Sat'day Morning Jettison through the forest

Headed out about 9 with Jet, in the Fiat, across town to Worsley's, for a ride of ever diminishing circles.  Parked up top and headed on up the main drag, riding the ridges - multichoice singletrack I called it.  Cleaned it pretty much all the way up, a couple dabs, and then up past the Forest Closed sign and into the B-Line zone.  Clambered on up the upper access track and dropped straight on into Tommy2, flowing down the loamy trail, swooping 'round the bends and rolling over the drops and roots.  Lovely flowy ride down, just the sound of the birds, happy jet alongside or behind, the brakes hussing all the way down down and occasionally the scrape of a tire on loose dirt, rocks or roots.  Through the bottom and climbing around and up the access track.  At the junction headed up the Guts track, climbing climbing climbing, catching a couple dudes after the pylon gap and passing them up at the corner.  Last leg to the clifftop was a puffer, but rode it all at my own pace, finally selecting granny for that last section.  A few bods at the top, I rode on past and up the Original, with variations.  Blew out the rocky section Nelson cleaned last time, and then headed back up for the top, and on up the upper access.

This time dropped into my new one, up just past the entrance to Deb's, and down through the canyon.  Took a pic in here, cos it was such a nice zone.

Then it was across and down through the dark forest, and across the creek.  Looked like a bloody trailbike had been through, the wankers.  Still, they'd carved the track out a bit, almost defining it better.  Into the open space and around the cool rock, rode it all the way through and into the forest for the long and off camber sidle.  Appeared that motorbike had peeled off up the hill here, while I swooped up and down across the slope and tucked back into Tommy2's.  Down this, once again, lovely buzz down here and through the bottom and back up the access track to the Junction.  What a day.

Next up it was back up the Guts climb, just up to the cliff top this time, so, basically, all the worst of it.  No one else around here.  Was disgusted to see broken bottles on the clifftop and trash chucked over the cliff edge.  Fucking 4wheel-driver cunzors.  Into what was Wayne's World, is looking rather un-ridden, then around and across to the lower reaches, then straight into Fight Club for a swoopy joyful blast down here dropping on through to the bottom and back into the access climb.

Final time up the Guts, this time just to the pylon gap, chatting with a couple guys here before heading back down first on the left hand side then across into our old favourite swooping down through the trees and over that feature that used to seem like such a big vertical drop, then around into the new exit from this, back onto the access climbing track, just above the watertank down there.  Back up to the junction and across the main Worsley Track, into the forest and down the jumpy track, jumping some, rolling round others.  Climbed over the fence gap and then down the final section, jumping more and rolling around others, out the bottom and down the 4wd track, then climbed up to where people park and down the new finishing track, which turns out is called Epitaph, back to the car.  Nicely nicely.

Tuesday night eastern

Nelson collected me from mine after work and we headed out to Scumner and up to Evans Pass.  Straight into the Goddles, nasty climb taxing us both and he discovered a weird clunkiness in his back end, so stopped and fiddled, and decided to just ride it.  On up and out, going pretty good.  I was in front for a bit so held him back til the top.  Then he took the lead and we fanged it down towards Livingston.  The last throes I was in utter cruise mode, weaving back and forth, the bike doing everything perfectly.  Smoothest descent of this trail for a long time.  At Livingston we tried a new way, heading around the walking track to the right.  Excellent wee track, sidles around for a while, gradually climbing, some big exposure on the right, then into a pinchy wee climb, struggling up through a couple of steps and steeps, then over the ridge and over a stile and down down down, fun descent with some steps and trickiness to Breeze Col.  He had a fiddle with his handlebars here and then we were off up the narrow track above the road around and into Breeze Bay track, going fast around this.  I had a wee moment of both wheels slipping on our rock, but the rest of it was smooth and funky.  Back at Breeze Col we headed back up the narrow trail again this time bombing down to the end of the road and onto the trail below the road back to Breeze. Then it was the road back towards Evans, slowly climbing til we got to the 4wd trail back up to the singletrack for the final blast back to the car.

Mapped, 14.75 kms, over 500m altitude.

