely.

Cogent 12.13 kms and a tenable 465 m vert.