Saturday Blowin' Hard with a twist.

Left home just after 7am, stopping for gas and snacks, then got my way out to the end of Maori Reserve Rd, finding Nelson already there.  He disappeared for ages getting a beer into a creek (apparently miles down a bank) and we got going up the steep trail just after 8am, granny gear and grinding away, track in well graded form compared to the rutsville it's been in the past, making it a lot easier to handle the steep.  Rode the all the way to the big boggy hole then we walked all the bits you walk, rode a few times, and walked some more, as you do on the Blowhard.  Snack at the top natural stopping bit, then down and across a bit, stopping at the bush edge and being blown away by the view of Banks Peninsula out there.  A lot of norwest wind blowing across the tops here too.  Into the steep gravelly downhill, dropper posts earning their keep, and then through sweet twisty singletrack before getting out on the ridge again.  Then climbing again, out in the open and eventually getting to the Bypass track, and continuing on up.  Usual amount of walking and riding, meeting a woman with 2 dogs near the top of Richardson.  Topped out dead on 2 hours since departing the bottom.  Awesome views from up there too, and wind, so we sheltered behind a dracophyllum for snacks before heading back down.

W00tfest downhill, back down, steep fun and at the Bypass we took a right.  Now, this was a track.  Some annoying boggy bits at the start but they soon vanished and steepness began.  Tricknical sections abounded and steep techy rocks and roots were fun to be had.  Passed the woman and dogs part way down and she couldn't believe we could ride it.  On down, steeper and steeper, so much fun, brakes getting pretty hot.  Just before what was probably the steepest little section, Nelson decided he needed to change out his rear pads.  So, walked down this bit and parked up.  The woman turned up half way through and continued on down, and I had a rest while he changed his pads.  Just after here the trail turned rooty.  Unrideably rooty.  Walked these sections, then steep riding again.

Then a junction, hung a right down to a wee creek and over the bridge and steep steps climb, then cramp set into my left hamstring.  Paaaiiinnnn.  Struggled to get on and off the bike for the next couple bits, but stretched it and was careful and we made the Mt Richardson main track and descended down on through Glentui.  Around the gravel road and then super fast (over 80kph) downhill on road, and more gravel then out to the main road for the long hot slog back towards the cars.  Part way along a straight we found some cherries which were small but delicious.  Then up the gravel road towards the cars the wind was strong in our face making it hard work.  Exhausted back to the car at 12.  Cold beer.  gooood.  Scorching hot trip back to town, and slow due to the Bogan-fest in Rangoon.  Home around 1.20..

27 kms, and I did 1m shy of 1000 (Nelson did 1004 somehow).