Labour Weekend, Little Akafatty

At the bach, and my fatty was over here left from last time I didn't get out, so this morning got out.  Headed up over to Decanter, bombed down the hill into there and continued on the long climb to the high point below Rehutai and the bomb down into Menzies Bay.  Stopped short at their closed gate and headed back up the hill, high point and bomb back down to Decanter, then back up and over from there.  863 m altitude, 24 kms, 1 hour 50 mins riding.

Wellington 6: back to Polhill

Polhill revisited.  Final day of the trip, packed up our shit and loaded it all into the downstairs room, then hit the city traffic across, yet again to Aro St, heading up Holloway road again and into Clinical.  Climb climb climb, tired legs slowing me down, slowing everyone down, except, seemingly, Nelson.  Breather once again in the park, and then into Highbury Fling.  Around this, climbing mostly, then up Sawmill and the short section of fenceline then Windmill, popping up to the Windmill for another look. An actual view of the city and beyond this day, rather different to the cloud we were inside of a couple days prior.  Then it was into Car Parts, bombing down and around, back across the road and some discussion of playing down the Rollercoaster, back up Highbury before heading down Transient, but nope, straight into Sawmill down into Transient, wondering this time how I'd gotten so hung up on the rooty bit at the top.  Good fang down the whole trail again this tiem, dusty.  Regrouped same spot as last time, then down to Serendipity.  On the 'drop' Alistair flatted, so him and Pete and Nelson and Mark stopped to drop it a couple of times, while I ploughed on ahead and ended up down the bottom first.  Steve and Wayne and a few others rolled up and eventually the dropping four turned up.

Mappage, 16.64 kms and only 381 m altitude climbed.  Not much, compared to what we're used to here in Churchur.

And that was the trip.  None of the trails were particularly technical.  All pretty smooth easy tracks, especially when you compare them to such like Greenwood or Godley even, and we don't even consider them to be very technical tracks...  And, there's a fair bit more of Wellington we never did.  I wish we'd gotten out Red Rocks, and out at the West Wind project area, and up into the Akatarawas, and maybe even if we'd ventured up to the Kiriwhakapapa out of the Wairarapa. Always wanted to do that one.  Oh well.  Another time...

Wellington 5: Salvation, Deliverance and Makara again

Day Five!  Twas decided to play in Makara again, and include a lap up and down Salvation and Deliverance.  The climb up Salvation was sweet, and waaay shorter than I'd remembered it.  Seemed to take no time at all.  At the top I rolled off up the road for a bit to look for another apparently 'rocky' entrance to Deliverance that I'd read about online, but no.  Rolled back down to see the rest of the crew arrive.  Off into the descent.  Nelson out front, then, i think, Pete then me, and I thought Mark was right on my tail, but it turned out it was Alistair, rattling down the rocks and roots behind me.  Part way down the rockiest section I found myself blind from runny eyes, and had to pull up.  I let Alistair go and then followed.  A few techknuckle features later and there's a bit hold up where Nelson had dropped off the big drop and his front wheel had burped him off the track.  Bike cluttered down into the woods and him left hanging on.  We all gradually regrouped, then Warren wandered down with a flat too.  After that was fixed, off again.  More interspersed techknuckle features then I round a corner and there's Pete with a garked knee (again!) and a very close call to speak of, what with the exposed warratah sticking out of the side of the track that could have pierced his ribs if he'd landed worserer.  Rolling again and into that wee chutey bit, I cleaned all the rocky entry, but got to the root drop into chute and baulked.  Quickly ran down and remounted and rolled through to a regroup before the final up and down and in and out of the creek to final exit climb.  Phew.   DeMaperanced - 4.82 km loop, with only 155m of altitude - surprising that is..

