Top of the South, Day 4: Copperminding our P's & Q's

Monday 21st dawned fine and sunny, AGAIN, and it was a slowish start, i think roughly 9.30ish departure, riding through to and up the Brook then into the Codgers area around and up to Tantragee and on up round the Dun Mountain track.  Gentle and easy going it is and we made the 300 odd metre picnic table in pretty good time.  Onwards again and eventually getting to the Third House.  I was quite tired by this stage, feeling the effects of 3 solid rides and lack of resting or eating.  Arse and feet and hands had been getting numb(ish) on the way too.  Eventually the rest of the crew cruised in and we rested and talked smack for a while.  Nice hot day, lots of sun.

Back into the forest and onwards up, not too far, only a few kms to the opening out of the mineral belt, and on up to a very windy aptly named Windy Point.  Cooling us down nicely.  Great spin round from here to Coppermine Saddle for another rest in the sun.  I'd had enough of sitting around, so got going, figuring if anyone was gonna catch me up the could.  Nelson dropped in behind me and seemed happy enough to hang in there for a while.  Quite a blast this downhill.  Cant really let it all hang out because of traction issues in the corners, and not really knowing what's coming up next.  But, still, a good speed on and down we went.  At about the 10 minute mark, my hands were getting sore, and my back was aching, so i pulled up for a bit of a rest and stretch.  Not long after we stopped Alistair and Nico turned up, with Nico in agony, having only about 50mms of useable travel and crappy brakes he was having to hang on hard to.  Nelson led off and i followed, with Alistair on my tail.  He seemed happy enough there.  From the sounds of it, Nico held back for a good while, til the others turned up.  Nelson set a good pace, and Alistair and me held on, letting him set the speed, which grew and grew and grew as we entered the taller scrub, then forest.  Massive blast down here, eventually through a couple of fast tight corners onto a boardwalk into a corner for a bridge, then super fast blast down the walking track from here.  At one point, with Nelson a safe distance ahead, i came over a jumpy rise and he'd disappeared!  I thought, "where the fuck is he?" "oh, there he is" his smiling face off to the right of the trail.  He'd hit the air, and ended up off the track, braking hard through the ferns.  Not much further down here we left the forest onto an open 4wd track and pulled up for the regroup.  A few minutes went by and the others started rolling in, Pete first i think, then most of the rest in reasonably quick succession.

From here, it's a blast down the 4wd trail, past the bottom of Peaking Ridge, then through a creek, climb out of that, then past Bob Taylor Rd onto the singletrack again, with a small section reminiscent of Cullens, then past the bridge and onwards along the pipeline track.  But, Mark and Marie went ahead, as did the boys, but Pete had had a blow out further back so Nelson and me cruised back to see what was up.  All good got rolling again and the last blast round the Pipeline then down the new section that wasnt finished last time i'd been round here, which was awesome.  Nice finishing blast through pines and then into the bush at the bottom of 629.

Finished with road, then Maitai bikepath all the way back to town.  Nelson and me went for a feed at Akbaba's and then joined the others at Sprig and Fern on Hardy St, bikes all hung out front.  Couple of pints easing the weariness in our limbs.