Saturday Pleasantly Trolling the Gods

Glourious day, for a good jaunt over the knolls and tumps.  

Up the main road on the Troll to the summit, then around to the cutting and over the fence for the singleteck trach to the aerials.  

As I got to the gate, a Karen said to me , "you know the mountainbike track's closed?"  

I wish I'd said, "thanks, Karen, I did know that." And also wish I'd pointed out how inappropriate the bike and tires were for that track.  

But alas I wasn't fast enough, and just replied, "uhhh, yep, I just wanted to get to the top and back."  

Which I did, fuck her very much.  Nice rest and snack overlooking Lyttelton.  

Onto the gravel for the skittery hoon back down to Broadleaf.  Passing Karen on the way (proving my point) but also nearly losing my front end before the cattlestop...  slightly overcooked.  Down Broadleaf and right turn onto the Summit for a cruisy blast all the way down to Evans Pass.  Seeing Harry from work on the way down ("Gudday Richard!" Me turning back to see..."oh, it's you, hi!").  

Staying on the road, out Godley, nice cruise, to Breeze Col, where I hit the OG trail below road, having a very nice cruise around here, reminiscing back to when it was first made, 25 years ago! and keeping a good pace going.  At a point a couple of walking guys said "stop and enjoy the view!" so I did, and we had a friendly if slightly awkward conversation about poisoning ants, of all things.  Enough of that, I got back on the bike and hooned off down the singletrack from here, nearly losing it in a rut, but not, oops.  Out to the end and off up the 4wdy track above the road, staying on it and riding the 'bike track' rather than the usual narrow overgrown sheeptrack (or indeed Breeze Bay).  Back down to Breeze Col and back on the road for the clamber (then descent) back to Evans.

For the hell of it, from Evans I went over the stile into the old Greenwood exit and started the push up the ridge.  Long push.  Pushing til it levelled off, then riding for a bit, then back to the pushing, little bit more riding, them more pushing up to the stile where the trail up from Urumau (and Chalmers) comes to.  Chatted to an old walker here then rode across the saddle and over the next stile, from whence I carried the bike, head through frame on shoulders, up the steep rocks.  As I crested through the rock formations there were 3 women (30s/early40s maybe), one of whom said, "we were just saying what a bad ass you are." 

To which I replied, "well, the bike gets me from a to b quickly and occasionally I just have to lug it."  

And another one said, "we're pretty impressed, mate." 

Nicely flattering, ego stoked, I got back on and continued riding for a bit, cleaning some good tech within view too.  hehe.  Across gun emplacements and down the 4wd to the OG Greenwood entrance trail, across this, managing some pretty good tech, to the entrance and then fast blast back down via Upper Major, the Ridge- and Clear-views down Longridge and main road to the house.

Was an awesome ride, 26 kms with an over the tonne 1050 m climbed.