The vehicle drivers took the vehicles to Makara and we all rode through to the Cafe at the Cricket Grounds for lunch.  Then a brief sojourn to Mud Cycles for a good gawk and off back along the roads to the park.  Up Koru, the proper way this time, then Sally Alley and brief regroup to enter new climb Three Bros leading to the Snake Charm up to the top.  Pete and Alistair headed down to do Peak Flow (cos they'd missed it the day before), and then they were chasing back up, while the rest of the crew did North Face, and Nelson, Mark and myself did Trickle Falls, which was super uber techknuckle.  The 'filter' at the top a damned good indication of a few of the features to follow.  I walked a few, but rode a heap.  Nelson rode everything, but even Mark actually walked one or two (one or two less than me tho).  We ended up out on some street, Allington Rd, up which we rode and into Allington Rd Connector track which crossed where JFK becomes Smokin'.  We heard the other's voices here and they arrived and we all rode down Smokin' to where it crossed Snake Charmer where some headed down and out (Steve, Robin, Tony???) and the rest of us clambered on back up to the top again.  From here we thought we'd check out T3 which was cool, lots of interesting features, like a lizard covered in bike tires, and a chain-swing boardwalk thing.  At an intersection there was the option of Vertigo down, or Varley's.  Nelson, Mark, Alistair and me chose Vertigo, while the rest took Varley's.  Vertigo was awesomesauce.  Not as rugged as Trickle, but lots of really fun steeeeeeep sections.  Cleaned it all and felt damned good about it.  It ends on the same final stretch as Trickle, so we rolled up to Allington Rd again and up the connector and then down Smokin', Ridgeline Extension, SWIGG, Starfish, blazing out to the end, then rolling down and out to the Cafe to join the rest of the fellas and fellesse then to head back to base.  All good...Mappedkara - 20kms and nearly 700m alt.

Wellington 4: sMakara

Day four of the annual trip.  Alistair had brake trouble, so him and Pete got his bike to a bikeshop and we loaded up the vehicles and headed out to Makara Peak without him. Headed up gentle easy climbing Koru, and then Mark decided the 'Koru Short Cut' looked like a good idea.  It wasn't.  Him and Nelson nearly came to fisticuffs over who had the lead, which played out in front of me, causing me to stop and everyone else (who followed us anyway - some sensible ones plodded on up the normal route), and get off and walk.  Stopped at the 'skills' area and mucked about a little bit.  Nelson dropped the larger drop, I did the middle which I found surprisingly big.  Various others, Pete, Andy, Mark did various versions of the same.  Then we headed off up Sally Alley, cruising around and up this, then into Missing Link and into the Aratihi climb up peeling off for Upper Leaping Lizard.  This was a w00t! fest down, yumpy yumpy and squirrelly squirrelly through the lower sections to the creek bridge.  Up a bit and there's a 'bail out' route or then the possum line route?  Pete got the call from Alistair that his bike was ready, so we got going up the PossumLine - Yuck!  Nasty switchbacky climb, Pete came up with us thinking it would be a quick way out, decided it wasn't, so he headed back down and 'bailed out' to go get Alistair.  The rest of us raged down Nikau Valley which had some hairy corners, then clambered back up to Missing Link, climbing again all the way up Aratihi.  Peaked out at the top and decided that the new flow track Peak Flow would be fun.  It kinda was and kinda wasn't.  Not techy enough, just a big swooping jumpy rolling trail, with sketchy-as grip with it's ballbearing-surface.  Lots of grins tho.  Then was straight back up Snake Charmer to the top again, and this time rode around A to Z and across into North Face.  Now this was fun.  Way more fun than Peak Flow.  We blasted down this and then into JFK and Smokin', then SWIGG and eventually finished off down Starfish.  Finally a good bit of climbing, over 800 for the day, all in only a couple of hours riding.  Pete and Alistair came up and did Ridgeline and we all met up and rolled on out back to camp.

