Xmas Eve Aorere Goldfielding

No rides while in Totaranui, cept for around and about the campground with the boys. 

From Collingwood, drove in the Fiatissimo out Plain Rd and down past the Devil's Boots along for a while to the end, then backtracked and parked under a nice shady tree.

HOT AS...  Headed up the main entry, then hit the 4wd track on the right, through the ford and began the scorching climb.  Little if any shade in occasional spots, i took a right hand turn, just for an explore, thinking it might come back round to the main track.  It didnt, so after about 5 minutes i turned back, and continued my climb. 

Ended up climbing all the way past my 2nd turn off (to Bedstead Gully), and on up to the 387 trig, thinking there was a single track down, which petered out to nothing but overgrown-ness, so i climbed back up to 387 and headed back down to my usual, which i found different to my distant memory, but eventually ended where i needed to be.  Hit the trail to the dam, and climbed, steeply.  Met the other track, and climbed, steeply again, finally topping out and enjoying the descent to the dam where i plonked myself down in the shade of a tree overlooking the water. 

Sitting there, shirt off, thinking how damned hot it was, and suddenly there's someone else!  Hello...  chatted a bit and she took off onwards upwards, and i headed on down round the waterrace, past the caves, didnt bother to pop down to them, and then blazed on down the fantastic singletrack back to the bottom, and finally the car.

Rameka, tumeke...15th December, Saturday, 2012.

(written a couple days later, from Totaranui) After driving up from Chch through a hot hot day, stopped at the Canaan Downs Rd turn off and changed into my bike gear and hit the gravel road in, Jo taking over the driving of the Brava, carrying a sleeping H. 

5.27pm it was, hot as.  A couple of descents and climbs before the true climb, views for africa out over Tasman Bay back round Motueka through to Nelson.  Passed by a couple of dreaded hippies and their van parked up next to a heap of busy beehives, and then was passed by one car going in, met one coming out on my descent from the Canaan Saddle.  Through the Gathering site and when i got to the field we camped in that wet wet festival (G2000), i saw the sign,  "Rollercoaster (Canaan Loop)".  rode across the field and hit the steep wee climb, sheep scattering from my path, their excrement thankfully not sticking to my tires too much.  Rollercoaster it was, up, down, up, down, swoopy fun.  big ring the whole way with only one dab, round and into some bush and fantastic rolling flowing trail in absolutely ideal condition, eventually spitting me out, grinning, in the Harwood's Hole carpark.

Signed the book and clambered my way up to the Rameka track start.  Sat down for a well earned rest and chucked out a couple of txts, then into the trail, about an hour from when i entered the road.  And oh, what fun.  The driest i've ever seen it (in all the 3 or 4 times i've ridden it), supreme conditions.  Flowed, rode, wended, hopped, popped, shimmied my way around.  Loving the one or two wet sections for their back end squirrelling.  taking it carefully on one or two of the stream crossings, including the one i crashed on when the pfmtbc trip rode through.  Bombed down the steeps in the gorsey open section, with new detour, towards the end, then into the climb to the end. 

the Pack Track beckoned me with a nice sign and oh, my!  What a trail.  What a trail!!!  Fast, good visibility, tight in places, excellent grade, fantastic surface.  A new favourite, methinks.  Tempted to ride up just to ride down it again.  Took a couple of pics on the way through, had to stop, the view was so spectacular.  Then the Tomo, dropped a pebble down it just to see how deep.  Onwards, across the road, round over the ridge and down a couple switchbacks to cross over again and into Great Expectations. 

A bit overgrown with grass from above, blocking some of the view ahead and forcing a rather unique riding position.  Once in the forest, however, all was good.  Swoopy swoopy flowy flowy round the outer ridge and back in, views down into the valley of the devastation of last year's storm.  Back and forth across the regen slope, crossing over one or two little brooks a couple times, one of which had become a 2 metre deep 1 metre wide gut from the storm.  All the way down to the bottom of the valley, stepped across the creek and lead through to 2 Klick. 

down the Do option (left, steeper) of "Do or Die" then cleaning the riverbed section and eventually up onto the road to ride round to 1 klick which led me down to the bottom. 

Finally, gravel road top gear cruising out to the seal then down to the main(ish) road where i stopped and txted out to Steve at 7.38, basically having just had one hour of blissful descending singletrack all the way.

Hit the road and made Pohara at 8pm, in time for a burger and fries and a couple of well earned beers.  AWESOME.

 

Thursday's Up up uppity up.

a work field trip checking out a bit of historic and recreational stuff had me at Godley Head, with my bike, so, once everyone else vanned off, i filled up with water and hit the trail about 3.40pm.  Hot sun, afternoon light, bit of an easterly behind me, all good.  Had a nice blast round to Breeze Col, then hit the climb up, straight up the 'fall line' rather than the zig and zag, then over and good blast down to Livingston, then the real climb began.  Proud to say i stayed in big (36t) ring all the way, never having to resort to granny.  Was a good climb.  Stopped at one stage to change out of merino t-shirt into my orange nzo trike one, much cooler.  Onwards up, all climbing nicely, first bridge, then boardwalk then the next then through across and round and along and finally hit some downhill, swooping and enjoying and relishing and blazing.

