Tuesday, R&R Scottswood Lancewood Wortaloo DOCtor...

Finding myself in Nelson for 2 nights,so, hooked up a ride.  Rode and met Ian outside the Prince Albert 9.20am and we headed up Maitai valley in his truck, parking at the start of Sharland's Rd.  Over the gate and off up the road, 9.30ish, chatting and cruising a good pace, occasionally the strong southerly wind pushed us along, otherwise, a lovely sunny day, watching the kms click by, passed some nice fresh log rounds, and following a gark in the trail, then a couple kms later a trailer with a blown wheel and no drawbar, full of nice fresh log rounds, stuck on the track.  Another km and we were at the top.  I had a wee go at the grunty wee climb to the start, but front wheel washed out and I had to walk, an hour after leaving the bottom.

Into the trail, sticking close to Ian's tail, really enjoyed all the switchbacks, and was very pleased to find all of them rideable and not one was nearly as bad as anything on the 629.  Awesome descent, and he warned me well before the first grunty wee climb turned up, gear shifted early, and upwards for a bit, then into douglas fir forest, and a few ups and downs, twists and turns.  All the time i felt like Ian was holding back in order to guide me through.  I reckon he could easily have ripped through here, and i would have followed merrily, probably being caught out here or there.  Was a wee while and we rolled down and through out to Bob's Fern Rd.  Here, instead of dropping straight in, we treadled further up the road to higher up the Scottswood Wiggles and tucked in here.

Flat out down, weaving and wending through the forest, transitioning into Lancewood Wiggles, and on down and through, flowing and speeding, bridges came and went, climbs too.  Eventually, popped out onto the other end of Bob's Fern Rd.  Across, and into PWortaloo.  Another cool descent, in and out of native, the odd bridge(?), the odd uppy bit, and Ian pointing out entrances and exits here and there from other trails (incl SuppleJack, which sounds like one I'll hit up next time I'm around).

And, finally, What the DOCtor ordered.  A little less tech, but some really blasty speediness, and the odd off camber corner that would SO catch you out if you weren't onto it.  Eventually, we were rolling down the bottom of the valley, and I was like, Wow, is that the end?  and it was.  Rolled on out, down the last of the gravel, over the gate and back to the truck, an hour and a quarter after leaving the top of R&R.  Nice!  a longer downhill than ascent!