Wellington 3: Polhill Barking Parts

Day three of the annual trip.  Headed across town to the Aro Valley again, and met up with Nelson's friend Ken and my work buddy David.  Headed up Holloway Rd, funky house valley, and up into George Denton Park, hitting up Clinical, meandery wee climb zigging and zagging up through nice regenerating native bush, as do most of our fair capital's trails, eventually topping out in a wee park.  Big regroup here for everyone to get their breath back from the final steep of the climb, then through the fence to the edge of Karori Sanctuary, and into Highbury Fling - another climber through similar regen bush.  A couple of ridges it pops out into the viewdom, but mostly in the bush.  Eventually, it finished (observing Transient peeling off to the left) at a suburban street, and we hit up Sawmill Track climbing up to the Sanctuary fence again.  Followed this a bit and then across the road and into Windmill trail which meandered around below the windturbine (swoop swoop swoop as backing sound).  The wind was fierce and blustery and in places the scudding clouds were losing their moisture into trees which were over-dripping the track.  This track turned into Car Parts Extension, then eventually into Barking Emu which was quite a bit of up and down, with one ridge which nearly blew us off our bikes, and eventually ended up at the top of the Tip Track (an infamous Welly climbing track).  Regrouped here and didn't stick around on account of there being very little respite from the wind.  Headed back along Barking Emu and 'Parts Extension, seeming much longer than memory had allowed, and more climbing than I would have thought possible considering how much climbing there was going out.  Popped out at the Windmill and had a good look at it, then dropped into Car Parts, muchly different from my previous memory of it last time Nelson and me rode it, fanging down through drops and twists and turns, I had Ken on my tail and he was fast and hard on me, pushing me.  Managed to survive this and popped out across the road to the fence again.  Regroup then back around to Sawmill and down, and dropped into top of Transient.  Got rather messed up on some roots near the top, nearly losing my shit, juuuust managing to pull it back in and riding it out, then around the corner crossing Highbury and bombing on down the rest of it.  Great flowy trail down here, fast.  Chasing Alistair and once coming upon him extracting himself from a tree, he got moving again ahead and slowly losing me around a corner or so ahead, then not long later I come round a corner and there he is wrapped around a tree again.  I rode past and continued on down.  We did a big regroup where the trail meets a 4wd section, then coasted down and into Serendipity, a socalled Black Trail...  Fun.  Mildly more technical (but not that much) than Transient, swoopy and droppy in places, finishing off with a big steep cobbled bit on the hillside above the bottom of the Polhill Reserve where we all regrouped and headed back to base.  Rather late lunch and then nobody seemed to be in for a 2nd ride of the day cos it was quite late by this time.

Mapola

Wellington 2: WainuioMiramata

Into the van early, 8 am, and off to Wainuiomata.  Headed for Wainuiomata Mtnbike Park to meet up with Nelson's friend (and Craig's brother) Brendan.  He turned up and led us up through the climbing Jungle Gym, then up Labyrinth, and finally Towai Traverse to the top of Freewheel, which was a hoot of a downhill, even with the heinous northerly howling across the tops.  One point on Nelson's tail, he caught a little air and moved a good metre sideways before he'd landed.  Some mechanical with Marie's bike in a switchbacky section, and then not far below this we were out again at the beginning of Labyrinth.  Up this again, and then where Towai Traverse takes off we headed down 491 which was a neat downhill, lots of rough and a couple of interesting features.  This joined Spoonhill, then peeled off on Nga Tuna, ending down on the Wetland Loop.  Hung a right and rode around past the bottom of Snails up Directa back onto Jungle Gym and up.  Labyrinth again for a little bit and off down Snails, then around Wetland Loop to Directa again and this time jumping onto the lower half of BeeLine down and back to the vehicles.  Good couple hours spent, with 15odd kms travelled, but only 413m gained. Wainuiomapped.

Drove up the hill and at the top all but the drivers jumped out and did the downhill.  This was fun.  Back in the vehicles and Pete (supposedly) mistakenly took a wrong turn taking us back up the hill again.  No U-turn possibilities at the top so over and down around the round about at the bottom and back up to the top.  So this time 2 volunteered not to ride and Pete and Steve got to experience the downhill themselves.  Another excellent run down, except for Nelson's spectacular crash off the trail.