Evans Pass, checked the chiming of the messages and made a call out to hear the quote for the Fiat brakes, rang them and arranged, then onwards.  Hmmm...  4.05 or so, do i go up the road or up Greenwood??  Should be okay on Greenwood, so, off up i start the clamber...  Again, managing to stay in big ring the whole way, tho, a couple of dabs and one or two short walks due to total wiped-outness.  But, all in all, a nice climb, and definitely needed.  I'd told 'her indoors' that i'd be off the hill by 4.30 and home well before 5, but it just wasnt to be.  Made the road top of Greenwood at 4.30, and pushed hard up to Britten Reserve where i absolutely blazed down the 'new' singletrack, holla'ing at sheep to get the fuck out 'the way, and nearly totally overcooking the first hairpin.  Over the fence fast, down the road, down the wee reserve track (NOT skidding, which took some work) out onto the road, and flew down to Craigieburn Place and into the steps, trot trot trot, then back on and flying zig, zag, zig, zag, then rollllllling floating wafting squirrelling all through the fun wee track, watching out, careful like, on all the loose grass then absolutely flying down the last stretch, rocket speed, out onto the road and it was 4.40.  Time for the drudge.  At least there was a tail wind, ish, Pushed it hard all the way home and got in the door at 5.05, to a, thankfully, not unhappy girl.  W00t!

another no ride weekend.

disappointment.  Unable to get primed for joining the usual crew on a group ride, and thinking i'd get out a bit later in the day while the family was away in Hanmer, chores got the better of me and i didnt get out.  Didnt help that by the time i could have gotten out the heat was off putting. 

Bike related, however, i did get the disc brake installed on the Troll.  And in the evening, i took Jet (the dog) for a spin, riding the ghetto cruiser, we tootled round River Rd to Pomeroy's, where i got a rigger of NZAPA for a work do tonight, and then back round River Rd, over Swanns Rd Bridge onto Avonside, right round the wreckage to Dallington Bridge then back round the other side all the way home.  He had a great time.  I had a great time, 'cruising' all the rough stuff.  Man he's fast.  Good boy!

Wednesday night Worzle Shenanigans

Nelson to mine after work and we parked up over in Croftfield Place, yet again, much as we had for my recent ill-fated Wednesday evening (five weeks ago now).  Following that ride very similarly, we cruised round Cashmere Stream Esplanade and then up the valley betwixt Worsley and Westmorland, taking what would be a sweet line if only someone wandered up it with a weedeater; long grass getting the better of us numerous times.  Back onto the skinny singletrack and then up the zig zags, the top ones making my legs hurt to the point of getting off.

Up the road, expecting Craig to catch us any time, him having left home a similar time to us entering the valley.  We didn't see him.  Got to the dirt bottom end of Worsley and started our clamber.  I went slow; something I found myself doing on every climb this evening.  My excuse being, legs tired from last night's ride, and also the Nor'waster sapping the energy with its heat, plus my fast (tailwind) ride home tonight, not to mention the head wind to work, and headwinds both ways yesterday (and probably the day before that too!).  We stopped where we often do, and spotted Craig powering up, so we got going again, and it wasnt til i was approaching the bottom of the body bag that he overtook - riding a Liteville 301(in black).  Sweet ride!  Quick chat, and we headed up the entrance to all the mcvicars trails.  I led off on the down, peeling left down the 'new' line and proceeding to bomb it pretty well, Craig sitting far enough off my tail and Nelson beyond that.  At a big rock I baulked, once i'd seen what the roll out wasnt, so they both got past me then, and i chased, struggling to keep up.  we peeled right into the F.C. and had a great blast, with Nelson bailing up on a corner and me slipping past, chasing Craig, all the way out the best (right hand) line to the bottom.  It's improved with all the riding that has obviously been occurring on it.

Up the 4wd access back up, struggling once again on the steep bit midway, to the top of  Dave's (or my AC Joint) and we zipped off down this, me taking the rear, on account of nervousness, perhaps, wary of an injurious trail.  Anyway.  not as fast as my last ride down here, and cleaned the bit i'd crashed on, and went on to clean the rest of it all the way down, chute and all.  SWEEEET.  Climb out was hard work, again, i was shitted.  Walked a bit after our creek crossing (which is still holding up really nice).  Caught the guys and off up the 4wd again.

Craig peeled off home from here, and Nelson and me continued back up the steep 4wd in the forest to the pylons where we turned around and rode back down our old favourite, discovering how short it was, but enjoying it nonetheless.  Then it was down and out, back down the road, and back down the zigs and zags and narrow narrow overgrown (a little) singletrack into the valley and back round the esplanade to the car.

Well earned souvlaki eats on Colombo St, and an even more well earned Tuatara A.P.A at Pom's finished off a damned good evening spent.

Tuesday night Pleasantries.

Cool wee ride tonight.  Great to be back out on the bike.  Got to Pete's and we jetted to Upper Major Hornbrook to meet Steve and Robin, Wayne and Warren, Andy, and then Matt.  Up through Britten Reserve on the newish track, sweet climb, then round the old Britten trail to the road, fast descent through the cone chicane to Cavendish Saddle and onto the new trail climb.  Grunty wee climb, requiring good concentration, which takes your mind off the climbing itself.  Trail has had a bit more done to it since Nelson and me first came up here.  At Broadleaf, gravel, up through the gate to the towers, over a new stile, down round the new line and over another new stile and on down down down, twitchy to keep up with the track.

Onto Greenwood back out towards the Summit Rd start, Pete tight on my tail the whole way.  Turned around and rode back the way we'd come, me letting Pete go and him hoofing off away out front.  Took a squiz at the old gun emplacements on top, then back up the way we'd come down not long prior.  This climb keeping you focused on the riding not the climbing too, good gradient, a bit grunty, in places, and a little bit of walking on the steep rocks up top.  Past the towers again, and nor'west overspill rain started.  The trail back to Cavendish was tighter in places than the other side, but the last tack across the slope towards (yet another new stile) was awesome, wind behind, flowing across the slope and down, with a cool twisty just before the stile.

Back up the road through the 'cut' and back into the Brittens.  Sweet fast descent down the final stretch back to the cars by 8.15.