Then it was back into the vehicles, exiting the correct direction across the waterfront of Petone and back down the motorway to Wellington.  Lunch had, and off to Miramar trails for a play.   Up Conviction, which becomes near the top Bootleg and or Juvenile Delinquent.  Bit of a mess about at the top and I took upper Bootleg down while the others all went down the jumpy dual slalom course.  Bit of a look around on the top around the water tanks and off down Jail Break.  Losing Nelson somewhere in the process.  Some confusion around. Around Repeat Offender back onto Conviction up for another blast. Down Bootleg again and this time down Solitary while I think the others went down Jail Break again.  I think I was on my own here.  Waited around, was this when we lost Nelson?  Unknown.  some of them pulled out here, and I went back up for another blast of Jailbreak whereas not sure if others did Solitary or what.  Then we all rode out and it was realised Robin was missing, and somehow he'd totally missed us all riding out past him while he was in waiting to take photos of us riding past...?  Miramapped

Wellington 1: Mounting Victoria

Annual trip, this year to Wellington.  Large group - Steve, Pete, Andy, Wayne, Warren, Tony, Nelson, Alistair, Robin, Mark and Marie, and of course, me.  Flew up Friday morning, got a van and wee truck, got to accommodation about 11.30 and got our bikes sorted up into something rideable.  Quick shop, then off for a short (and shorter for some) ride on Mt Vic, just up the road.  Climbed up onto the ridge then up the ridge to the top.  Here we went down what was thought to be a black diamond track (but was later discovered on the maps (by me) to just be an 'Other' track... oops).  It dropped us down a very steep and rooty which ended on a sidling trail that took us around towards the Majoribanks track.  It was here that the undoing of the party began.  Us faster chaps continued on around another 'block' of trail then climbed up a climbing track.  If the boys, who I'd not realised were on our tails (- thinking they'd taken a much more sensible approach of actually riding bike tracks), had just climbed up the Majoribanks track they would have found us at the top of it - instead they gave up and dropped out.  From here we (Nelson, Mark, Alistair, Pete and me) rode up a bit further and got onto the SuperD track, which turned out to follow the ridge all the way down and had some cool sections on it.  One particularly rooty section Pete smashed up his knee on.  We ended up at the top of Newtown and dropped out by the Bowls Club (next door to where my friends Nik and Blair lived), down past the hospital and down to Basin Reserve and back to base.  I forgot to turn on my MapMyRide so no record here... but this was Pete's... including the treadle to Garage Project we did for an excellent tasting and tour of the brewery...

Tuesday Night Pleasant quick GreenBrittenwood.

Nelson picked me up out front of work a bit early and we stopped by on a job of his at Falsgrave St, then onwards to the top of Major Hornbrook well before 5.30pm.  Waited for Craig who rang a couple of times lost on the way up the hill, so I got going just after 5.30 and Nelson and him followed behind once he'd turned up.  I had a nice easy going run up Britten, stopping a couple of times to see if they were coming, and finally saw them so kept moving on and awaited their imminent arrival in the trees on the ridge, but moved off before they got to me then had Nelson tight on my tail by the time I reached the road.  Hello to Craig here.

Across the road and over the fence to the new climber, zigged then zagged across the slope til we met the trail up here and on up that towards the top.  I stayed on their tails for a while but eventually had to renege and they slowly moved off ahead.  Up top of Mt Pleasant, first Craig, then Nelson allowed me the lead, Craig on account of him being on his rigid 1988 Yeti, and Nelson due to his cat bite puncture wounds on his hand.  So, I had a nice run, mellow and easy round to the stile, then also here, Nelson noticed his seat wasn't lowering, leaving him stuck in the old skool (but not quite as old skool as Craig!).  Off down below here, through the rocks I got a bit of a groove on and enjoyed it, tho at times my balance was a bit wonky.  Nice swoopy blast down through the tussocks, scattering more sheep the lower we got.

Paused while Nelson checked out his seatpost on the farmtrack above Greenwood, to no avail, and then got going, down, past the ruins, and into the ruination of rocks.  Periods of high speed, periods of just rolling, coasting, cruising, then blazing.  Stinky last big corner, then down, and the yumpy before the narrow big rocks, my foot propelled itself out of my pedal, causing some concern.  Rest of the way was good but I could feel Nelson gaining on me.  Just out of Gloomy Gulch the trail had had some work done, and we pulled up here in my usual stopping place for Craig to catch up.  Off again, taking a bit on the rocks to get my feet in, then it was Nelson chasing the whole way down.  I'd gain, getting away a little then he'd be gaining on me, pushing me harder.  Coming into the wee creek valley it sounded like his hand was pretty painful.  The blast from here down to the rocky-ups was supreme, and I selected the right gear for the first rocky, tho, still had to just push off the rock with my foot to keep moving on, then swooped on down through to the end.  Bit of a rest here, saying gudday to a Surly couple riding up the road, and being ignored by an assortment of roadies passing us by.  6.30ish it was as we sat there, and decided to move on back up the trail.

Climbing Greenwood is not nearly as bad as you might think.  Actually, was pretty good.  Gnarly rocky sections to get through, but mostly it's pretty good.  I was certainly surprised at how not unenjoyable it was.  Near the top, the few rocky sections made me wonder how the hell I was continuing to continue, but once at the ruins, everything was good again.  The other thing that surprised me was that Nelson and Craig really didn't get that far ahead of me.  And, I rode more than Craig, altho, rigidity is harder on techy rocks than is cushy suspension...

So.  Onto the road again, climbing, then blasting down through Britten, and back to the car, the time being about 7.10, allowing us plenty of time to get to the Histed Twop for our PFMTBC Trip Meeting by 7.30.  Beer, food, company.  All good.  Alas, my MapMyRide has thrown a wobbly and not seemed to have synced this ride, so no altitude, speed or distance stats to be relished...

tho, calculated altitude off the Topo maps, we did 420odd metres, which isnt that bad for a short ride...

Sunday reGruppo before the winds.

Forth ride in 5 days.  Left mine at 5-past for an early 8.20 start at Steve's.  Pretty much early, being overtaken by Andy and Tony in the Hydestor van on Opawa Rd and finding Steve out front ready for us.  Short wait for Wayne to show up, whilst the overslept Pete was chasing.  We headed around Aynsley Tce and up Crapaki for a change (most of the year since last up here).  Easy climb, cruising chatting to Tony for a start, Pete catching the boys before the gate regroup.  Steve continued on ahead and got a good lead.  I rode with the boys for a second then engaged pursuit-mode, catching up and chatting for ages til the rest caught up just before the flat.  Up the last climb Andy's turn for the chatter. 

Regruppo'd up top then up Vernon.  I was pushing as hard as my multiple-days-riding-weary legs would allow, finding them surprisingly not lacking.  At the Farmtrack halfway point a young guy on a Nomad got in behind me and so my pressure was on.  He was fresher, younger, and catching me...  Ugh, it hurt getting over the last rocks and along the final stretch before dropping to the road.  Another regrupping here and off around the Traverse.  Nice pace through here too, with tail winds assisting along the downward travelling length before the pond.  Gale force winds forecast (which hit much laterer) hadn't shown up thankfully (cos when they did hit, the hills were obscured by the dust of the Canterbury Plains...).  Brief pause at the usual spot, then onwards through the perfect morning to the top of Vic Park, everybody rolling up in short shrift, before heading down Coffee Break and avoiding the see-saw and heading down across the rabbit paddock into the rocky rocks of the rock garden. 

Gums, fun.  (really must get up there with the chainsaw and clear that lefthand trail).  Skidder site, regrouped and off down Shazza's, weird lines abounding, especially towards the bottom, and then into Brents, managing to nail the pop up to the left, then taking the high line all the way down.  Again, no body too far behind and all for another regroupage betwixt creek and fence.  Off down Flow(?) finding myself untidy at times, but managing to hold off Andy who I felt like was gaining fast.  Into Bridges and some random control, commenting that I always feel like I'm gonna lose it on that dry clay leading across the top before the turn back up valley and dropping down into the swoopiness of (was once called)NuBridges (whether it still deserves the name New... I'm not so sure...).  Fun yumpi-pumpiness down through here and then fast blast down to the creek. 

This time, gear selected well in time and balance in check.  Cleaned the crossing into the first climby bit, then around the first corner, as usual no worries, then up up and somehow cleaned the second corner, rejoicing with a slow pedal, hearing the boys below, then grunting on up the next, Pete not too far behind, and up the steepest bit into the last two corners, polishing everything.  Another regroup at the socalled Bowenvale Bonus, before climbing what we decided was that, and into Old Skool, or Bowenvale as the nom-de-terre.  Sweet blast down this, tho the lower we got the more overgrown it was, hiding holes and rocks in various spots, making for some cautious speed.   A few groms on DH rigs passed under us and we arrived at the bottom, 10am on the dot, to find a DH grom convention.  Lucky we didn't meet any of them up top somewhere. 

Down Bowenvale to Kaizuka, another breakfast had along with a nice Funk Estate Renegade Red, then it was off to Steve's to watch the England Aussie game he'd recorded earlier, a lot while we rode.  Hallertau whisky barrel aged stout as an accompaniment, leaving the day with a rosy glow.


Mapppppd, just about 30kms, with 534 m climbed.

Saturday Hanmerific

Nelson and me met in Amberly after 9.30am and transferred to his car and hoofed it up to Hanmer.  A bite to eat and we got going, around Jacks Pass Rd and on up Chattertons, gravel road section waaay longer than I ever remember it.  Up the walking track for a bit then across and up the seemingly seldom used singletrack, leading to the skidder track up to the pylon.  Steeper and steeper it gets til we topped out just in the trees.  Nelson had a faff with his drivetrain, cleaning and lubing it, then we set off down through the dark forest.  A bit greasy in here, so took it quite easy.  Around, some climbing and a few more wee descents, and Nelson dropped his front wheel into something and went over the bars, not far from the Beehives.  Through these and on around the access track to the road and over this up to the Tank.

Into the Tank Track and descending and cornering like anything.  A tad greasy in places, roots inclusive.  Stopped briefly a little way down to get the lay of the land and spot where the trail was headed.  Onwards and down, getting the groove the further we went, except for one near miss where I seriously thought I was gonna crash, but somehow scraped through.  Into the forest and quick climb out to the open.

Across this and into the climb for the Yankee Zephyr.  Climb climb climb, a couple switchies then into the forest and over a creek and back out to a skidder site.  and into the descent.  We enjoyed the top section, it's a little wider and you can rail stuff and jump a bit and it's fun, but the lower swoopies are too narrow, rutted, and you're constantly fighting for balance.

Finished this and headed off down the Swamp track, which started out too tight, but got better and better, faster and faster.  A blast towards the end.  Then it was across the road and up Timberland trail, nasty climb for me, gasping for air, but eventually out onto the last steep 4wd bit to the skidder site at the top.

A rest here and a bit of a snack.  and off up Joliffe Saddle track, climbing climbing, and around the final corner to find a bunch of guys at the top.  One of them said, "Nice bike", and I looked at theirs and there was an orange 5 Spot.  indeed, it was the dude who'd let me have a wee go on that very 5 Spot and who told me WideOpen were selling ex-demo frames back in May last year that cinched me getting mine.  I told him as much.  They'd just climbed up where we were heading down.  Into it we plummetted.  Mint descent, fast and raily, drops off steps and surprise corners and it was over way quicker than I remembered it.

Across the bridge and up some steps and up to the road, climbing a short distance up to Big Foot...  One that was shut down a few years back (2008 or so (last time I'd ridden it) for logging and apparently has been back in action for about a year.  Great to get into it again.  Sweet climb up, zigging and zagging for ages, up through Fir forest, coming out into the open now and then, where it used to be totally enclosed the whole way.  At the top we caught a young guy.  He took off while we rested for a bit, and then we hit it.  Entirely different to memory, because it used to be in tall tall forest, whereas now it's open and you can see it ahead all the way down.  But it's a great trail and rides really well.

Eventually out to the road, and a quick coast down this and into the Detox climb.  As ALWAYS, longer than memory would permit, and then we're into it and it's again different and yet the same.  After the 'chicken line' option (which we didn't take) we passed a guy fixing a flat, and then it was the steep rutty chute out to the end, where his mates were waiting.

Across into Mach 1 and climbing a bit but not as much as I thought and a few descents and tight corners.  Across Camp track and then up the Dog Stream track, then up Jolliffes road, the climbing really dragging me down here, and into Red Rocks.  Nelson was waiting for me at the top.  We did the short down and up and I stopped to put my glasses away, then continued on.  Quite greasy in places but fun nonetheless.  At Eeny Meeny we decided not to bother with the rest of Redrock and took that instead, which was cool.  Went where Red Rock used to finish, and into more forest and a couple of choices in there.

Then it was just down to Timberland, along and across the Park and then a quick climb to Torquay Terrace and a nice coast down here back to the car.  Went to go for a swim but the queue was so big we bailed and grabbed a bite to eat and then came back home, via me picking up the car in Amberly.  Home by 5.

Mapped.  Surprisingly only 568 m gained, felt like a lot more...

Thursday night Worsley ups and downs

Usual pick up from work and through to bottom of Worsley's, parking on the flat next to the poplar trees (just by what will be the entrance to the new park).  Craig turned up on his 1988 Yeti, crazy classic, mint condition, and we trundled on up the hill.  Hopped onto Fluffy Sheep for the climb up, them bowling on ahead at speed and me left behind gasping for air.  Plugged some asthma gas in and still gasped but made it up and then up the road from here.  Through the gate on the right and into the climb on the right hand side.  Beginning of the steep there was a fallen over bushy vine covered tree, leaning into the gorse on the left.  Had to get off and push through it, then, ugh, breathing killing me up the steepest, and a little greasy in here too.  Finally out to the leveling off, mini stream crossing, then more steep and the other two were awaiting me at the top, Nelson on the phone.  Quick descent, then climb again, but easier, and then another small descent and more climb, around over Braille track and on up up up, a couple of groms wafting down through the jumps next to us as we ascended.  Out the top and onto the main drag, seeing some guys that'd been at the carpark when we rolled through.  We duly ignored the Forest Closed sign and headed up the entrance, then on up the route to Tommy2's.

Took the first left, into Debbie Does Dallas, nice roll down here, into the dark and on down, Craig really enjoying it, then into Alice's Restaurant.  First few sections all good, but then when the going got steep I got chicken and walked a few corners.  Below the rocky wall I got my groove back.  Just before the next creek crossing, Craig lost his front wheel over the edge of where Nelson crashed back in May, breaking a spoke on his nearly 30 year old wheel.  Rolled out the rest and up the exit track to the junction.  Craig bailed out here on account of the wheel... heading down.  Nelson and me headed up the Guts track, cleaned it all, overtook some groms up top at the clifftop and then we rolled on up the old Original line.

On up the Tommy2's access track and all the way to the top (cos Nelson thought the uber-Enduro dude on his tail was me...).  Chatted with him for a bit and another group of huckers passed through and then we headed back down to our new trail down the funky boulder strewn gulch and through the dark forest, a couple of whoopdedoos, then (a trail seeming to come in here from the right (note to self: explore next time...)) following the stream a bit, then out into the open (below Deb's), around the rocks now, then back into the forest, sidling, seemingly just above Alice's, off cambernation, on across the slope to the 2/3rds down Tommy2's, railing and nailing this all, blasting down to the bottom.  Back into the exit climb, light getting a bit dim now, catching 3 guys Nelson knew, chatting with them a bit, before heading on down the outgoing trail, me baulking on the log again, and Nelson smacking his derailleur on a rock just before it, and it somehow locking the switch on it!?!?.  Rolling again and out the finish, down the wee singletrack from the upper carpark.

Down the road and into the Far Side trails.  Utopia appears to be no longer, and light was failing, so Fluffy Sheep, out in the open, it was, back down again.  Swoopy swoopy, popping yumpies at the bottom and down round the corner and down back to the car, streetlights on by this stage.

Noodle Canteen and a BOOM to finish.  

Mapped, nearly 16 kms, and just over 680m altitude climbed.